Robert Armstrong (military officer)

Robert Armstrong
Portrait of Armstrong by George Dury, c. 1850s
Born	(1792-09-28)September 28, 1792 Abingdon, Virginia
Died	February 23, 1854(1854-02-23) (aged 61) Washington, D.C.
Service/branch	United States Army
Rank	Brigadier general
Spouse(s)	Margaret Nichol
Other work	United States consul to Liverpool

Robert Armstrong (September 28, 1792 – February 23, 1854) was an officer in the United States Army, a candidate for the position of Governor of Tennessee, and a United States consul to Liverpool.

Early life

He was born in Abingdon, Virginia, in 1792.

Career

He served as a sergeant in the Army during the War of 1812, and as a lieutenant of artillery under Andrew Jackson during the Creek War, getting wounded at the Battle of Enitachopco Creek in 1814, and served as a member of Jackson's staff at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.

In 1829, he was named the postmaster of Nashville, Tennessee, and remained in that position through 1835. He was commissioned a brigadier general during the Second Seminole War during 1836 and 1837, and was engaged in the Battle of Wahoo Swamp. He was an unsuccessful candidate to be Governor of Tennessee in 1837.

In 1845, he was appointed consul in Liverpool, a position he remained in through 1849. In 1851, he became the owner of the Washington Union, in Washington, D.C. He remained in that position until his death in 1854 in Washington, D.C.

Personal life

He married Margaret Nichol in June 1814 and died in 1861

References

• Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume 1607–1896. Chicago: Quincy Who's Who, 1963.

Further reading

• Ewing, Robert (July 1919). "Portrait of General Robert Armstrong". Tennessee Historical Magazine. 5: 75–80.