William Armstrong and Sarah Ann Huston
Husband William ARMSTRONG
Born: 20 Jan 1759 - Paxtang, Lancaster Co, Pennsylvania Died: 5 Sep 1841 - Fulton, Callaway Co, Missouri Buried: Sep 1841 - Millerburg Bapt Cem, West Of Fulton, Calloway Co, Missouri
Father: Robert ARMSTRONG (Abt 1716-1772) Mother: Ann E THOMPSON (Abt 1727-Abt 1784)
Marriage: 20 Jan 1779 - Cumberland Co, Pennsylvania 1
Events in his life were:
• Occupation, Farmer
• Residence, Cumberland Co, Pennsylvania, Abt 1764
• Residence, Westmoreland Co, Pennsylvania, 1783
• Residence, Louisa, Virginia, Abt 1787
• Residence, Lexington, Fayette Co, Kentucky, Abt 1790
• Residence, Calloway Co, Missouri, 1831
Wife Sarah Ann HUSTON
Born: 25 Nov 1762 - Cumberland Co, Pennsylvania Died: Aug 1859 - Fayette Co, Kentucky Buried:
Events in her life were:
• Baptism, Fayette Co, Kentucky, 5 Sep 1850
Children
1 M Solomon William ARMSTRONG 2
Born: 1790 - Virginia Or Kentucky 3 Died: 26 Jul 1879 - Rogers, Benton Co, Arkansas 4 Buried: 1879 - Grimes Cemetery, Benton Co, Arkansas 4Spouse: Ann DOSS (1793-Bef 1879) 3 Marr: 1814 - Cumberland Co, Kentucky
2 F Nancy ARMSTRONG
Born: 14 Oct 1780 - Cumberland Co, Pennsylvania Died: After 1850 - Fayette Co, Kentucky Buried:Spouse: John KING (1782-After 1843) Marr: 26 Jul 1802 - Adair Co, Kentucky
3 M George William Wilson ARMSTRONG
Born: Abt 1782 - Fayette Co, Kentucky Died: After 1841 Buried:Spouse: Nancy S CORN (Abt 1811-After 1841) Marr: 6 May 1841 - Dubois Co, Indiana
4 M John ARMSTRONG
Born: Abt 1787 - Cumberland Co, Pennsylvania Died: After 7 Apr 1812 Buried:Spouse: Jane STONE (Abt 1792-After 1812) Marr: 7 Apr 1812 - Fayette Co, Kentucky
5 M Elijah ARMSTRONG
Born: Abt 1793 Died: Deceased Buried:
6 F Jane ARMSTRONG
Born: 5 Feb 1794 - Fayette Co, Kentucky Died: 6 May 1878 - Fayette Co, Kentucky Buried:Spouse: Simeon HAINES (1777-1862) Marr: 11 Nov 1811 - Fayette Co, Kentucky
7 M Andrew ARMSTRONG
Born: 1795 - Fayette Co, Kentucky Died: Deceased Buried:
8 F Mary ARMSTRONG
AKA: Polly Born: 1797 - Fayette Co, Kentucky 5 Died: After 1850 - Missouri Buried:Spouse: George KIBLER (1800-After 1850) 5 Marr: 4 Apr 1828 - Calloway Co, Missouri 6
9 M William ARMSTRONG
Born: 1798 - Virginia Died: Abt 1857 - Prob Missouri Buried:Spouse: Sarah ??? (Abt 1798-Bef 1850) Marr: Abt 1818 - Chambersburg, Franklin Co, Pennsylvania
10 F Elizabeth ARMSTRONG
AKA: Betsy Born: 1800 - Fayette Co, Kentucky Died: Deceased Buried:Spouse: William KING (Abt 1795- ) Marr: Fayette Co, Kentucky
11 F Melinda ARMSTRONG
Born: 1805 - Fayette Co, Kentucky Died: After 1826 Buried:Spouse: Presley ATHEY (Abt 1800-After 1826) Marr: 15 Mar 1825 - Fayette Co, Kentucky 7
12 F Sarah Ann ARMSTRONG
Born: Abt 1806 - Fayette Co, Kentucky Died: Deceased Buried:Spouse: Unknown LUKE (Abt 1800- )
13 M Samuel ARMSTRONG
Born: Abt 1809 - Fayette Co, Kentucky Died: Deceased Buried:Spouse: Ann LANGLEY (Abt 1811- )Spouse: Unknown BRECKENRIDGE (Abt 1814- )
General Notes (Husband)
Declaration for pension.
