John Lamb

Overview

John Lamb was a New York merchant and politician who rose to prominence during the early years of the American Revolution as a member of the New York Sons of Liberty. He led protests against the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts, and the Tea Act, and helped enforce the Continental Association. At the start of the American Revolutionary War, he undermined British operations in New York City and then enlisted in the Continental Army. During the war, he led artillery units in the Canada Campaign, Philadelphia Campaign, and the Yorktown Campaign, and commanded West Point when Benedict Arnold’s Treason was discovered. Known for his temper and bravery, Lamb opposed the United States Constitution, but maintained good standing with President George Washington. While running the New York Customs office, he was involved in a scandal that left him poor and destitute.

Personal Facts

• Born: January 1, 1735, in New York City.
• Parents: Anthony Lamb (father) and “Ham” (mother).
• Spouse: Cathering Jandine (1755).
• Died: May 31, 1800, in New York City. 65 years old.
• Buried: Trinity Churchyard in New York City.
• Part Of: American Revolution, American Revolutionary War.
• Significance: John Lamb was important to American History because of his leadership of the Sons of Liberty during the American Revolution and his service as an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

Biography

Early Life

• John Lamb was born in 1735.
• His father, Anthony Lamb, was deported to America in 1724 after being convicted as an accomplice of the English burglar Jack Sheppard.
• Lamb served his sentence in Virginia before settling in New York, where he became a respected optician and maker of mathematical instruments.
• John Lamb started his career working for his father.
• He later became a successful wine merchant.
• His technical experience, gained from his father’s trade, later helped him as an artillery officer in the Continental Army.

AHC Notes

• Jack Sheppard was a notorious thief renowned for escaping from jails, including twice from Newgate Prison in London.
• His exploits made him a working-class hero in England.
• Sheppard was publicly hanged on November 16, 1724, at the age of 22.

New York Sons of Liberty

After the Stamp Act was passed in 1765, Lamb was a founding member of the New York Sons of Liberty, along with Isaac Sears and Alexander McDougall.

• Lamb spent the next 10 years protesting “Taxation Without Representation” and promoting the ideals of the American Revolution, including liberty and individual rights.
• He became a skilled writer and speaker, gaining popularity as a leader.
• Lamb was a member of the group’s Committee of Correspondence.
• He helped organize protests against the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts, including the New York Restraining Act (1767).
• He was arrested in December 1769 for criticizing the New York Assembly’s decision to comply with the Quartering Act (1765), but was released.
• Lamb was involved in the events that led to the Battle of Golden Hill (1770).
• He was involved in protests against the Tea Act and helped organize the New York Association that opposed importing the British East India Company’s tea. He also helped write the “Resolves of the New York Association Against the Tea Act.”
• He helped enforce the Continental Association in New York City by blocking ships carrying British goods from entering the harbor.

Battle of Golden Hill

The Battle of Golden Hill, also known as the “Golden Hill Riot,” took place in New York City in January 1770. Citizens and workers of New York and members of the Sons of Liberty, led by Isaac Sears, Lamb, and Alexander McDougall, fought with British Redcoats in the streets of the city, almost two months before the Boston Massacre.

• After the New York Assembly agreed to provide funding for the Quartering Act, a pamphlet called “To the Betrayed Inhabitants of the City and Colony of New York” was published on December 16, 1769, and signed by “A Son of Liberty.” The author was most likely Alexander McDougall. The pamphlet criticized the Assembly.
• On December 17, Lamb presided over a public meeting at The Fields, where participants agreed to send a letter to the Assembly, protesting compliance with the Quartering Act.
• The Assembly accused Lamb of writing the pamphlet and had him questioned by a committee. Lamb told them he had exercised his rights as an Englishman, which justified his actions. The Assembly was satisfied with his response, and he was released.
• In the days that followed, a riot broke out in the streets of New York City, in an area known as the “Fly Market.” Members of the Sons of Liberty clashed with British troops before order was restored.
• The incident took place a few weeks before the Boston Massacre, so it is considered by some to be the “first bloodshed of the American Revolution.”

American Revolutionary War

When news of the Battles of Lexington and Concord reached New York, Lamb and Isaac Sears took action against British forces in New York City.

• On July 20, 1775, Lamb was involved in the raid on the British military warehouse at Turtle Bay. Isaac Sears, Marinus Willett, and Alexander McDougall were also involved in the Raid on Turtle Bay.
• On August 24, 1775, Lamb and 60 men captured the New York City battery and seized cannons despite the presence of the 64-gun HMS Asia, anchored nearby. When the British sent a barge ashore to investigate, they were repelled by the Americans. The Asia unleashed its cannons on the battery, which triggered the mass exodus of people from New York City.
• Lamb led the raid on the British military warehouse at Turtle Bay.

