Clermont State Historic Site

The War of 1812 is to historians what the common cold is to doctors: an embarrassment. It should be pretty simple, but its causes, nature, and ending are maddeningly elusive. Thankfully, the War of 1812 shares another feature of colds: it doesn\’t seem to have done too much harm. So we ignore it.

-Karim Tiro

Though the War of 1812 may have been a relatively insignificant off shoot of the Napoleonic Wars but the Livingston family still made their contribution to the war, namely one Robert Le Roy Livingston. Robert was the son of John Livingston and Mary Ann Le Roy. He was the grandson of Robert Livingston, Third Lord of Livingston Manor.

Robert\’s life is murky at best. He was born in Claverack on October 10, 1778. After private school he graduated either The College of New Jersey of Union College. He married Anna Maria Digges and they had seven children together.

He served as a first lieutenant in the Twelfth Regiment of the U.S. Army from January 14 1799 to June 15, 1800 when he was honorably discharged. The highlight of his time in the army seems to have been being the victim of a minor theft. A second lieutenant stole a $10 bill from Robert. The lieutenant, Samuel Hoffman called the whole incident a \” youthfull folly only intended to cause divertion\”.[i]He was threatened with court martial, but it does not appear that one ever materialized, after Robert wrote to Alexander Hamilton that he took it as the joke it was intended to be.[ii]

After being discharged from the army Robert, a federalist served in Congress from 1809-1812 when he resigned to take a commission in the army as war seemed inevitable. An unknown correspondent wrote to James Madison suggesting various men for posts in the army. Of Robert he wrote:

“Well Known by the name of “Crazy Bob” and if throwing Decanters and Glasses were to be the weapons used, he would make a most excellent Lieut. Colonel,”[iii]

Despite that ringing endorsement which truly begs the question how he earned the nickname “Crazy Bob” Robert was made lieutenant colonel of the Twenty Third Infantry Regiment. On May 29, 1812. During the summer of 1812 the Twenty Third was involved in several actions along the American-Canadian border although its unclear what role that Robert played in those engagements. For unknown reasons Robert resigned on February 1, 1813. We can only speculate that he had been ill or wounded or perhaps had simply seen enough of war.

Robert lived another twenty years dying in 1836.