Montgomerys from PA -- Military History
Montgomery Family Members Have Been on the Winning Side for 142 Years
For some months, the writer has been stifling the impulse to ask the Chronicle for a little space in which to publish the war record of her family – in other words,” the War Record of the Montgomery Family,”up to date and with a few appended remarks, not so much in order to frighten the atrocious Hun as to satisfy a certain pride - not offensively unworthy, I hope - in the efforts and achievements of my family in the cause of Human Liberty, and now that my first nephew to enter the world conflict left Tuesday forCamp Funston, and a second nephew has enlisted and is only waiting to assigned to his post of duty,I can no longer refrain from “telling it out.”
The War Record of the Montgomery Family:
James Montgomery,August 16, 1777,Captain in the 8th Regiment, Penn. Line
Hugh Montgomery, Lieutenant of Marine Service.Taken prison March 14, 1777, died May 15, 1777
John Montgomery (our ancestor) was a Pennsylvania pensioner of the Revolution 1777.
William Montgomery,Colonel4th Battalion, 1776
Samuel Montgomery, Captain 7th Regiment 1778
William Irwin Montgomery, Colonel, 1778
John Montgomery and Allen Montgomery were on a prison ship in New York harbor and died there in 1777.
Kenny Montgomery, War of 1812
Simpson Walker Montgomery, brother of the preceding and father of the first four mentioned below, War of 1812
Andrew Elliot Montgomery, 1st Sgt. Co B, 11th Ill Cavalry,Civil War
James Stevenson Montgomery,2nd California Cavalry, wounded in fight with Indians.During Civil War in 11th Ill Cavalry, died 1882
William W.(Walker) Montgomery, 103rd Ill Volunteer Infantry, Civil War; died in Burlingame, Kansas 1895.
Robert S. (Simpson) Montgomery, 17th Ill. Volunteer Infantry, Civil War.Fatally wounded at Shiloh, April 7, 1862
Charles F. Montgomery, youngest son of Andrew Elliot Montgomery, Co H, 129th Ill Infantry was at Camp Logan, Houston, Texas when last heard from (WWI)
Paul Montgomery, a grandson of Andrew Elliot Montgomery, is now serving his country in a military hospital in Tientsin, China, having but recently been transferred from the Philippines.
Gilliard St. John Montgomery, grandson of Willam Walker Montgomery, left Tuesday, February 26, 1918 for Funston, Kansas, to report for service.James Watson Montgomery, cousin of Gilliard St. John Montgomery and grandson of William Walker Montgomery, has enlisted in the Navy and is awaiting his call to service.
Coming down to Civil War history, my father W.W. Montgomery, than whom no more loyal citizen and soldier ever breathed, used, laughingly, to say that he presumed he had the distinction of being the only soldier to ever serve throughout the Civil War as a corporal --- a corporal was usually promoted or his rank taken from him -- but, at any rate, I am certain my father did his full duty according to his ability.
My uncle, Robt. Simpson (Montgomery), who was very young, wasto have been greatly promoted, had he survived the battle of Shiloh, for ability and courage he showed during that engagement, but he died 8 days after, bearing anoble message of cheer for his mother and sister.
It will be seen that the Montgomerys have not fought in a lost cause in the last 142 years and it is hardly likely they will begin now; so I trust the boys will live up to their laurels and when they come home, after helping to “can the Kaiser”I hope there will be an end of writing war records.
Blanche Montgomery Hattan
Published in the Osage County Chronicle, Burlingame, Kansas