Biographical Sketches, Page 121
Haskin, Joseph A., brigadier-general, was born in New York in 1817. He was graduated at West Point in 1839, being assigned to the 1st artillery, was in Maine on duty incident to the border dispute, 1840-45; in Florida and Louisiana in 1845-46, and in the Mexican war served under Gen. Scott from Vera Cruz to the capture of the City of Mexico, losing an arm at the storming of Chapultepec. He was subsequently on frontier and garrison duty, becoming captain in 1851, and was in command of the arsenal at Baton Rouge in 1861, when he was attacked by a vastly superior force of Confederates and compelled to surrender the buildings and arms. He subsequently served in Washington, at Key West, in command of the Northern defenses of Washington, 1862-64, and then as chief of artillery in the war department until 1866. He was promoted major in 1862, and in the same year lieutenant-colonel of staff; was promoted lieutenant-colonel of the 1st artillery in 1866, and on March 13, 1865, was raised by brevet to the ranks of colonel and brigadier-general U. S. A. He was retired from active service in 1872, and died in Oswego, N. Y., Aug. 3, 1874.