Evening Star Newspaper, June 22, 1930, Page 83

L e THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, JUNE 2, 19%. placid, liké the soul that had animated it. His sword, the symbol of his martial honor, iay’ close beside him on the snow. It was picked up by a drummer-boy, but immediately afterward was given up to James Thompson, Overseer of Public Works and Assistant En- gineer during the siege, who had been intrusted by Gen. Carleton with the interment of the body. Through the courtesy of the British general, Montgomery was buried within the walls of Quebec, with the honors of war.” RS. HUNT also tells us in an interesting way of the transferring of the remains from Quebec to New York, when the passing of the body down the Hudson, forty-three years after the death of Montgomery, was witnessed by his aged widow. “Gov. Clinton,” ncc'ording to her state- ment, “had directed the adjutant general, with Col Van Rensselaer and a detachment of Cavalry, to accompany the remains to New York. They left Whitehall on the 2d of July, arriving at Albany on the 4th. “Great preparations had been made to re- ceive the remains with all possible splendor and eclat. The procession moved through all the principal streets of Albany, escorted by the military under arms, joined by an immense concourse of citizens. The remains were laid in state in the Capitol. In every village on the route similar honors had been paid to the memory of the gallant Montgomery. “The skeleton had been placed in a magnifi- cent coffin, which had becn sent by the Gov- ernor. On the 6th of July, at 9 o'clock in the morning, a procession, perhaps still larger than the first, accompanied the coffin to the steamer Richmond, on board which it was put, with a large military escort. “The boat floated down for several miles under the discharge of minute-guns from both shores. It was astonishing to observe the strong sympathies which were everywhere evoked by the arrival of these sacred remains. The degree of enthusiasm that prevailed and the patriotic feeling that evinced itself reflected credit upon the State of New York, and not a voice was heard in disapproval of the tributes of respect thus paid to the memory of this hero of the Revolution. Gov. Clinton had informed Mrs. Mont- gomery that the body of the general would pass down the Hudson; by the aid of a glass she could see the boat pass Montgomery Place, her estate near Barrytown. I give her own quaint and touching terms as she describes the mournful pageant in a letter to her niece. “ ‘At length,’ she wrote, ‘they came by, with all that remained of a beloved husband, who left me in the bloom of manhood, a perfect being. Alas! how did he return! However gratifying to my heart, yet to my feelings every pang I feit was renewed. The pomp with which it was conducted added to my woe; when the steamboat passed with slow and solemn move- ment, stopping before my house, the troops under arms, the Dead March from the muffied drum, the mournful music, the splendid coffin canopied with crape and crowned by plumes, you may conceive my anguish; I cannot de- scribe it’ “At Mrs. Montgomery's own request, she was left alone upon the porch when the Richmond went by. Forty-three years had elapsed since she parted with her husband at Saratoga. Emotions too agitating for her advanced years overcame her at this trying moment. She fainted, and was found in an insensible condi- tlon after the boat had passed on its way. Yet the first wish of her heart was realized, after years of deferred hope, and she wrote to her brother in New Orleans, ‘I am satisfied. What more could I wish than the high honor that has been conferred on the ashes of my poor soldier?’ " SPEAKING of Montgomery, Ramsey, in his “History of the American Revolution,” says: “Pew men have ever fallen in battle 50 much regretted by both sides as Gen. Montgomery., His many amiable qualities had procured him an uncommon share of private affection, and his great abilities an equal proportion of public esteem. “Being a sincere lover of liberty, he had engaged in the American cause from principle, and quitted the enjoyment of an easy fortune and the highest domestic felicity to take an active share in the fatigues and dangers of a war instituted for the defense of the com- munity of which he was an adopted member. His well-known character was almost equally esteemed by the friends and foes of the side which he espoused. In America he was cele- brated as a martyr to the liberties of man- kind; in Great Britain, as a misguided, good man, sacrificing what he supposed to be the rights of his country. “His name was mentioned in Parliament with singular respect. Some of the most powerful speakers in that assembly displayed their elo- quence in sounding his praise and lamenting his fate. Those in particular who had been his fellow-soldiers in the previous war ex- patiated on his many virtues. The minister himself acknowledged his worth, while he reprobated the cause for which he fell. He concluded an involuntary panegyric by saying, ‘Curses on his virtues, they have undone his eountry!" ” For 42 years the body of Richard Mont- gomery remained in its original burial place, but in 1818, it was returned by a grateful peo- ple to his beloved country and to the city of New York, where it was reinterred on July 8, of that year, beneath the monument erected to his memory, in front of St. Paul's Church, near the monument erected to his memory by order of Congress, and which bears the fol- lowing inscription: “This Monument Was erected by order of Congress, 25th January, 1776, To transmit to posterity A grateful remembrance of the Patriotism, conduct, enterprise, and Perserverance of Major General Richard Montgomery; Who, after a series of successes, Amidst the most