Continental Army

In July 1775, Lamb applied for a commission in the New York State Artillery.

• His mathematical skills and studies in gunnery qualified him for an artillery command.
• The New York Provincial Congress gave him a commission as Captain of the Independent Company of New York Artillery on July 30, 1775.
• This authorized him to raise an independent artillery company.

Lamb’s company was assigned to General Richard Montgomery’s forces that were part of the Canada Campaign. On September 8, 1775, Lamb’s artillery unit was part of Brigadier General David Wooster’s forces that joined General Philip Schuyler in Canada. Schuyler was forced to cede command of the invasion to Montgomery due to illness. Montgomery advanced on Fort St. John, laid siege to it, and forced the garrison to surrender. Afterward, Montgomery advanced to Montreal.

• Montgomery tried to merge Lamb’s company with an infantry regiment, but Lamb protested.
• Lamb declared, “Artillery companies in every country are always looked upon in a superior light to other foot companies.”
• Montgomery, recognizing Lamb’s expertise, allowed his company to remain independent.
• Despite this, Montgomery considered Lamb difficult

Lamb’s Ice Battery

Lamb’s Company marched with General Montgomery to Montreal and then to Quebec City. Montgomery joined Benedict Arnold and his army there on December 3, 1775. Montgomery took the overall command and deployed the troops on the Plains of Abraham, in front of the city.

• Lamb was ordered to bombard the walls, but only had five guns and one howitzer, with nothing heavier than a 12-pounder.
• The frozen ground prevented the construction of earthworks to protect the artillery.
• Lamb built an “Ice Battery” using logs, snow, and water that froze into a hard shell.
• His light field guns had little effect on Quebec’s walls.
• British 32- and 42-pounders returned fire and destroyed Lamb’s Ice Battery..

Battle of Quebec

Montgomery decided to launch a ground assault on December 31, 1775, through a heavy snowstorm. In the early moments of the Battle of Quebec, Montgomery was killed. The command fell to Arnold, who was wounded fighting in the city.

• Lamb and Eleazer Oswald took command of some of the American forces.
• Lamb led his men in an attack with one surviving gun mounted on a sled.
• His artillerymen pulled the gun by hand and would stop to fire on the British.
• When the gun became stuck in deep snow, the men continued to fight with muskets.
• Lamb was hit in the face by grapeshot and left for dead on the battlefield.
• Canadians found him alive, robbed of his clothing, and he was taken prisoner.
• A local surgeon saved his life, but was unable to save his left eye.

1776

While he was still being held captive, Lamb was appointed to the rank of second Major in the Continental Army’s reorganized artillery regiment, under the command of Henry Knox.

• Congress also named him Adjutant General and Commandant of Artillery for the Northern Department for his service in Canada.
• Lamb was paroled on August 2, 1776, and released. However, he remained inactive from military duty during his parole.

1777

On January 1, 1777, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel and given command of the new 2nd Continental Artillery Regiment. He was officially exchanged a few days later, which allowed him to return to active duty, joining General George Washington’s Army at Morristown, New Jersey.

• On April 28, 1777, Lamb was wounded during the Danbury Raid at Campo Hill while serving under Benedict Arnold.
• He led an infantry charge against four British field guns and was struck by grapeshot in his left side.
• By October, he had returned to duty and participated in the failed defense of Forts Clinton and Montgomery. Lamb was in command of Fort Montgomery, which was still under construction, when British forces attacked during Henry Clinton’s Hudson Highlands Expedition.

Disputes Over Rank and Seniority

Lamb was involved in several disputes over the ranking of officers within the Continental Artillery when the Continental Army was reorganized in 1778.

• In May 1778, General Horatio Gates appointed Major Ebenezer Stevens as Artillery Commander of the Northern Department instead of Lamb. Congress disagreed with Gates’s action, supporting Lamb’s earlier appointment.
• In August 1778, a board of officers ruled in Lamb’s favor against Colonel Charles Harrison of the 1st Continental Artillery.

In June 1779, Lamb was appointed commander of artillery at West Point, despite the disagreements. In August, another board of officers gave Colonel John Crane of the 3rd Continental Artillery higher seniority.

• Lamb responded by submitting his resignation.
• General Washington declined his resignation, writing that losing a capable officer would cause “great injury to the public.”

Expanded Duties

Lamb was widely regarded as more technically skilled than the other artillery officers. Because of this, Congress appointed him as the Surveyor of Ordnance on March 9, 1779. This was in addition to his regular duties.

