Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Asa Hastings 1792 - 1876

On March 8, 1813, Asa Hastings enlisted in the 21st Regiment, United States Infantry, as a private in Captain S. Toby’s Company.  He was honorably discharged from Captain Ira Drew’s Company at Sacket’s Harbor, NY on May 24, 1815.

Asa was involved in the major Battle of Little York (present day Toronto).  The original intentions were to attack Kingston, Ontario in the spring of 1813 but ice in that harbor prevented an early attack and plans were changed and York became the target.  The American troops were commanded by Major General Henry Dearborn.  Dearborn chose to lead the battle from aboard his ship in Lake Ontario and delegated the on-shore leadership to Brigadier General Zebulon Pike.
The American soldiers landed from the west of York and rapidly drove the English army, Canadian militia, and about 100 Native Americans through the city.  The English army retreated east leaving the militia to make the best terms they could.  To prevent the Americans from capturing their magazine containing over 300 barrels of powder the magazine was blown up.  When the explosion occurred, the underground magazine propelled rocks and stones into the air in a mass of flying missiles.  General Pike was sitting nearby interviewing a prisoner at the time of the explosion.  He was struck in the head and shoulder by flying rocks.  He was returned to his ship in Lake Ontario where he died.  Asa Hastings was also struck in the abdomen by a flying rock.  Thirty-eight Americans were killed by this explosion and another two hundred were wounded.
Asa Hastings spent several months in hospital recovering from his injuries before returning to duty at Fort Niagara.  This information was difficult to uncover until I came across a record in The Congressional Record of June of 1860 which follows.
General Zebulon Pike is buried in Sacket’s Harbor, NY;

“House of Representatives, 36th Congress, 1st Session, Report No. 624.  June 13, 1860.  Mr. Fenton from the Committee on Invalid Pensions, made the following Report:  The Committee on Invalid Pensions to whom was referred the petition of Asa Hastings, of Horicon, New York, report:
That from the petition and evidence in this case it appears that petitioner was a private in Captain Charles S. Toby's company, 21st regiment United States infantry, enlisted March 8, 1813, for during the war, and was honorably discharged from Captain Ira Drew's company, at Socket Harbor, New York, on the 24th of May, 1815;  that while he was in said service, under Captain Loring and General Pike, at the blowing up of Little York, about the 27th of April, 1813, he received an injury by means of a stone, which struck him in the abdomen and threw him on his face to the ground, and that on or about the 27th of May following, while carrying turf to build batteries at Fort Niagara, he received another injury in the same place, in addition to the one above mentioned, which has remained upon him ever since.  After his first injury he was able to perform light garrison duty only; but after the second he was sent to the hospital, and remained there about eighteen months.  His company roll for December, 1813 shows that he was "sick at Sacket's Harbor;" and on said roll to June 30, 1814, he is noted "sick at Brownsville general hospital."  Since his discharge from the army he has been more than three-fourths disabled from obtaining his subsistence by manual labor in consequence of said injuries; and for the last ten years he has been and now is almost wholly disabled, and his present disability is the result of the aforesaid injuries.  He applied for a pension in 1851, but failed to make the strict proof required at the Pension office.  The evidence consists of the affidavits of Joseph Pike, David Fowler, and Thomas D. Morrison, soldiers in the War of 1812, who were in a situation to know the facts to which they have testified, and although there is some discrepancy in the statements of the witnesses and petitioner as to the cause of the second injury, they all agree in the main point that he was injured while in the service, as above stated.  Twelve citizens of Warren County, New York, where petitioner resides, testify that they believe him to be a man of truth and veracity, and a member of the Wesleyan Methodist church, in good standing.  Isaac Hill, Rufus Davis, Homer Davis, Milo Davis, and Horace B. Taylor, also corroborate the petitioner's statements; prove him to be a man of temperate habits and a worthy citizen.  Mr. Taylor (in 1857) states that since his acquaintance with petitioner, and for more than twenty years, he has been afflicted with a hernia of large size and has worn a truss; and Surgeons Alfred Mallory and Mrs. M. W. Prichard, of Warren county, New York , regular practicing physicians and surgeons, and reputable in their profession, certify, under date of November 27, 1851, that petitioner "is affected with an inguinal or scrotal hernia, the contents of which seem to be principally a portion of bowel called hernia intestinal, and is not able to get his living by labor, but his disability amounts to three-fourths."  The committee report a bill allowing a pension of six dollars per month from the date of his petition, and recommend its passage.”

In 1818 Asa received 160 acres of land in Hancock County, Illinois for his service in the War of 1812.

No comments:

Post a Comment