Edward Armstrong (1800-1840)

He was born at Manhattan, New York. On the outbreak of the War of 1812, he was commissioned into the British Army as an Ensign with 104th New Brunswick Regiment and later attained the rank of Captain. He was regarded as one of the handsomest men of his time. He was also an accomplished man: "he drew, and wrote poetry, played the violin, and had some knowledge of medicine... 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. He was loved by all his neighbors, high and low... (he was) a splendid shot and rider, adept in all manly arts, and up to all the sports of the time". He kept many fine racehorses (and) many of the famous trotting-horses of Orange County are descended from his thoroughbred mares. In 1822, he married Sarah Hartley Ward of Charleston and they were the parents of six children. In 1834, they built Danskammer, their Greek-Revival mansion there. He died of Scarlet Fever a few days after his daughter, Mary.