John Armstrong was destined to be a humble farmer on the Pennsylvania frontier until the American Revolution changed his life. Rising from private soldier to an officer in the Continental Ar my\, he later served in the First American Regiment\, foreruner of the U.S . Army\, that was tasked to facilitate the settlement of the Northwest Ter ritory. He endured the fledgling army&rsquo\;s growing pains\, was selecte d for a covert operation in Spanish territory to explore the Missouri Rive r\, and fought Native Americans in two disastrous military campaigns. The army subsequently evolved into a successful fighting force despite its sec ond-in-command&rsquo\;s quest to destroy the career of its commander\, Maj . Gen. Anthony Wayne. Armstrong became an unwitting pawn in a treacherous game crafted by Brig. Gen. James Wilkinson\, of whom Theodore Roosevelt on ce wrote\, &ldquo\;He had no conscience and no scruples . . . In all our h istory there is no more despicable character.&rdquo\; Rebuilding his life in Ohio and Indiana\, Armstrong became a noted government official\, milit ia officer\, land speculator\, and pioneer.
\nEllen Denning Smith be gan researching the life of John Armstrong to seek confirmation of the man y tales she had heard as a child regarding her Revolutionary War ancestor\ , After locating his papers at the Indiana Historical Society and noting r eferences to facts previously unknown to her\, she determined that his lif e as soldier\, explorer\, magistrate\, land speculator\, and treasurer of the Northwest Territory \;was a story that needed to be told. \;\n
This program will also be presented on a Zoom Webinar Platform.
\nCopies of The Court-Martial of Captain John Armstrong will be availab le for purchase.
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