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John Armstrong Jr.

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John Armstrong
7thUnited States Secretary of War
In office
January 13, 1813 – September 27, 1814
PresidentJames Madison
Preceded byWilliam Eustis
Succeeded byJames Monroe
United States Minister to France
In office
November 18, 1804 – September 14, 1810
PresidentThomas Jefferson
James Madison
Preceded byRobert Livingston
Succeeded byJonathan Russell
United States Senator
fromNew York
In office
February 4, 1804 – June 30, 1804
Preceded byTheodorus Bailey
Succeeded bySamuel L. Mitchill
In office
November 10, 1803 – February 4, 1804
Appointed byGeorge Clinton
Preceded byDeWitt Clinton
Succeeded byJohn Smith
In office
November 6, 1800 – February 5, 1802
Preceded byJohn Laurance
Succeeded byDeWitt Clinton
Member of theContinental CongressfromPennsylvania
In office
1787–1788
Personal details
Born(1758-11-25)November 25, 1758
Carlisle, Pennsylvania.British America
DiedApril 1, 1843(1843-04-01)(aged 84)
Red Hook, New York,U.S.
Political partyDemocratic-Republican
Spouse
Alida Livingston
​
​
(m.1789; died 1822)​
Children7
RelativesJohn Armstrong(father)
James Armstrong(brother)
EducationPrinceton University
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceContinental Army
United States Army
Years of service1775–1777, 1782–1783(Continental Army)
1812–1813(U.S. Army)
RankMajor(Continental Army)
Brigadier General(U.S. Army)
Battles/warsAmerican Revolutionary War
War of 1812

John Armstrong Jr.(November 25, 1758 – April 1, 1843) was an American soldier, diplomat and statesman who was a delegate to theContinental Congress,U.S. Senatorfrom New York, andUnited States Secretary of Warunder PresidentJames Madison.[1]A member of theDemocratic-Republican Party,Armstrong wasUnited States Minister to Francefrom 1804 to 1810.

Early life[edit]

Further information:Livingston family

Armstrong was born inCarlisle, Pennsylvania,the younger son of GeneralJohn Armstrong Sr.and Rebecca (Lyon) Armstrong.[2]John Sr. was a renowned Pennsylvania soldier born inIrelandofScottishdescent. John Jr.'s older brother wasJames Armstrong,who became a physician and U.S. Congressman.[3]

After early education in Carlisle, John Jr. studied at the College of New Jersey, nowPrinceton University.[2]He broke off his studies inPrincetonin 1775 to return toPennsylvaniaand join the fight in theRevolutionary War.[4]

Career[edit]

Revolutionary War[edit]

The young Armstrong initially joined a Pennsylvania militia regiment and the following year he was appointed asaide-de-campto GeneralHugh Mercerof theContinental Army.[4]In this role, he carried the wounded and dying General Mercer from the field at theBattle of Princeton.After the general died on January 12, 1777, Armstrong became an aide to GeneralHoratio Gates.He stayed with Gates through theBattle of Saratogathen 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.[4]

Newburgh letters[edit]

While in camp with Gates atNewburgh, New York,Armstrong became involved in theNewburgh 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 theCongressand form a plan of action. AfterGeorge Washingtonordered 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.[4]

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.[3]

After the revolution[edit]

Later in 1783 Armstrong returned home to Carlisle and became an Original Member of the PennsylvaniaSociety of the Cincinnati.He was named the Adjutant General of Pennsylvania's militia and also served asSecretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvaniaunder PresidentsDickinsonandFranklin.In 1784, he led a military force of four hundred militiamen into a controversy with Connecticut settlers in theWyoming Valleyof Pennsylvania. His tactics enraged the nearby states of Vermont and Connecticut, which sent their own militia into the area.Timothy Pickeringwas dispatched to forge a solution to the difficulty, and the settlers were able to keep title to the land they had tamed. In 1787 and 1788 Armstrong was sent as a delegate for Pennsylvania to theCongress of the Confederation.The Congress offered to make him chief justice of theNorthwest Territory.He declined this, as well as all other public offices for the next dozen years.[3]

Armstrong resumed public life after the resignation ofJohn LauranceasU.S. Senator from New York.As aJeffersonian Republicanhe was elected inNovember 1800to a term ending in March 1801. He took his seat on November 6, and wasre-electedon January 27 for a full term (1801–1807), butresignedon February 5, 1802.DeWitt Clintonwas elected to fill the vacancy, but resigned in 1803, and Armstrong was appointed temporarily to his old seat.[4]

