John Askin

John Askin was a British fur trader and merchant who lived in the Detroit area for many years. He had come to North America in 1758 and settled near Fort Detroit in 1781.
He moved to the Canadian side of the border in 1802 because he wanted to stay under British rule. When the War of 1812 started, he was 73 years old. He wrote many letters to his friends and family.
He had 4 sons, 2 sons-in-law and 10 grandsons who fought for the British in the war. One son-in-law fought for the Americans. One of his sons was Charles Askin. Charles was an officer in the British militia during the war. He kept a diary about what happened to him.

John Askin

John Richardson

One of John Askin's grandsons was John Richardson who was 15 at the beginning of the war. He joined the army at Amherstburg as a volunteer and took part in every battle until he was captured after the Battle of the Thames.
Richardson later became a writer and wrote a history of the war.


See more: Letter from Askin to his son Charles, telling about the preparations for war.

See more: Letter from Askin to a friend, telling about Hull's invasion of Sandwich.

See more: Charles Askin's diary, describing the trip along Lake Erie with General Brock.

See more: Letter from Askin to his children, letting them know what was happening, now that Sandwich is once again in American control.

See more: Richardson on the capture of Detroit.

See more: Richardson's description of Sir Isaac Brock.

See more: Richardson's account of the death of Tecumseh.