Affair at the Springfield Armory

• In late 1779, Lamb was sent to the armory at Springfield, Massachusetts, to investigate what General Knox called “amazing confusion” over the facility’s expenses.
• Lamb conducted his investigation during January and February 1780.
• He uncovered extensive corruption, which he detailed in a report issued on February 21, 1780.

AHC Note

• The Springfield Armory was established in 1777 as an arsenal, laboratory, and manufacturing facility.
• It pioneered the development of interchangeable parts and the production of small arms.
• The location was suggested by General Knox.
• The Armory played a key role in Shays’ Rebellion, when the Regulators marched on the facility on January 25, 1787. Massachusetts Militia forces defending the facility drove the insurgents away, marking the last major confrontation of the Rebellion.

Command at West Point

After completing his Springfield investigation, Lamb returned to West Point and became overall commander of the fort in July 1780. Around the same time, Benedict Arnold took command of the Highlands Department. They were known to be friends, so the impression among their peers was that they would work well together.

Arnold’s Treason

However, Arnold made inexplicable decisions that weakened West Point’s defenses by moving troops to other locations.

• Lamb protested Arnold’s orders, objecting especially on September 13, 1780, when Arnold removed two more guns from the fort.
• When Arnold’s Treason was exposed in late September 1780, Lamb was not only shocked but also concerned that he might be suspected of involvement due to their friendship.
• General Washington trusted Lamb’s loyalty and, on September 25, sent him to take command of King’s Ferry, replacing Colonel James Livingston, who was involved in the investigation into Arnold’s conduct and his connections to Major John André.

Lamb’s Opinion of Arnold

During negotiations over British officer John André’s fate, Arnold sent a letter to Lamb. Lamb told the messenger, “Be good enough, sir, to tell General Arnold, that the acquaintance between us is forgotten; and that if he were to be hanged tomorrow, I would go barefooted to witness his execution.”

• Although he condemned Arnold’s actions, Lamb defended his bravery. 
• General Horatio Gates claimed Arnold’s bravery came from alcohol. Lamb replied, “Sir, let me tell you, that drunk or sober, you will never be an Arnold, or fit to compare with him in any military capacity.”

Yorktown Campaign

Lamb led the 2nd Regiment of Artillery southward to Yorktown as part of General Knox’s brigade. During the Siege of Yorktown, Lamb was second-in-command to Knox.

• Knox praised Lamb and Lieutenant Colonel Ebenezer Stevens for their performance in the siege, which culminated in the Surrender of Cornwallis.

Newburgh Conspiracy

In March 1783, a group of Continental Army officers, frustrated by unpaid wages and lack of pensions, considered pressuring Congress for their demands. Anonymous appeals urged officers to resist disbanding the Continental Army. George Washington intervened on March 15, 1783, delivering a powerful speech that peacefully ended the crisis.

• Lamb did not support the officers who led this conspiracy.

Brigadier General

Lamb expected to be promoted to Brigadier General when Congress promoted Knox to Major General, but was passed over. On September 30, 1783, he finally received a brevet promotion to Brigadier General.

• AHC Note — A brevet promotion is typically a promotion in name only, but does not grant the authority or pay associated with the rank.

Return to New York City

Lamb returned to New York City on November 25, 1783, after eight years of military service.

• In 1784, he was elected to the New York State Legislature.
• In May, the legislature appointed him Customs Collector for the Port of New York.

Society of Cincinnati

Led by Henry Knox, the officers from the Continental Army organized a fraternal organization. It was named after Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus, a Roman military leader who gave up his political and military power after defeating the Roman Empire’s enemies. The Society continues to operate, calling itself the “nation’s oldest patriotic organization.”

• The first meeting was held in May 1783 at the Verplanck House in Fishkill, New York.
• Friedrich von Steuben presided over this meeting, and Lamb was vice-president.
• The Society was officially established on May 13.

United States Constitution

Lamb opposed the ratification of the proposed United States Constitution and corresponded with leading Anti-Federalists, including Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee.

• Lamb was active in New York City as a leader of the “Federal Republicans” who opposed ratification, unless a Bill of Rights was attached.
• During New York’s debate over ratification, a Federalist mob tried to storm Lamb’s home, but retreated after learning he was armed and ready to defend it.

Reappointment as Customs Collector

After the Constitution was ratified and George Washington was elected as President, many people sought to be appointed as the Customs Collector of New York.

• Washington’s advisors opposed Lamb because of his Anti-Federalist views.
• Lamb refused to submit an application for the position and told friends, “No man knows better than the President, whether I have acquired claims upon the government by services to the country. If he thinks proper to nominate me, I shall be duly grateful.”
• Washington reappointed Lamb on August 6, 1789.

Gout, Scandal, and Death

In his later years, Lamb suffered from severe gout, an inflammatory arthritis that leads to intense pain and swelling in the joints. It was caused by the wounds he suffered at Qubec during the Canada Campaign.

