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'Richard Montgomery' (December 2, 1736 – December 31, 1775) was an Irish-American soldier who served as a major general in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.

Contents

Birth and Service

American Colonies

Death

Consequence of the Battle of Quebec

Legacy

References

External links

Birth and Service

He was born in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland, the son of Thomas Montgomery (a member of Parliament) and Mary Franklin Montgomery.
Richard Montgomery was an officer in the British Army in the Seven Years' War, serving in both Canada and the Caribbean. He was promoted to captain in May 1762. In 1763, when peace was concluded, he went with his regiment to 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.

American Colonies

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. In 1775, although having resided in New York just three years, he was elected to the New York provincial legislature.
Montgomery was commissioned as the second-ranking brigadier general in the American Revolutionary War and 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.

Consequence of the Battle of Quebec

After Richard Montgomery's death the other participants in the Battle went to defeat the British at the Battle of Saratoga including James Livingston (American Revolution) who will name one of his son ''Richard Montgomery'' out of respect for his general. At Saratoga Benedict Arnold and Daniel Morgan both present at Quebec will take the revenge for their general.

Legacy

Places named after Richard Montgomery include:

★ Montgomery City, Missouri

★ Montgomery, New Jersey

★ Montgomery County, Missouri

★ Montgomery, Alabama

★ Montgomery, Minnesota

★ Montgomery County, Illinois^[1]

★ Montgomery County, Indiana

★ Montgomery County, Maryland

★ Montgomery County, Ohio

★ Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

★ Montgomery, Vermont

★ Montgomery County, Virginia

★ Richard Montgomery High School

★ Montgomery County, Kentucky

★ Montgomery Place - A mansion and history site 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

1. 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