discouraging difficulties Fell in the attack On Quebec, 3lst of December, 1775, Aged 38 years.” Maj. Gen. Richard Montgomery, for whom Montgomery County, Md., was, named. The sword pictured was carried by him at the storming of Queber, December 31, 1775. It was ordered presented to Congress and deposited in the National Museum. IN the north hall of the old building of the National Museum may be seen the sword carried by Gen. Montgomery, and the silver buckles worn by him, when he was killed at Quebec. The history of these personal articles of the brave Montgomery is peculiarly interesting. After the attack, the sword was found by a drummer boy and taken from him by James Thompson, overseer of works in the royal en- gineer department, who, however, was gen- erous enough to give him 7 shillings and 6 pence for it. In Thompson's will he bequeathed it to his nephew, James Thompson Harrower, who sold it in 1878 to the Marquis of Lorne, governor general of Canada, who in 1881 presented it to Victor Drummond, esq., charge d'affairs and interim of the British legation at Washington. Mr. Drummond in turn presented it to Miss Louise Livingston Hunt, whose sister, Miss Julia Barton Hunt, in 1923, presented it to the Nation. It was gratefully accepted by Jjoint resolution of Congress, adopted on Wash- ington’s birthday, February 22, 1923, the sub- stance of which reads: “Resolved, etc., that the sword of Gen. Rich- ard Montgomery, which he wore when he fell at the siege of Quebec, on December 31, 1775, be accepted in the name of the Nation from the donor, Miss Julia Barton Hunt, whose generosity is deeply appreciated, and that the sword be deposited in the National Museum.” The silver buckles were presented to the National Museum by Return Jonathan Meigs, 4th. After the death of Montgomery, they came into the possession of the lamented general’s friend, Col. Return Jonathan Meigs, and descended to the donor. One could hardly be expected to write a history of so notable a county as is Mont- gomery in a magazine article, and any at- tempt to do so would most likely prove un- satisfactory. However, there is much to be sald to its credit and its praise, and, since its formation in 1776, it has proven to be one of the strongest vertebrae in the backbone of our American Republic, During the war of the American Revolu- tion, though then one of the infant counties, yet it contributed its full share and more in man power and money, for the achievement of independence, and wherever the Maryland line went, Montgomery County was well rep- resented. Indeed, Scharf, in his “History of Western Maryland,” gives us the names of the following persons as having become members of the Soclety of the Cincinnati at the close of the Revolutionary War: C. Ricketts, leu- tenant; Lloyd Beall, captain: Samuel B. Beall, lieutenant; Henry Gaither, captain; Richard Anderson, captain; James MecCubbin Lingan, captain; Richard Chiderson, captain; David Lynn, captain. In addition to the members of that society, there were Cols. Charles Greenbury Griffith and Richard Brooke, Capts. Edward Burgess and Robert Briscoe, Lieuts. Greenbury Gaither, John Gaither, Elisha Beall, Elisha Williams, John Lynn and John Court Jones, Ensigns Thomas Edmondson, John Griffith and William Lamar, and Quartermas- ter Richard Thompson. IN all the wars subsequent to the American Revolution, Montgomery County performed its part with a patriotism and devotion un- surpassed by any other part of the country. Being so very close to the Federal Capital, it shared in its scares during the Civil War, and during the raid on Washington in July, 1864, culminating in the battle of Fort Stevens, much damage was done by the Confederate forces just north of the city in Maryland. Here several houses were destroyed, includ- ing that of Montgomery Blair, father of my esteemed friend, Maj. Gist Blair, and Post- master General in Lincoln’s cabinet, and who was named for Richard Montgomery. As much cattle and stock as was needed by the oppos- ing army was also taken, sometimes without even compensating the owners with the cus- tomary Confederate money. A diary kept by a member of the Brooke family, of Fallen Green, near Sandy Spring, tells us of some anxious hours during Early’s advance on Washington. Under date of July 12, the chronicler says: “This morning, Charles was just sending his horses out to the reaper, all were up by the bump except Snap, when two Confederates came dashing up the road, passed by without stop- ping except to say something about the horses, John Cook was taking them down the lane as fast as he could, they followed. Charles stood waiting. Eliza had Corna and Puss brought up to the front steps, where she held them (Hannah had gone over to the neighbor's). I had my chair out on the porch; we did not wait long till we saw them come back with Charles’ three work horses. Charles stayed out and talked with them awhile. Omne went first in the stables and examined them, then C. told where Snap was, he went out in the fleld to Jook at her (she is in a dreadful con- dition with the ( (?) evil). While he was gone, the other hitched his horses and came walking up the front yard where Eliza stood, he spoke very pleasantly, and, though very much sunburnt and soiled, was a handsome man and had such a pleasant, good expression that I began to hope directly that we should Shoe buckles worn by Gen. Montgomery when he was killed at the battle of Quebec, on exhibition at the National Museum. = sucoeed in keeping our horses. We did so, and though they had been directed here, with the information that Charles had fine carriage horses and a riding horse besides, and rather questioned at first his assurances to the cone trary, yet, after staying here fully half an hour, perhaps longer, they talked together a few minutes and we overheard the conclusion that none of these horses would answer their purpose at all; all were therefore left much to our satisfaction. “The handsome man was Capt. Fulton from Fort Tobacco, Md. He said he had run away from school to join the army. Eliza said, ‘What a pity you did not run to the right side.’ He looked at her with the brightest smile and said he thought he had done so. Charles asked it he knew Ridgley Brown. ‘Yes indeed,” said he, looking quickly. ‘He was our colonel, we are of the 5th Maryland Regiment, Yes, I was near him when he was killed. He was shot in the head and died in about an hour after. He was a magnificent officer, brave as a lion, very much beloved and had been twice complimented in the field by the gen- eral” He continued, ‘He was too brave for he often exposed himself unnecessarily.'—etc. ete. “Charles mentioned to him some of his schoolmates from Port Tobacco. He knew them well—knew Marcus Duval, too. John Kabler came while they were here and seemed quite fascinated with this one. They had a great deal of talk, about the differences of opinion on the two sides; John and Charles expressing without any reserve, theirs, as he did his, and he said he felt far more respect for and confidence in such as owned their sentiments and stood firmly to them, than such as were afraid, or were anything to anybody to suit their own purposes. “A great force of Confederates are concentrat- ing around this side of Washington, but what seemed to me the most alarming news was that Mosby was said to be in Rockville with 800 of his guerrillas, of whcse unprincipled law- lessness I have more dread than of anything else we could be subjected to. We heard also, with sorrow and indignation, of dear Cousin Benjamin’s treatment from some of the Confed- erates—after saving his horse once—he was rid- ing to Olney when he met some, who demanded his horse and on his positively refusing to give it up, they ungirded his saddle and dragged him off. He went afterward to Bradley Johne son, who was their commander, but could ob- tain no redress—he said his lieutenant's horse had given out and he must have another. Oh, it was too hard for him to lose Andy.” It is apparent that the Confederate forces did not receive much voluntary assistance from the people of Montgomery County, Md. There are too few monuments in this coun- try to Richard Montgomery. Is there one in Montgomery County? If not, why not? Co-operative Milk Huml/fng. 'l‘HE growth of co-operative marketing in the last decade or so has taken place without much fuss or feathers, yet has reached so great proportions that it is estimated now that 40 per cent, or $325,000,000, of the milk produc- tion of this country is handled through twe associations. The Dairyman’'s League of New York alone did $85,000,000 in business during 1928. Hutzel Metzger, agricultural economist of the Depart- ment of Agriculture, in discussing the growth of the co-operatives, said: “The sale and distribution of fluid milk by the producer to the consumer was one of the earliest forms of fluid milk marketing, and is still the practice in many of the smaller towns, With the growth of cities, each farmer could not so well have personal contact with his cus- tomers, and the practice of selling his milk to a distributor grew up. Moreover, sanitary regu- lations in some cities made necessary a greater investment and the purchase of more elaborate equipment than was profitable for a small fam- ily business. “In almost every city many of these small distributors began to operate, each with a busi- ness somewhat larger than the family unit, but not distributing a large proportion of the total supply. Gradually the more efficient increased their business and consolidations took place. At present there are many cities in which one distributor sells more than half of the milk marketed. “The object which the producers had in mind in forming most of the earlier co-operative marketing associations was the retail distribue tion of milk. They felt that the distributor wasg getting more than his share of the consumers’ dollar. By retailing the milk used for fluid consumption aund processing the remainder they reasoned that they would not only receive the same wholesale price that they received undee the private distributor system but would obtain the distributors’ share of the profits, which they beiieved to be exceptionally large. “These co-operative marketing associations, which were established principally in the smail or medium sized cities, operated a plant and distributed milk on regular routes. ‘The opera« tions were usually on a small scale, and milk came from close-in territory. This fact made it easy for the producers, who were, as a ruls, personally acquainted, to get together in ene operative effort and rendered elaborate organie zation unnecessary, “In other cities, particularly the larger ones, where a greater amount of capital was neces< sary to enter the distributing business, the proe ducers came together in a co~operative organi- zation for the purpose of determining what would be their terms of sale and of obtaining power to negotiate with the distributors a8 ta prices. This type of producers’ co-operative organization became known as the bargaining association. It owned no facilities for and had nothing to do with physically handling the milk, Because the bargaining association had no ef« fective method of enforcing its demand in case the distributors refused to accept its terms, somd 8roups of producers who wished to wholesald their milk but not to distribute it established facilities for receiving the milk in the country and city. They constitute another class, usuaily termed the operating or marketing associations.”