Richard Montgomery (December 2, 1738 – December 31, 1775) was an Irish-American soldier who served as a major general in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.
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Birth and service
He was born in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland, the son of Thomas Montgomery (a member of Parliament) and Mary Franklin Montgomery. Montgomery was commissioned into the 17th Foot in 1756. He served in the Seven Years' War in both Canada and the Caribbean. He was promoted Lieutenant in 1758 and Captain in May 1762. In 1763, when peace was concluded, he went with his regiment to the Province of New York. Two years later, the regiment returned to England. Montgomery associated with the Whig members of Parliament, who generally supported the colonists in their demands for more political freedom. On April 6, 1772, he sold his Army commission and decided to move back to New York. He bought a sixty-seven acre (270,000 m²) farm at King's Bridge in what is now the Borough of The Bronx of New York City. On July 24, 1773, Montgomery married Janet Livingston, sister of Robert R. Livingston, a prominent New Yorker who was later on the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence. He then moved to his wife's farm near Rhinebeck, which was to be his home for the few remaining years of his life.
American Revolution
In 1775, although having resided in New York just three years, he was elected to the New York Provincial Congress. Montgomery was commissioned as a brigadier general in the Continental Army on June 22, 1775 and a major general on December 9, 1775. He led an army into Canada (Invasion of Canada), where he captured two forts and the city of Montreal.
Death
He was killed while attempting to capture the city of Quebec during a fierce snow storm on 31 December 1775. The British recognized his body and provided him with an honourable burial. In 1818, his body was moved to New York City and interred at St. Paul's Chapel.
Legacy
Places named after Richard Montgomery include:
- Montgomery, New Jersey
- Montgomery County, Missouri
- Montgomery, Alabama (state capital)
- Montgomery, Minnesota
- Montgomery County, Illinois[1]
- Montgomery County, Indiana
- Montgomery County, Maryland
- Montgomery County, Ohio
- Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
- Montgomery, Vermont
- Montgomery County, New York
- Montgomery County, Virginia
- Richard Montgomery High School
- Montgomery County, Kentucky
- Montgomery Place - A mansion and historical landmark in Rhinebeck, New York, open to the public. It was acquired by Richard Montgomery's widow in 1802 and named in memory of her late husband.
- Montgomery (village), New York
References
- ^ Allan H. Keith, Historical Stories: About Greenville and Bond County, IL. Consulted on August 15, 2007.
External links
- Portraits of the Founders of America (Including one of Montgomery)
- Grave of General Montgomery at St Paul's Church
- Mongomery House description in Rhinebeck, NY
