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{{Short description|American politician (1812–1893)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2016}}
{{Infobox Officeholder
|name               = David Hartley Armstrong
|image              = David H. Armstrong - Brady-Handy.jpg
|jr/sr              = United States Senator
|state              = [[Missouri]]
|term_start         = September 29, 1877
|term_end           = January 26, 1879
|appointed          = [[John S. Phelps]]
|predecessor        = [[Lewis V. Bogy]]
|successor          = [[James Shields (politician, born 1806)|James Shields]]
|birth_date         = {{birth date|1812|10|21}}
|birth_place        = [[Nova Scotia]], [[Canada under British rule|British Canada]]
|death_date         = {{death date and age|1893|3|18|1812|10|21}}
|death_place        = [[St. Louis, Missouri]], US
|party              = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|signature          = Signature of David Hartley Armstrong (1812–1893).png
}}
'''David Hartley Armstrong''' (October 21, 1812{{spaced ndash}}March 18, 1893) was a [[United States senator]] from [[Missouri]].

==Biography==
Born in [[Nova Scotia]], [[Canada under British rule|British Canada]], he attended [[Maine Wesleyan Seminary]] and taught school in [[New Bedford, Massachusetts]] from 1833 to 1837. He moved to [[St. Louis, Missouri]] in 1837, and then to [[Lebanon, Illinois]], where he taught at McKendree College (now [[McKendree University]]). He returned to Missouri and was principal of the public school at [[Benton, Missouri|Benton]] from 1838 to 1847, [[comptroller]] of St. Louis from 1847 to 1850, [[postmaster]] of St. Louis from 1854 to 1858 and a member of the board of [[police commissioner]]s from 1873 to 1876.

Armstrong served as a member of the board of [[freehold (law)|freeholder]]s which framed the charter of St. Louis in 1876, and was appointed as a [[USDemocrat|Democrat]] to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of [[Lewis V. Bogy]], serving from September 29, 1877, to January 26, 1879, when a successor was elected and qualified. Armstrong was not a candidate for reelection in 1879; and in 1893 died in St. Louis. Interment was in [[Bellefontaine Cemetery]].

Armstrong was Vice President of the St. Louis Board and helped command the July 27, 1877 cavalry attack on the strikers outside Schuler Hall, the headquarters of the Executive Committee coordinating the [[1877 St. Louis general strike|St. Louis General strike]]. He reportedly yelled from a shady side of the street for his policemen to "Ride 'em down!".{{sfn|Burbank|1966|p=143}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography}}
*[[List of United States senators born outside the United States]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

*{{cite book |last=Burbank|first=David|year=1966|url=https://www.academia.edu/28515832|title=Reign of the Rabble: The St. Louis General Strike of 1877|location=New York|publisher=[[Augustus M. Kelley]] |via=Academia}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{CongBio|A000279}}
* {{cite BDA1906 |wstitle= Armstrong, David Hartley |volume= 1 |page= 137 |short=1}}

{{S-start}}
{{s-par|us-sen}}
{{U.S. Senator box
|state=Missouri
|class=3
|before=[[Lewis V. Bogy]]
|after=[[James Shields (politician, born 1806)|James Shields]]
|alongside=[[Francis Cockrell|Francis M. Cockrell]]
|years=1877&ndash;1879}}
{{S-end}}

{{USSenMO}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Armstrong, David}}
[[Category:1812 births]]
[[Category:Emigrants from pre-Confederation Nova Scotia to the United States]]
[[Category:1893 deaths]]
[[Category:Democratic Party United States senators from Missouri]]
[[Category:Missouri Democrats]]
[[Category:McKendree University faculty]]
[[Category:19th-century Missouri politicians]]
[[Category:Politicians from St. Louis]]
[[Category:Kents Hill School alumni]]
[[Category:19th-century United States senators]]