... My father, Edward Armstrong, also followed my grandfather into the British army. I have his commission signed by George IV, in which he is styled " Edward Armstrong, Gentleman," and made an ensign in the 104th Regiment of Foot. He was then ten years old — they caught them young in those days. I don't know whether or not he resigned from the army immediately after he married, but in old letters he is addressed as captain. ...
... My father was one of the handsomest men of his time. When Lord Stanley, later Earl of Derby, visited America he went to Charleston with my father and attended church there with him. All the girls were on the lookout to see the nobleman. But they mistook my father for Lord Stanley and said it was easy to see that a British nobleman was much more distinguished-looking than any American. I have a miniature of him by Rogers; it was then the custom for a man to present his miniature to his fiancee, and this was his gift to my mother at the time of their marriage. He was an accomplished man; he drew, and wrote poetry, played the violin, and had some knowledge of medicine. He was a great favorite; my Aunt Margaret Salter told me that when he was at a ball, if he saw a plain girl having no attention, he would make a point of dancing with her and trying to give her a good time, and old Mrs. Chrystie said he could cut the most beautiful double pigeonwing she ever saw. He was loved by all his neighbors,high and low.
My father was athletic, a splendid shot and rider, an adept in all manly arts, and up to all the sports of the time. He raised many fine race-horses, chiefly sired by "Sir Henry," famous for his race with "Eclipse"; but my mother objected to racing, so only once did he enter a horse for a race and that was not for money, but for a "pipe of wine." Whether he won or not I don't know. Many of the famous trotting-horses of Orange County are descended from thoroughbred mares that my father owned. Old people have told me how well my father looked on his favorite horse, a mahogany bay named Frank, which I remember perfectly. He also had a particularly favorite gun, a muzzle-loader made by Westley Richards, which he always used. ...
... My father died in 1840. Though I was about four years old I do not remember him. All I remember is going to the door of the large "north room" at Danskammer, and looking in and seeing something covered by a sheet; I knew it was he and that he was lying there dead. He died of scarlet fever just a few days after the death from the same disease of my only sister, little Mary. ... [more]
