Sen. John Armstrong, II

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Armstrong_Jr%2E

John Armstrong, Jr. (November 25, 1758 – April 1, 1843) was an American soldier and statesman who was a delegate to the Continental Congress, U.S. Senator from New York, and Secretary of War.

Early life and Revolutionary War

Armstrong was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the younger son of General John Armstrong and Rebecca (Lyon) Armstrong. John Armstrong, Sr., was a renowned Pennsylvania soldier born in Ireland of Scottish descent. John Jr.'s older brother was James Armstrong, who became a physician and U.S. Congressman.

After early education in Carlisle, John Jr. studied at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). He broke off his studies in Princeton in 1775 to return to Pennsylvania and join the fight in the Revolutionary War. He service record is sometimes confused with several other John Armstrongs in the war, including his father.

The young Armstrong joined a Pennsylvania militia regiment, but the following year became aide-de-camp to General Hugh Mercer in the Continental Army. In this role, he carried the wounded and dying General Mercer from the field at the Battle of Princeton. After the general died on January 12, 1777, Armstrong became an aide to General Horatio Gates. He stayed with Gates through the Battle of Saratoga then resigned due to problems with his health. In 1782 Gates asked him to return. Armstrong joined General Gates' staff as an aide with the rank of major, which he held through the rest of the war.

Newburgh letters

While in camp with Gates at Newburgh, New York, Armstrong became involved in the Newburgh Conspiracy. He is generally acknowledged as the author of the two anonymous letters directed at the officers in the camp. The first, titled "An Address to the Officers" (dated March 10, 1783), called for a meeting to discuss back pay and other grievances with the Congress and form a plan of action. After General Washington ordered the meeting canceled and called for a milder meeting on March 15, a second address appeared that claimed that this showed that Washington supported their actions.

Washington successfully defused this protest without a mutiny. While some of Armstrong's later correspondence acknowledged his role, there was never any official action that connected him with the anonymous letters.

After the Revolution

Later in 1783 Armstrong returned home to Carlisle. He was named the Adjutant General of Pennsylvania's militia and also served as Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania under Presidents Dickinson and Franklin. In 1787 and 1788 he was sent as a delegate for Pennsylvania to the Continental Congress. The Congress offered to make him chief justice of the Northwest Territory. He declined this, as well as all other public offices for the next dozen years.

In 1789, Armstrong married Alida Livingston (1761–1822; sister of Chancellor Robert R. Livingston and Edward Livingston). One of their daughters, Margaret, married William Backhouse Astor, Sr. of the wealthy Astor family. John Armstrong moved to New York and took up life as a gentleman farmer on a farm purchased from her family in Dutchess County.

Armstrong resumed public life after the resignation of John Laurance as U.S. Senator from New York. As a Jefferson Republican he was elected in November 1800 to a term ending in March 1801. He took his seat on January 8, and was re-elected on January 27 for a full term (1801–07), but resigned on February 5, 1802. DeWitt Clinton was elected to fill the vacancy, but resigned in 1803, and Armstrong was appointed temporarily to his old seat.

In February 1804, Armstrong was elected again to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Theodorus Bailey, thus moving from the Class 3 to the Class 1 seat on February 25, but served only four months before President Jefferson appointed him U.S. Minister to France. He served in that post until 1810, and also represented the United States at the court of Spain in 1806.

When the War of 1812 broke out, Armstrong was called to military service. He was commissioned as a Brigadier General, and placed in charge of the defenses for the port of New York. Then in 1813 President Madison named him Secretary of War.

Henry Adams wrote of him:

In spite of Armstrong's services, abilities, and experience, something in his character always created distrust. He had every advantage of education, social and political connection, ability and self-confidence; he was only fifty-four years old, which was also the age of Monroe; but he suffered from the reputation of indolence and intrigue. So strong was the prejudice against him that he obtained only eighteen votes against fifteen in the Senate on his confirmation; and while the two senators from Virginia did not vote at all, the two from Kentucky voted in the negative. Under such circumstances, nothing but military success of the first order could secure a fair field for Monroe's rival.

He made a number of valuable changes to the armed forces, but was forced to resign in September 1814 after he was blamed for the Burning of Washington in August.

Later life

Armstrong returned to his farm and resumed a quiet life. He published a number of histories, biographies, and some works on agriculture. He died at home in Red Hook, New York in 1843 and is buried in the cemetery in Rhinebeck.

Armstrong's farm in Dutchess County is still operating (and owned by the Livingston family). The home he completed in 1811 has a New York state educational marker on County Road 103.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Armstrong_Jr

John Armstrong, Jr. (November 25, 1758 – April 1, 1843) was an American soldier and statesman who was a delegate to the Continental Congress, U.S. Senator from New York, and Secretary of War.

Early life and Revolutionary War

Armstrong was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the younger son of General John Armstrong and Rebecca (Lyon) Armstrong. John Armstrong, Sr., was a renowned Pennsylvania soldier born in Ireland of Scottish descent. John Jr.'s older brother was James Armstrong, who became a physician and U.S. Congressman.

After early education in Carlisle, John Jr. studied at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). He broke off his studies in Princeton in 1775 to return to Pennsylvania and join the fight in the Revolutionary War. He service record is sometimes confused with several other John Armstrongs in the war, including his father.

The young Armstrong joined a Pennsylvania militia regiment, but the following year became aide-de-camp to General Hugh Mercer in the Continental Army. In this role, he carried the wounded and dying General Mercer from the field at the Battle of Princeton. After the general died on January 12, 1777, Armstrong became an aide to General Horatio Gates. He stayed with Gates through the Battle of Saratoga then resigned due to problems with his health. In 1782 Gates asked him to return. Armstrong joined General Gates' staff as an aide with the rank of major, which he held through the rest of the war.

