Armistead, George

Related Category: U.S. History: Biographies

(är´mĭstĕd), 1780–1818, American artillery officer distinguished in the War of 1812, b. Virginia. He took part in the capture of Fort George on the Niagara frontier but is better remembered as the defender of Fort McHenry against British attack (Sept., 1814)—a defense that served as an inspiration for the Star-spangled Banner.