InFebruary 1804,Armstrong was elected again to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation ofTheodorus Bailey,thus moving from the Class 3 to the Class 1 seat on February 25, but served only four months beforePresident Jeffersonappointed himU.S. Minister to France.[5][6]

To Paris Armstrong brought as his private secretary theUnited-Irish exile,David Bailie Warden.After serving as Consul, Warden was to author the first major work of reference for the diplomatic corps; a "pioneering" contribution to "the emergence of doctrinal views and a specialist literature on international law".[7]

Armstrong served as Minister in Paris until September 1810. In 1806 he had also briefly also represented the United States at the court ofSpain.[4]

When theWar of 1812broke out, Armstrong was called to military service. He was commissioned as a Brigadier General, and placed in charge of the defenses for the port ofNew York.[8]Then in 1813President Madisonnamed himSecretary of War.[5]

Henry Adamswrote 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 ofMonroe;but he suffered from the reputation ofindolenceandintrigue.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.[9]

Armstrong made a number of valuable changes to the armed forces but was so convinced that the British would 'not' attack Washington D.C. that he did nothing to defend the city even when it became clear it was the objective of the invasion force. After the American defeat at theBattle of Bladensburgand the subsequentburning of Washington,Madison, usually a forgiving man, forced him to resign in September 1814.[10]

Later life[edit]

Armstrong returned to his farm and resumed a quiet life. He published a number of histories, biographies, and some works on agriculture. He died atLa Bergerie(later renamed Rokeby), the farm estate he built inRed Hook, New Yorkin 1843 and is buried in the cemetery inRhinebeck.Following the death ofPaine Wingatein 1838, he became the last surviving delegate to theContinental Congress,and the only one to be photographed.[3]

Personal life[edit]

Alida Livingston Armstrong and Daughter,Rembrandt Peale,ca. 1810
Daguerreotype of Armstrong in 1840. This photo is the only one of a person who served as a delegate to theContinental Congress.

In 1789, Armstrong married Alida Livingston (1761–1822), the youngest child of JudgeRobert Livingston(1718–1775) and Margaret (néeBeekman) Livingston. Alida was also the sister of ChancellorRobert R. LivingstonandEdward Livingston.[11][12]Together they had seven children:[3]

  • MajHoratio Gates Armstrong(1790–1858), soldier in the War of 1812.[13]
  • Henry Beekman Armstrong (1791–1854), also a soldier in the War of 1812.[14]
  • John Armstrong (1794–1852), who moved toNew Yorkand took up life as a gentleman farmer atLa Bergerie,a farm purchased from Alida's family inDutchess County
  • Robert Livingston Armstrong (1797–1834)[15]
  • Margaret Rebecca Armstrong (1800–1872), who marriedWilliam Backhouse Astor Sr.(1792–1875) of the prominentAstor family.[16][12]
  • James Kosciuszko Armstrong (1801–1868)
  • William Armstrong (1814–1902), who married Lucy A. Hickernell (1816–1894).

Armstrong died inRed Hook, New Yorkon April 1, 1843. He was buried at the Rhinebeck Cemetery inRhinebeck, New York.[5]

Residences[edit]

Almont[edit]

Armstrong's initial farm in Dutchess County, called "Altmont" (also known as "The Meadows" ), was originally part of the Schuyler patent. In 1795, he purchased a part of the farm from the Van Benthuysen family, and converted an existing barn into a two-story Federal style dwelling with twelve rooms.[17]Around 1800, Armstrong sold "Almont" toAndrewand Anna Verplanck Deveaux. Deveaux died in 1812; in 1816 his widow sold "Deveaux Park" toJohn Stevens.The mansion burned down around 1879. In 1908, lumber rights to the white oak and chestnut forests were sold for timber for the New York market.[18]

La Bergerie[edit]