I was born on the 20th of January 1759 in Paxtang, Lancaster Co, PA. I have no evidence of my age but decrepitude and gray hairs. The Bible in which it was recorded I have often seen and is, I have reason to believe, in the hands of someone of the family in Kentucky. At about five years of age, my father moved across the Susquehannah to Cumberland Co [PA] near to Carlisle taking me along with him. I was living there when I first entered the service of my country. It was about the 12th day of May 1777 that I was enrolled in one Captain Jordan's Company of Militia and took the oath of alligiance to Congress along with all the troops on parade amounting to hundreds. From this time I held myself in readiness to march upon the first summons and it was not long until my services were required for the British and Indians having laid seige to fort Freeland on the west branch of the Susquehannah. Some five or six hundred men were ordered to march from York and Cumberland Counties to the relief of the Fort. Upon this occasion, I became a volunteer in Captain Asa Hill's Company (other company officers not recollected). And on the first day of July 1777, to the best of my recollection, we marched from Carlisle and went to Fort Freeland which we found in ashes having been taken and destroyed by the enemy. The fire was not yet extinguished and we found the bodies of men, women, and children lying about the Fort which we buried and then hastened forward in order to overtake the enemy but after pursuing them about 100 miles beyond the Fort in the direction of Niaora. The pursuit became hopeless and was given over and we spent some considerable time ranging backwards and forwards in the Buffalo Valley and on the frontiers in order to protect the frontier settlements. And after having undergone considerable hardships and privations, we returned to our homes which we reached months after the day we had left them and dispersed - for I cannot say we were discharged, as no written discharges were given. I think our force amounted to somewhere about six or seven hundred men in this expedition. We were joined on our outward march by some flaming fellows, field officers I suppose, but who they were I cannot now recollect. The only field officer of whom I have any recollections as having been engaged in that expedition was one Major Gibson. I think Thomas Gibson who resided in our town of Carlisle and who went out as our Major.
In the fall of the year 1777 there came an order from the government to raise troops in our part of the County to be marched to Valley Forge where General Washington and the American forces were encamped, the British being at the same time in possession of Philadelphia about sixteen miles off. Being an apprentice in Carlisle at that time, though I was anxious to march, I was not allowed to volunteer but had to stand a draft, and the lot fell upon me as one of those who would have to march. Accordingly, on Christmas, or a very few days before, we took up the line of march for Valley Forge. What makes me recollect the time is that either in York or Lancaster, through both of which places we passed, New Year's Day rejoicings were going on. The Congress was sitting in York, and I myself tho' young at the time had a conversation with one General Roberdoux, a member of Congress I think, as we passed through. The Company in which I marched was commanded by Captain William McClure who lived within three miles of Carlisle. I think the name of the Lieutenant was Donaldson, the Ensign I do not recollect. We were but two companies together on the march. We crossed the Susquehannah at Wright's Ferry and proceeded along the Philadelphia till we reached the White Horse where we turned off to the left, went by the Yellow Springs and thence to Valley Forge, which was but a few miles farther. We reached Valley Forge a few days after New Years in 1778 where we found the whole American Army under General George Washington. there was a General Wayne, General Lafayette Sutben (it is unclear whether this is a 'misrecorded' reference to two people: the Marquis de Lafayette and General Steuben, both of whom were at Valley Forge), there was my intimate acquaintance Major Hay who was wounded at the storming of Stoney Point. Captain James Morrison afterwards Colonel Morrison who died not many years since at Lexington, KY. Colonel Butler who was afterward General Butler and who fell at St Clair's Defeat, Captain Thomas of the regulars who was wounded at the Battle of Germantown. these last four I was well acquainted with personally. When we reached Valley Forge, we were placed under the command of one General Lacy who, though a Quaker, had suffered his love of country to subdue his Quaker principles so far as to engage him in warlike occupations.
