USS Montgomery (1776)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Montgomery.

History
United States
Name	USS Montgomery
Namesake	General Richard Montgomery
Builder	Lancaster Burling
Launched	1776
Fate	Burned, 6 October 1777
General characteristics
Type	Frigate
Armament	24 guns

USS Montgomery was a three-masted, wooden-hulled sailing frigate and one of the first 13 ships authorized by the Continental Congress on 13 December 1775. She was built by Lancaster Burling at Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; launched late in October 1776; but, because of the British capture of New York City during the Battle of Brooklyn and the closing of the Hudson River, was never completely finished and was later destroyed. Probably build to Joshua Humphreys's standard design for the 24-gun frigates for a vessel 120' 6" (g.d) x 32' 6" x 10' 6" (h) mounting 24 × 9-pounder guns.

History

The Montgomery was named in honor of fallen general Richard Montgomery who at the commencement of the American Revolution was a British soldier who had sided with the Americans, later commissioned brigadier general by George Washington in the fall of 1775. Montgomery was later killed by British artillery during the failed assault on Quebec, 31 December 1775. To prevent its capture and use by the British the frigate was burned on 6 October 1777.

See also

• List of sailing frigates of the United States Navy

Bibliography

 This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

• Shelton, Hal (1994). General Richard Montgomery and the American Revolution. New York: New York University Press.