served in the American Revolution, all but six have been treated as subjects of book-length biographies. Richard Montgomery remains one of the neglected few. The brief sketches that have been produced on his life hardly do him justice.23
The paucity of biographical studies pertaining to Montgomery in the literature is even more perplexing, since Montgomery’s fame has endured with the passage of time. The lasting permeation of Montgomery’s life into the national consciousness is reflected by an examination of county-designation records within the nation. Traditionally, government officials select the name for a county from some well-known historical entity or personage. Excluding presidents and governors, Montgomery ranks fifth on the list of persons for whom the greatest number of counties have been named. Some sixteen counties throughout the nation were named after Montgomery.24 One might expect that a county in New York would be designated for its adopted son and that some states on the East Coast where the Revolution predominantly raged would remember Montgomery; however, other far-flung counties across the country bear names to honor Montgomery’s memory.25
Therefore, Montgomery not only had a significant impact on the American Revolution, but he remains an important historical figure. Although his life and military career were brief, Montgomery’s association with the American revolutionary army was unique. He was a former British officer who had settled in the colonies shortly before the Revolution. Subsequently, Congress called upon him to serve in the American patriot’s cause. Unlike other former professional soldiers in this situation, Montgomery did not solicit military appointment and responded reluctantly when urged to join the Continental army. During this crucial initial period of the Revolution, the patriot leadership was struggling with establishing and organizing an army to compete with the world-renowned British armed forces. Montgomery’s service in the fledgling Continental military offers an appreciation for the way these measures were undertaken. Montgomery was also well regarded by both the British and the Americans throughout the Revolution. How he reconciled his divided loyalties and fought against his former military comrades should add to the intellectual history of the time. How the British and Americans related to his experiences in the war should provide some critical insights into the revolutionary era. Thus, this study constitutes an effort to install Richard Montgomery in his rightful place in the scholarly conscience.
CHAPTER TWO
Ancestry and Early Life
If anything human could now reach his ear, nothing but the great concerns of virtue, liberty, truth, and justice would be tolerable to him; for to these was his life devoted from his early years.1
Richard Montgomery was born on December 2, 1738, at his father’s country estate, near Swords in County Dublin, Ireland. . Thus, he joined a respectable family of Irish gentry as the son of Thomas Montgomery and Mary Franklin (Franklyn) Montgomery. His father, who had inherited a title of baronet, was a former captain in the army. He was serving as a member of the Irish Parliament for Lifford, in County Donegal, at the time of Richard’s birth.2 Many of the traits that Richard Montgomery would exhibit later in life may be explained by his ancestry. Richard was directly descended from a family that had been prominent in Ireland and Scotland for many generations. Some sources even trace the early genealogy of the Montgomery family back to Normandy beyond A.D. 912.3 This lineage is replete with military, moral, and public-service references. Most of Richard’s forebears functioned in the armed forces and positions of civil duty. A few entered the private sector, seeking careers in commercial pursuits. The evidence also indicates that many of the personal conflicts experienced by this kinship involved ethical issues.
Richard’s father provides an excellent point of entrée into the Montgomery ancestry. Thomas Montgomery, a headstrong individual, defied his patriarchal father, Col. Alexander Montgomery (Montgomerie), in the matter of matrimony. Alexander opposed his son’s marriage to Mary Franklin, an English lady of fortune, but Thomas was unrelenting in his devotion to Mary. Alexander never forgave his son’s defiance of his wishes and designated Thomas’s eldest son, Alexander John, as the benefactor of his will.4
The union of Thomas and Mary Montgomery produced four children. Richard was the third son of the family, which also included a younger daughter. Richard’s oldest brother, Alexander John, served as a captain in the British 43d Regiment in America during the Seven Years’ War. Subsequent to his military duty, he was a member of the Irish Parliament for Donegal for thirty-two years. He never married, and he died at the age of seventy-eight on September 29, 1800.5 John Montgomery, the second son, was one of the exceptions to the Montgomery legacy of military and public service. He became a noted merchant in Portugal.6 Sarah Montgomery, the daughter, married Charles Ranelagh, an impoverished Irish viscount, and raised a large family.7
Richard Montgomery himself chose to trace his origin from Count de Montgomery (Gabriel de Lorges), a French nobleman of Scottish extraction (c. 1530-1574).8 Although Richard was not a direct descendant of the count, this selection is significant because it reveals what personal qualities Richard admired most in his ancestry. A biography of Count de Montgomery fairly bristles with military prowess and moral courage.
On June 28–30, 1559, King Henry II of France held a celebration in Paris on the occasion of the marriage of his daughter, Isabella, to King Philip II of Spain. The king had a penchant for sporting activities, so he ordered a tournament to be conducted throughout the three-day festival. On the last day of the games, Henry II personally entered into the jousting match. The queen, Catherine de’ Medici (Catherine de Medicis), feared for her husband’s safety and urged him to forego the dangerous pastime. However, chivalry dominated the attitudes of the gentry during this era, and Henry prided himself on such attributes. He enjoyed a reputation as an accomplished horseman and man-at-arms. Like other noblemen, Henry had learned martial skills at an early age as part of his preparation for manhood. During a jousting training session, his father, King Francis I, delivered such a blow to his face that it tore a large gash in the flesh.9
According to custom, jousters used wooden lances and attempted to strike their competitors in order to unhorse them or to break their lances. After demonstrating his skill in several tilts, the king wished to challenge another opponent. He summoned Montgomery, his captain of the Royal Scottish Guard, to run against him. Montgomery tried to decline the perilous honor, but the king insisted. Although Henry and Montgomery broke their lances during this run, the count caused his monarch to lose his stirrup, nearly unseating him. Embarrassed by his unsteady performance during the first match, the king wanted to run another bout against Montgomery. Disregarding the protests of those concerned over the king placing himself in unnecessary danger, Henry demanded a rematch.10
During this encounter, both jousters broke their lances deftly; but Montgomery, in his anxiety, failed to release his broken lance immediately after impact. The severed shaft remaining in Montgomery’s hand unintentionally struck and raised the king’s visor, allowing the splintered end to be driven through the monarch’s eye. Hastily summoned surgeons removed a four-inch-long wooden fragment and four smaller pieces from Henry’s head. At first, the doctors believed that he would only lose his eye. On the third day, he was conscious and asked for Montgomery. When told that the count had fled Paris, he said: “He must be brought back at all costs. What has he to fear? This accident happened not through his fault but by an unlucky chance.”11
In spite of this momentary rally, the king’s condition continued to deteriorate. Blood poisoning set in and brain damage ensued. Medical treatment proved to be futile. He lingered for ten days before succumbing to the wound. Henry II died on July 10 at the age of forty. He had been the victim of a tragic accident—and apparently forgave Montgomery for his part in the mishap. However, Catherine, the royal court, and other horror-stricken spectators who had witnessed the disastrous event blamed the hapless Montgomery for the loss of their ruler.12
Because of his censure, Count Montgomery