We did not remain in camp, but almost as soon as we had reached it, we marched under the command of General Lacy across the Shikill into Bucks and Philadelphia Counties and cruised about between the enemy and Valley Forge in order to cut off the foraging parties of the enemy and protect the inhabitants. We had no engagement while out. We several times met with a few of the enemy who generally fled firing and receiving a fire from us. I recollect that one night during our march we were met at midnight by a detachment under the command of Colonel Butler who I presume was engaged in the same sort of service with ourselves. I remember seeing our General Lacy and the Colonel embrace and after having had some conference, the commanders and detachments parted. Some time in March we returned to Valley Forge, what fixes this in my recollection is that during our absence from camp we heard that a disturbance had occured in the Pennsylvania Line of the occasion of the celebrating of St Patrick's Day which was on the 17th of March. We marched back to Carlisle by the same way we had gone and saw Congress still sitting in Little York. We reached Carlisle on the last day of March or within not more than 6 or 8 days of that time as I firmly believe and were regularly discharged. When I say we were discharged, I understood we were discharged by General Lacy whilst we were in Bucks County under his command owing to the approach of the expiration of our term of service and thence went to Valley Forge and thence home to Carlisle. We received written discharges from our Captains but I have lost mine many a day ago. In fact I never thought about preserving mine. It is right that I should say what is a fact that tho' I was drafted no one was ever more willing to march than I was and I would have volunteered if I had liberty to do so. In this campaign I was engaged three months or more I believe. After this I remained in Carlisle until I was married and very soon after that removed to Westmoreland County in the same state. Whilst there a detachment of British and Indians made an attack upon Hannah's Town about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh. Several Companies were immediately raised all volunteers who, under the command of one Colonel John Perry, marched to the relief of Hannah's Town. I was with this expedition in Captain Daniel williamson's Company, subaltern officers not recollected. When we reached Hannah's Town it was involved in smoke. The town was burned to ashes, a small Fort that had been in the town had, however, held out and escaped the flames. Many of the people were killed. Mrs. Hannah and her daughter with many others were taken prisoners. The enemy had left the town about 24 hours before we reached it. We pursued them northwardly about one hundred miles. Finding it impossible to overtake them we returned towards home and were ordered in detachments of fifty, twenty-five, to different Stockdale forts that were about the frontiers to scout and guard the settlements and after having been engaged in this service from the first day of our marching about two months, we were discharged without any particular formality, being permitted to go to our several homes. I think this happened near the close of the War about the year 1781/1782 but to state the day on which we marched out and the day we were discharged is impossible and I hope will not be considered indispensible when my great age is considered. I refer, however, to history which I presume must have noticed the burning of Hannah's Town. It must have been not more than a day or two previous to that event that we marched as we lived in the same county of which is the (Last of Justice) and I have stated that we were not discharged from active service for two months or thereabouts, I can not be more particular. Mrs. Hannah and several of the other prisoners afterward got back home for I remember to have seen them. Hannah's town was burned in July and the succeeding fall, I think in October, a campaign was projected against the Indians up the Allegany and a considerable number of troops were raised by volunteering of which I was one. We marched under the command of General Erwin of Pittsburgh and ascended the Allegany for a considerable distance but, whether the General thought our force insufficient or what other cause there might have been I never could learn certain it is, we were ordered back and returned home after an absence of about six weeks. I served in the expedition under the same Captain Dan williamson as a volunteer. We did no good on that expedition and I always considered it a complete failure. We however spent some of our time in scouting and ranging on the frontier in order to protect the settlements and allay the fears of the inhabitants. A year or two after this I removed to Lexington, KY and found there that although the war was over with for England, it was not over with the Indians for I volunteered in a company of horses commanded by Captain Nathaniel Wilson of Lexington whence we marched to Major Shelby's house whence we marched under his command southward into what was then called Tennessee against the Chicamauge Indians. Whilst on our march we were met by an express from the governor of North Carolina and informed that some sort of a treaty had been made with those Indians which would render our further services unnecessary whereupon we marched back home after an absence of about six weeks.
