Tribute to Richard Montgomery
Tribute to Richard MONTGOMERY ( - MC named for him)
Source: Crawfordsville Review, July 4, 1916 p 5
It might be well for us as citizens of Montgomery County in connection with the splendid celebration held in honor of our state’s centennial, to stop for a moment and consider from whence it received its name. Montgomery County was so named in honor of the brave and gallant young Irish General Richard Montgomery who fell mortally wounded at the head of his troops while leading a charge against the fortress of Quebec and bravely fighting for American Independence. Just before making the charge he turned to his soldiers and said, “I am going to act so as you’ll never be ashamed of me, Soldiers you’ll not be afraid to follow where our commander leads.” The following tribute to General Montgomery and to Montgomery County was written by Mrs. Sadie Murphy for Wanita Bratton of the Smartsburg HS who read the same at the school centennial at that place:
O! Montgomery! Brave Montgomery,
Out love still clings to thee
Who led our patriots on so well
Who so nobly fought and fell
To make us wholly, truly free
In memory we’re with thee once again
When thou, the leader of brave men,
Hurried thy forces against Quebec, O!
when will thy glory fade
In that heroic charge thou made
Which only fate and fortress did check.
Thy heroic words of faith and candor,
Through ages for justice pleads
Soldiers you’ll never be ashamed of your commander
You’ll not be afraid to follow where he leads.
Truer words were never spoken
Nobler paths were never trod
A more heroic soul has never broken
Through the great white light that leads to God.
In thy honor, Brave Montgomery
Our beautiful county we’ve named
And if thou art not ashamed W
e have caught the spirit of thy message
Making us the greatest county in the state
Where we lead; others not ashamed to follow,
Are marching toward the greatest of the great
The names of Wallace, Lane and Manson
Are sounded the whole world o’er
The stories of Mary Krout and Maurice Thompson,
Are told and read on every shore
It was here was sung the first lullaby
Whose, sweet music has circled the world o’er
Of our consolidated schools born not to die
But to grow in beauty and grandeur more and more
Oh! Montgomery, Brave Montgomery,
Our love still clings to thee
It’s the sunshine to our county
it’s the richest wealth and bounty
Ever onward we shall go
Up the hill through weal or woe
And thy name we’ll ever love
With a faith that from above
Thou still is heard to plead
“You’ll never be ashamed to follow
Where your commander chooses to lead!”