Newburgh letters

While in camp with Gates at Newburgh, New York, Armstrong became involved in the Newburgh Conspiracy. He is generally acknowledged as the author of the two anonymous letters directed at the officers in the camp. The first, titled "An Address to the Officers" (dated March 10, 1783), called for a meeting to discuss back pay and other grievances with the Congress and form a plan of action. After General Washington ordered the meeting canceled and called for a milder meeting on March 15, a second address appeared that claimed that this showed that Washington supported their actions.

Washington successfully defused this protest without a mutiny. While some of Armstrong's later correspondence acknowledged his role, there was never any official action that connected him with the anonymous letters.

After the Revolution

Later in 1783 Armstrong returned home to Carlisle. He was named the Adjutant General of Pennsylvania's militia and also served as Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania under Presidents Dickinson and Franklin. In 1787 and 1788 he was sent as a delegate for Pennsylvania to the Continental Congress. The Congress offered to make him chief justice of the Northwest Territory. He declined this, as well as all other public offices for the next dozen years.

In 1789, Armstrong married Alida Livingston (1761–1822; sister of Chancellor Robert R. Livingston and Edward Livingston). One of their daughters, Margaret, married William Backhouse Astor, Sr. of the wealthy Astor family. John Armstrong moved to New York and took up life as a gentleman farmer on a farm purchased from her family in Dutchess County.

Armstrong resumed public life after the resignation of John Laurance as U.S. Senator from New York. As a Jefferson Republican he was elected in November 1800 to a term ending in March 1801. He took his seat on January 8, and was re-elected on January 27 for a full term (1801–07), but resigned on February 5, 1802. DeWitt Clinton was elected to fill the vacancy, but resigned in 1803, and Armstrong was appointed temporarily to his old seat.

In February 1804, Armstrong was elected again to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Theodorus Bailey, thus moving from the Class 3 to the Class 1 seat on February 25, but served only four months before President Jefferson appointed him U.S. Minister to France. He served in that post until 1810, and also represented the United States at the court of Spain in 1806.

When the War of 1812 broke out, Armstrong was called to military service. He was commissioned as a Brigadier General, and placed in charge of the defenses for the port of New York. Then in 1813 President Madison named him Secretary of War.

Henry Adams wrote of him:

In spite of Armstrong's services, abilities, and experience, something in his character always created distrust. He had every advantage of education, social and political connection, ability and self-confidence; he was only fifty-four years old, which was also the age of Monroe; but he suffered from the reputation of indolence and intrigue. So strong was the prejudice against him that he obtained only eighteen votes against fifteen in the Senate on his confirmation; and while the two senators from Virginia did not vote at all, the two from Kentucky voted in the negative. Under such circumstances, nothing but military success of the first order could secure a fair field for Monroe's rival.

He made a number of valuable changes to the armed forces, but was forced to resign in September 1814 after he was blamed for the Burning of Washington in August.

Later life

Armstrong returned to his farm and resumed a quiet life. He published a number of histories, biographies, and some works on agriculture. He died at home in Red Hook, New York in 1843 and is buried in the cemetery in Rhinebeck.

Armstrong's farm in Dutchess County is still operating (and owned by the Livingston family). The home he completed in 1811 has a New York state educational marker on County Road 103.

Revolutionary War Continental Army Officer, Continental Congressman, US Senator, Presidential Cabinet Secretary. He was the younger son of General John Armstrong, Sr., the famed general of the Revolutionary War and older brother of James Armstrong, who would become a doctor and United States Congressman. He went to the local schools in Carlisle and then off to the College of New Jersey, now known as Princeton. College was interrupted so that he might join in the fight for our independence. With several people named John Armstrong fighting the Revolutionary War, including his famous father, the records and names sometimes get mixed up. He served as aide-de-camp for Major General Hugh Mercer until he carried the wounded and dying general from the battlefield at the Battle of Princeton. Armstrong then became the aide of Major General Horatio Gates and served him through the Battle of Saratoga. Poor health caused him to resign, but in 1782 Gates asked him to return with the rank of major, which he held trough the rest of the war. After the war he returned home to Carlisle and was made Adjutant General of Pennsylvania's militia and served as Secretary of State. In 1787 and 1788 he was a Pennsylvania delegate to the Continental Congress which offered to make him chief justice of the Northwest Territory. He declined this and all other offers for public office for the next twelve years. In 1789 he married Robert Livingston's sister Alida and they moved to New York and took up life as a gentleman farmer. In 1800 he replaced a resigning senator and in 1802 was reelected for his own term. He resigned just a few months later, only to return in 1804 when another Senator resigned. After serving four months of this term, President Jefferson named him minister of France where he served until 1810. During this time he also represented the United States at the court of Spain in 1806. At the start of the War of 1812 he was called back to service as a brigadier general in charge of defending New York. President Madison made him Secretary of War in 1813 and, after making a number of improvements in the armed forces, was blamed for the British burning Washington, DC and was forced to resign. He returned to New York and lived a quiet life while publishing some works on history, biographies, and agriculture. He died at home and his farm is still operating and is owned by the Livingston family.

• [https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclop... “ John Armstrong Jr. Born: November 25, 1758 Died: April 1, 1843” Armstrong was born on November 25, 1758, in the town of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. His father, General John Armstrong Sr., had founded the town and was a veteran of the French and Indian War. His mother, Rebecca Lyon, moved with John Armstrong Sr. and her family to America in 1746 from Ireland. Armstrong had an older brother, James, who studied medicine at the Academy of Philadelphia. Armstrong received an advanced education and at age 16 entered the College of New Jersey (today Princeton University) as a sophomore. Yet, he never finished his education and instead, followed the lead of his father and brother by joining the Revolutionary War.
• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Feb 21 2020, 21:08:42 UTC