After the death of Margaret Beekman Livingston, widow of Judge Robert Livingston, much of the Clermont land was distributed among the heirs. John R. Livingston received the land that would become the "Messena" estate. His sister Alida Livingston Armstrong inherited the property just to the south. There the Armstrong's created "La Bergerie", in English "the sheepfold" – an estate where they raised Merino sheep. The Merino sheep were a gift from the French EmperorNapoleon Bonaparteon Armstrong's departure after being Minister. The Astors purchased it for a summer home and renamed itRokeby.Margaret Chanler Aldrich,great-granddaughter of Margaret Armstrong Astor, marriedRichard Aldrich.Rokeby remains in the Aldrich family.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"John Armstrong letters 1795, 1802, 1806, 1812, 1813, 1814".archives.nypl.org.The New York Public Library.Archived fromthe originalon October 18, 2019.RetrievedAugust 10,2017.
  2. ^abWho Was Who in American History - the Military.Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1975. p. 15.ISBN0837932017.
  3. ^abcdeSkeen, Carl Edward (1981).John Armstrong, Jr., 1758-1843: A Biography.Syracuse, N.Y.:Syracuse University Press.ISBN9780815622420.RetrievedAugust 10,2017.
  4. ^abcdefTucker, Spencer (2009).U.S. Leadership in Wartime: Clashes, Controversy, and Compromise.ABC-CLIO.ISBN9781598841725.RetrievedAugust 10,2017.
  5. ^abc"ARMSTRONG, John, Jr. - Biographical Information".bioguide.congress.gov.Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.RetrievedAugust 10,2017.
  6. ^Rodriguez, Junius P.; Smith, Robert W. (2002).The Louisiana Purchase: A Historical and Geographical Encyclopedia.ABC-CLIO.ISBN9781576071885.RetrievedAugust 10,2017.
  7. ^Butler, William E. (2011)."David Bailie Warden and the Development of American Consular Law".Journal of the History of International Law.13(2): 377–424, 317.doi:10.1163/15718050-13020005.RetrievedJanuary 16,2021.
  8. ^Quimby, Robert S. (1997).The U.S. Army in the War of 1812: An Operational and Command Study.East Lansing, Michigan:Michigan State University Press.
  9. ^Adams, Henry,History of the United States of America during the Administrations of James Madison.The Library of America, 1986. p. 593.
  10. ^Pitch, Anthony, The Burning of Washington: The British Invasion of 1814.Bluejacket Books, 2000. p. 168.
  11. ^Livingston, Edwin Brockholst (1910).The Livingstons of Livingston Manor: Being the History of that Branch of the Scottish House of Callendar which Settled in the English Province of New York During the Reign of Charles the Second; and Also Including an Account of Robert Livingston of Albany, "The Nephew," a Settler in the Same Province and His Principal Descendants.Knickerbocker Press.RetrievedAugust 10,2017.
  12. ^abMowbray, Jay Henry (1898).Representative Men of New York: A Record of Their Achievements.New York Press.RetrievedAugust 10,2017.
  13. ^"DIED".The Daily Exchange.April 9, 1858. p. 2.RetrievedJune 5,2019.
  14. ^Chisholm, Hugh (1905).The Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and General Information.Cambridge University Press.RetrievedAugust 10,2017.
  15. ^Heitman, Francis Bernard (1903).Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army: From Its Organization, September 29, 1789, to March 2, 1903.U.S. Government Printing Office. p.170.RetrievedAugust 10,2017.
  16. ^Trager, James (2010).The New York Chronology: The Ultimate Compendium of Events, People, and Anecdotes from the Dutch to the Present.Zondervan.ISBN9780062018601.RetrievedAugust 10,2017.
  17. ^"Kenny, Peter M." "The Consummation of Earthly Bliss": – Classical American Homes Preservation Trust ". Classical American Homes Preservation Trust".Archived fromthe originalon May 25, 2020.RetrievedOctober 16,2019.
  18. ^Lewis, John N., "Town of Red Hook",History of Dutchess County,(Frank Hasbrouck, ed.), Higginson Book Company, 1909Public DomainThis article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.

Further reading[edit]

  • Skeen, Carl E.John Armstrong Jr., 1758–1843: A Biography.Syracuse Univ Press, 1982.ISBN0-8156-2242-2.

External links[edit]

U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. senator (Class 3) from New York
1800–1802
Served alongside:Gouverneur Morris 		Succeeded by
Preceded by U.S. senator (Class 3) from New York
1803–1804
Served alongside:Theodorus Bailey 		Succeeded by
Preceded by U.S. senator (Class 1) from New York
1804
Served alongside:John Smith 		Succeeded by
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by U.S. Minister to France
1804–1810 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by U.S. Secretary of War
Served under:James Madison
1813–1814 		Succeeded by
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