William Reading Montgomery

William Reading Montgomery (July 10, 1801 – May 31, 1871) was a career United States Army officer who served in the Second Seminole War and Mexican–American War. He was a brigadier general in the Union Army from May 17, 1861, to April 4, 1864, during the American Civil War.

Montgomery received a brevet appointment as major for gallant and meritorious conduct during his service as captain of the 8th United States Infantry Regiment at the Battle of Palo Alto and the Battle of Resaca de la Palma, where he was wounded, and a brevet appointment as lieutenant colonel for gallant and meritorious service with the 8th U.S. Infantry Regiment at the Battle of Molino del Rey, where he also was wounded.

Montgomery was promoted to the full, substantive rank of major in 1852 after which he served on recruiting and garrison duty. Montgomery was dismissed from the U.S. Army in 1855 due to unauthorized real estate transactions, the supposed appropriation of part of the military reserve land at Fort Riley, Kansas, for the use of the Pawnee Association as a town when he "had an interest" in that association. Historian Ezra J. Warner states that Montgomery's dismissal from the service for this reason may have been procured by the pro-slavery faction in Kansas because of Montgomery's Free State views. Historian Stewart Sifakis supports Warner's view and states that the appropriated government land "was for a townsite that was apparently planned as a free-soil community."

At the beginning of the American Civil War, Montgomery organized and was briefly colonel of the 1st Regiment New Jersey Volunteer Infantry. The 1st New Jersey Volunteer Regiment was "held in reserve" at the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, according to Wilson and Fiske. Sifakis states that Montgomery's regiment was detailed to guard areas around Arlington Heights, Virginia, and Fairfax Court House, Virginia.

Soon after the Battle of First Bull Run, Montgomery was appointed a brigadier general of volunteers to rank from May 17, 1861. Thereafter, he served in administrative positions or was awaiting orders. He was military governor of Alexandria, Virginia, from September to December, 1861; in command of Annapolis, Maryland, from January 1862 to March 17, 1862, and at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from April 4, 1862, to March 2, 1863; awaiting orders at Cairo, Illinois, from March to October 1863; on a military commission at Memphis, Tennessee, October 16, 1863, to March 15, 1864; and on leave of absence from March 15 to April 4, 1864. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1825.

Montgomery served first at Fort Howard, Wisconsin, in 1826; then at Jefferson Barracks Military Post Missouri in 1826‑27; on frontier duty at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in 1827‑28, and again at Jefferson Barracks in 1829‑30. and the Battle for Mexico City, resulting in the capture of Mexico City on September 13‑14, 1847.

Assignments: 1848–1855 After the Mexican–American War, Montgomery was assigned to garrison duty at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri in 1848‑49; on frontier duty at Austin, Texas, in 1849 and at Camp Gates, later Fort Gates Texas in 1849-50. He served on recruiting service in 1850‑53. Montgomery was promoted to major on December 7, 1852. Historian Christopher Phillips has offered the fullest treatment of Montgomery's entanglement in the Pawnee Association, arguing against slavery politics as a precipitant for Montgomery's court martial. Rather, it stemmed from a personal dispute with an antislavery subordinate officer, Nathaniel Lyon. Eicher only states that Montgomery moved to New Jersey after his dismissal from the U.S. Army.

American Civil War At the outset of the American Civil War, Montgomery organized and briefly was colonel of the 1st Regiment New Jersey Volunteer Infantry. The regiment was held in reserve at the First Battle of Bull Run. Montgomery's biographical sketch in Appletons' Cyclopaedia of American Biography (1888) states that Montgomery's regiment "aided in covering [the Union Army's] retreat from Bull Run." Sifakis, on the other hand, states that the regiment was detailed to guard areas around Arlington Heights, Virginia and Fairfax Court House, Virginia. In June 1861, near Trenton, New Jersey, Montgomery suffered rib injuries when his horse fell.

Soon after the Battle of First Bull Run, Montgomery was appointed a brigadier general of volunteers to rank from May 17, 1861. Thereafter, he served in administrative positions or was awaiting orders. Montgomery was military governor of Alexandria, Virginia, September–December 1861, in command at Annapolis, Maryland, January 1862 to March 17, 1862, in command at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 4, 1862, to March 2, 1863; awaiting orders at Cairo, Illinois, March to October 1863 and on a military commission at Memphis, Tennessee from October 16, 1863, to March 15, 1864.

Montgomery was on leave of absence from March 15 to April 4, 1864. He submitted his resignation from the Union Army, presumably due to ill health according to Warner, which was accepted on April 4. 1864.

Later life After his service in the Union Army, Montgomery moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and briefly worked as a merchant in dealing wood moldings. He then retired to his home in Bristol, Pennsylvania.

Death Montgomery died at Bristol, Pennsylvania, on May 31, 1871, at aged 69.

He is buried at Church of St. James the Greater Cemetery at Bristol, Pennsylvania.