I, after this, volunteered to march against the Indians northwest of the Ohio and made a fruitless march of some days or weeks being ordered back by General Scott. I have not mentioned all the military services which I have rendered my country as it would make too long a story. I have always marched when there was a prospect of danger. I have had two brothers who were killed in the Revolutionary War, one near Philadelphia under General Washington, another in Clark's Campaign to the west. Taking my first three expeditions together, I served fully seven months and taking all together I believe more than a year. I am old and fortune has not smiled upon me. Both these have probably conspired to prey as well upon my memory as upon my body. I do not know any living person by whom I can prove the rendition of the services which I have mentioned. Colonel Morrison of Lexington who died a few years ago is the last man within my knowledge with whom I was acquainted in service.
I lived in Kentucky about Lexington for a great many years of my life where I was well known and could refer to many respectable men of that state to testify as to my character both a man of integrity and truth of my Revolutionary Services. I could name as such W I Barry, Felix Grundy, Henry Clay, all of whom I knew when they were boys and who, if they will tax their memories a little, can speak of me. From Kentucky, I came to this country and have resided in this County of Callaway for the last few years and am known here to many, several of whom knew me in Kentucky and some of whom have heard their parents speak of me. Amongst those to whom I be known I will name the Judges of this Court, also Colonel William A Rupell, Colonel J I Moore, E B Litton, and many others.
William and Sarah lived in Cumberland County until about 1783, then moved to the following places: Westmoreland, Lexington KY with 13 children: John, Nancy, George, Elijah, Solomon, Jane, William, Elizabeth, Malinda, Sarah, Mary, Andrew, and Samuel. Some of the children moved west into Calloway Co MO in 1831.
William and Sarah moved to Louisa, Va then to Lexington, KY. Shortly before his death, they moved to Callaway Co, MO. After William's death, Sarah returned to Fayette, KY to the home of her daughter and was living there in 1860 at age 91. Federal Census 1860.
DAR Application of Jennie Belle Wilmont Philippi, approved April 12, 1951. She sent copies of Bible records, wills, deeds, obituaries, and grave inscriptions, and other records for each generation below - filed under NSDar #320371 and 372205. She states on Ancestor's services:
William Armstrong enlisted first about May 12, 1777 in the Cumberland Co, PA Militia. He served under Captains Jordan, Asa Hil,, William McClure, Daniel Williamson, and Colonel John Perry. In his Pension application he stated he was at Valley Forge with Washington in 1777. He fought against the Indians after the Revolutionary War. He was pensioned under the Act of June 7 1832 on Certificate # 13 362 which was paid at the Missouri Agency. His widow. Sarah, was pensioned under the Act of June 4, 1836, on Certificate # 4 382 and was paid at the Kentucky Agency. Pension listed as "Armstrong, William W."
Was sued by Thomas Anderson of North Carolina who appointed Henry Clay as his lawyer.
General Notes (Wife)
Other source says she died in 1855.
1 Pension File, Revolutionary War.
2 Gilman, Mildred Armstrong.
3 1850 Benton Co, AR Census, 49.
4 Family History Library Catalog, IGI.
5 1850 Callaway Co, MO Census (http://files.usgwarchives.net/mo/callaway/census/1850/), 267b.
6 Calloway Co, Missouri, Marriage Books.
7 Fayette Co Marriage Records.
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