• His son-in-law, Charles Tillinghast, assisted in managing the daily operations at the Customs House as an Assistant Collector.
• In 1793, Tillinghast died from yellow fever.

During the transition to a new assistant, the chief clerk embezzled a large sum of government funds.

• This theft went unnoticed until 1797, long after the clerk had disappeared.
• Lamb took responsibility for the loss and resigned from his position.
• He sold his property at a significant loss to cover the missing funds.
• John Lamb died in poverty on May 31, 1800.

Legacy

Lamb was known for his fiery temperament and bravery, and is widely recognized as one of the most capable artillery officers in the Continental Army.

• General Richard Montgomery described him to General Philip Schuyler as “brave, intelligent, and active, but very turbulent and troublesome.”
• Montgomery also said, “If we are to have an artillery, Captain Lamb is absolutely necessary to the Army.”
• The Lamb Papers are preserved by the New York Historical Society.

Appendix

Narrative

AHC Note — This narrative of John Lamb is from the Dictionary of American Biography (1943). Please note that minor text corrections have been made and additional spacing has been added to improve readability.

John Lamb was a Patriot and soldier born in New York City. His father, Anthony Lamb, a native of England, was apprenticed to Henry Carter, a mathematical instrument maker near St. Clement’s Church in London, but in July 1724, he became an accomplice of Jack Sheppard, one of the most notorious burglars in history. Sheppard died on the gallows at Tyburn, November 16, 1724.

Because it was Lamb’s only offense, he received “a favourable prosecution” and was sentenced to be transported to the American Colonies. In Virginia, he served out his time, then settled in New York City, where he worked at his trade, married a Dutch lady named Ham, and became a respectable citizen. 

John Lamb joined his father in the manufacture of mathematical instruments and later became prosperous as a wine merchant. On November 13, 1755, he married Catherine Jandine, of Huguenot descent. 

After the passage of the Stamp Act in 1765, he became a leader of the Sons of Liberty, actively instigating the populace, corresponding with Patriots in other colonies, and continuing to be an irrepressible agitator during the next decade. He signed the Non-Importation Agreement, wrote articles for Patriot newspapers in New York and Boston, and published anonymous handbills. 

In December 1769, he publicly denounced the New York Assembly for agreeing to fund the Quartering Act, as part of a scheme devised by the Governor, Cadwalader Colden. The Assembly, suspecting Lamb of being the author of two handbills which were considered libels on the house, ordered him to its bar. He was examined but dismissed due to a lack of evidence. 

During the excitement over the Tea Act, he was a member of the committee of the Sons of Liberty chosen to correspond with similar committees elsewhere. 

When news of the Battle of Lexington reached New York, Lamb and Isaac Sears seized the Custom House and prevented vessels from leaving the harbor. Lamb and his men seized the military stores at Turtle Bay. 

He was commissioned Captain of an artillery company in July 1775 and joined the army of General Richard Montgomery for the Invasion of Canada. At the Siege of Fort St. John, he aroused the displeasure of Montgomery, who wrote to General Philip Schuyler that Lamb was “a restless genius” and had “…a bad temper…He has been used to haranguing his fellow-citizens in New York, and can not restrain his talent here.” Brave, intelligent, and active he was, “but very turbulent and troublesome.”. 

Wounded and captured during the assault on Quebec (December 31, 1775), Lamb was released on parole a few months later. Congress appointed him Major of artillery in command of the Northern Department (January 9, 1776), but he remained inactive because of his parole. 

On November 29, 1776, Congress ordered Washington to include Lamb in the next exchange of prisoners. In January 1777, he was exchanged and appointed Colonel of the 2nd Continental Artillery. He was wounded at Compo Hill in April 1777 while assisting Benedict Arnold in harassing the British retreat following the British attack on Danbury, Connecticut. 

He commanded the artillery at West Point in 1779 and 1780, and was brevetted Brigadier General (1783) by virtue of the general act for promotions passed by Congress at the close of the Revolution. 

In 1784, the New York legislature, of which he was a member, appointed him Collector of the Customs for the Port of New York. He was chairman of an association of “Federal Republicans” opposed to the ratification of the federal Constitution and corresponded with Anti-Federalist leaders, including Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, and William Grayson. A Federalist mob took note of his activities by threatening his house, which he hastily fortified. 

The Constitution ratified, Washington promptly appointed Lamb to the collectorship at New York. A few years later, a large shortage occurred, and although it is supposed that Lamb’s deputy, a former criminal, was guilty, Lamb, held responsible by the government, sold his lands to cover the lost funds, resigned his office (1797), and died in poverty.