Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1843-04-27

tho return Of Chancellor Livingston from the
French embassy, General Armstrong was COM
missioned minister 10 his place-in which posi-
uon he conducted q very able correspondence
with Tho ministers Of Napoleon. in the great di-
plomatc contest respecting the Berlin and Milan
oecrees, which, with the British orders in coun-
Gil, well nigh swept American commerce from the
seas. On his return from France, he selected
the celebrated Jonathan Russell, then Ameri-
can merchant, as charge d'affairs in his ROOM
Inc choice showed tho sagaci,y OF Armstrong;
ior Russell displayed extraordinary talent in his
correspondence with the Duke dc Cador, and won
tor himself the Swedish mission, and subsequent
~ the appointment the joint commission to
Client. Poor Jonathan Russell! His official
HE was short; and although his sun was brilliant
for a time, it went down in cloud.
Returning to his own country, General Arnf-
strong, IN order to more vigorous prosecution OF
The war of lsi2-l5 with England, was called
to the War Department by Mr.. Madison, as the
successor Of Mr.. Eustis. During the campaign
OF 1913 he visited the Northern frontier in person;
but with Wilkinson for the commander in the
hed all his TALENT vigor, and activity were INSULT
Client to command success, retrieve disaster;
and his flight from Washington with Mr. Madi-
eon and his cabinet, at the sacking of 1914, gave
the coup dc grace to The official career Of the Sec
Rotary of War. twas charged that the capital
was lost by reason Of his neglect to provide the
means of defence. Whether the charge was true
made the scape-goat.-He was dismissed from
office and the duties Of the War Department were
devolved upon Mr. Monroe, then Secretary of
State. The generals vindication of himself, in
Gardner's review, was very able.
/, From that day his death the General has
lived in retirement generally upon his estate at
Red Hook, but passing few of his recent years,
we believe, in Maryland. He has not written
much for the press, unless he has left manuscripts
for publication. Besides the articles already re-
ferred to in Col. Gardner's magazine, he was
once engaged in sharp and extended newspaper
controversy with the late Bareni GARDENER Their
articles, extending to several numbers, were pub
lished by the late Jesse Buel. in the Ulster coun-
~ Plebean. paper which he then edited. That
was controversy worth reading. GARDENER had
the most wit, and Armstrong the keenest invec-
tive. But it was literally war of giants. In
addition to these things, he has given the public
TWO small volumes of criticism upon the general
conduct of the war with England-written, it is
true, with elegance and perspicuty, but yet fall
ling far short of the public expectation In these
criticisms he attempted to destroy the fame Of
General Harrison; and indeed in regard 10 nearly
all the commanders, he seems to have been gov
.erned by the maXim-"the fewer praise the
better" But they show that he was thorough
1y educated military man.
" The foregoing article was written currente
'ealamo, Immediately after the Generals decease.
We find In the American two facts connected with
The public life of the deceased, of one of which
we were ignorant, and the other did not occur to
US while writing We supply the omission.
"Gen Armstrong entered the army of the rev.
.oluton at IL years of age-waS aid-de-camp to
Gen. Mercer, and with him at the battle of Prince
ton, when his general fell.
"At the breaking out of the war, Gen. Arm
strong was called into service, with the rank of
brigadier general, and assigned to the command of
The military department which embraced this city
and state.''