He was born January 1, 1735, in New York City, the son of Anthony Lamb. His father was a convicted burglar who was transported to the colonies in the 1720s. John was initially trained as an optician and instrument maker in New York City and became a prosperous wine merchant. Prior to the Revolutionary War, Lamb was a leader of the
Liberty Boys and member of the
Sons of Liberty. He wrote articles in and published anonymous handbills. When the news of the
Battles of Lexington and Concord was received he and his men seized the military stores at
Turtle Bay. He was commissioned a captain of an artillery company and served under
Richard Montgomery and
Benedict Arnold in the
Battle of Quebec. He was wounded and captured at the assault on Quebec city and was released on parole a few months later. He was appointed
major of artillery on January 9, 1776. In January 1777 he was appointed
colonel of the
2nd Continental Artillery Regiment. He commanded the artillery at
West Point, New York in 1779 and 1780. During the campaign and
Siege of Yorktown, Lamb continued to command the 2nd Regiment. A monthly strength report from September 26, 1781, showed 200 officers and men under Lamb's command. On October 9, Lamb was the Officer of the Day when General Washington fired the first American cannon to open the siege. During the siege, the artillery served with distinction. The artillery detachment, and Lamb's artillery in particular, were accorded high praise by both Washington and General
Henry Knox, chief of artillery for the
Continental Army. A General Order from the Commander-in-Chief relayed his thanks and appreciation to Lamb's artillery unit. After the British surrender, Lamb was placed in temporary command of all the artillery, and oversaw its return to New York. He was
breveted a
brigadier general on September 30, 1783. In 1784 he was appointed
Collector of Customs by the State of New York, and was retained as Federal
Collector of the Port of New York during the
Washington administration. His next role involved dealing with the ongoing threat of Barbary pirates to American commerce. He was dismissed by President
John Adams in 1797 after his deputy was accused of defrauding the Federal government of tax revenues. ==Anti-Federalism==