Lol, one of my relatives was General Richard Montgomery.
He’s married to my 5th great grandfather’s 2nd cousin, Janet Livingston.
And he was the commander under whom 5th great grandfather, Major Henry Livingston, Jr., invaded Canada.
Montgomery Tappan was named for him. When the child died, Henry wrote:
An elegy on the death of MONTGOMERY TAPPEN
who dies at Poughkeepsie on the 20th of Nov. 1784
in the ninth year of his age
The sweetest, gentlest, of the youthful train,
Here lies his clay cold upon the sable bier!
He scarce had started on life’s varied plain,
For dreary death, arrested his career.
His cheek might vie with the expanded rose,
And Genius sparkled in his azure eyes!
A victim so unblemish’d Heaven chose;
And bore the beauteous lambkin to the skies.
Adieu thou loveliest child! adieu adieu!
Our wishes fain would follow thee on high.
What more can friendship - what more fondness do,
But drop ‘th unbidden tear & heave the sigh?
Ye youths, whose ardent bosoms virtue fires:
Who eager wish applause & pant for fame;
Press round MONTGOMERY’S hearse
- the NAME inspires.
And lights in kindred souls its native flame.
COLUMBIA grateful hails the tender sound
And when MONTGOMERY’S nam’d still drops a tear.
From shore to shore to earth’s remotest bound,
Where LIBERTY is known that NAME is dear.
He also wrote about Montgomery in a parody done on General Wolf:
Parody on the Death of General Wolfe
https://www.henrylivingston.com/writing/poetry/montgomery.htm
In a mouldering cave where the wretched retreat
Columbia sat wasted with care
She wept for her chief then exclaim’d ag’ fate
And gave herself up to despair.
The walls of her cell she had sculptured around
With exploits her Montgomery had done
And even the dust as it lay on the ground
Was engraved with the deeds of her son.
When sudden the radiance of Heav’n appear’d
Around the disconsolate dame
And sweeter than music a cadence was heard
And this was the rapturous strain
“All gallant in arms thy Montgomery shone
When leading the patriot band
“But now in the skies he’s advanced to a throne
“And the least of his glory - command.”
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