Re-enactors as Americans
Letter from Askin to a friend, telling about Hull's invasion of Sandwich.
(from The John Askin Papers, Vol. 2, p. 708 - 710)
Strabane July 17th 1812
My dear sir
...
About a week ago, our militia & other force left Sandwich, and the same day the Americans came over to this side. Governor, now
General, Hull, keeps up the strictest good order. The soldiers dare not take a cherry, without the owners' consent. I waited on him two days after his arrival, and he received me not only with politeness, but friendship, and extracted no oath, or promise, other than my word, that I would not, while he had possession here, meddle in the present troubles. Indeed I did not mean to do it, otherwise than giving my advice to my sons how they should act....Therefore I have kept myself quiet and were it not for our anxiety respecting our children & friends, Mrs. Askin & I have no cause of uneasiness. That of the fate of a government I have always lived under, and that my wife & children love much excepted. However should it be our lot, to fall under any other authority, I would not prefer any man, to the present General Hull; who I'm pretty sure will not only respect my property, but that of my friends, so far as he can consistently do so, in which he will be aided & assisted, by the talents & interest of Mr. Brush, (who now commands at Detroit) and who I believe as kind & friendly a man, as ever was. All our Canadian militia to a man, being called to Malden: Mr. Brush says he will send men to cut down my harvest. On the subject of the Canadians on our side, let me assure you, I never have seen men show more fidelity. They volunteered to a man, and left their houses without a single person except women & children. However our enemies have taken no advantage of their distressed situation, and up to the present time, there has not been a single life lost in this quarter, in consequence of the war. How long this may continue, God only knows....Some few Canadians, but many more English of the river Trench [i.e. Thames], are come off from Malden without leave. I really think the distressed state of their families and the harvest being so very near, is the general cause. General Hull has taken no notice of their having taken up arms against him. He desires them to go home & keep quiet. He wants no service from them, unless such as choose to offer themselves volunteers. He has no Indians with him on this side, and I heard would not employ them.
...
Since writing the enclosed, General Hull has taken possession of private property goods and provisions belonging to Mr. McGregor,
Mr. Baby & Mr. David, which he said in my hearing yesterday (the 19th) he would return, when some private property taken in a
vessel near Malden, was given up. Our Canadians now desert in numbers. Our officers will have no men. My son James is captain & Alexander lieutenant in the militia at Malden.
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Re-enactors as Americans |