The Library of American Biography (Volume 1)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: LIFE RICHARD MONTGOMERY; JOHN ARMSTRONG. RICHARD MONTGOMERY. The subject of this notice was born on the 2nd of December, 1736, at Convoy House, the name given to his father's seat near the town of Raphoe, in the north of Ireland. His parentage and connexions were highly respectable, and such as secured to him an early and liberal education at the College of Dublin. At the age of eighteen, in conformity to his own taste and his father's wishes, a commission in the British army was obtained for him. Of his attention to the duties, or proficiency in the study, of this new Thomas Montgomery, of Convoy House, had three sons, Alexander, John, and Richard, and one daughter. Alexander commanded a grenadier company in Wolfe's army, and was present at the capture of Quebec. On the death of his father, he withdrew to his estate, and for many years in succession represented the county of Donnegal, in the Irish Parliament. John lived and died in Portugal; and the daughter married Lord Ranelagh, and was the mother of two sons, Charles and Thomas, who have since succeeded to the title. vocation, we know nothing with certainty; but judging from the habits and character of his future life, remarkable alike for industry, sobriety, and a scrupulous discharge of engagements, public and private, it may be safely inferred, that his youth, like his manhood, escaped that idleness and vice, which so strongly marked and so. greatly degraded the manners, as well professional as national, of that period. It was the fortune of this young soldier to begin his career of field service in America, where, in another war, it was destined to end. In 1757, the regiment to which he belonged was despatched to Halifax; and, in 1758, made part of the army assembled at that place for the reduction of...