Frank Crawford Armstrong
| Frank Crawford Armstrong | |
|---|---|
Frank Crawford Armstrong, Brigadier General in the Confederate Army
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| Born |
November 22, 1835 Choctaw Agency, Indian Territory |
| Died | September 8, 1909 (aged 73) Bar Harbor, Maine |
| Buried at | Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D.C. |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America Confederate States of America
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| Service/branch |
 United States Army Confederate States Army
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| Years of service | 1855 - 1861 (USA) 1861 - 1865 (CSA) |
| Rank |
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| Battles/wars | |
| Relations |
Persifor Frazer Smith (Stepfather) Lucius Marshall Walker (Brother-in-law) |
Frank Crawford Armstrong (November 22, 1835 – September 8, 1909) was a United States Army cavalry officer and later a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He is also known for being the only Confederate general to fight on both sides during the Civil War.
Armstrong was born on the Choctaw Agency in the Indian Territory, where his army officer father had been stationed. Armstrong's father, Francis Wells Armstrong, died three months before his son's birth. In 1854, Armstrong's mother married Mexican-American War General Persifor Smith. In 1854, Armstrong accompanied his stepfather on an expedition of the United States Army troops into the New Mexico Territory. His gallantry in a battle against Indians near Eagle Spring gained him a commission as a lieutenant of the 2nd Dragoon Regiment in 1855, following his graduation from College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. Armstrong then fought with Albert Sidney Johnston against the Mormons during the Utah War.
In June 1861, Armstrong was promoted to captain in the regular army. In July, he led a company of Union cavalry at the First Battle of Bull Run. However, Armstrong resigned his commission and on August 10, 1861, he joined the Confederate Army. As Armstrong's Union resignation did not go into effect until August 13, he was technically on both sides at the same time. He served as a staff officer under Confederate generals James M. McIntosh and Benjamin McCulloch before their deaths at the Battle of Pea Ridge, and was standing only feet away as McCulloch was killed.
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Wikipedia