Captain (afterwards Lord) Gardner; in which ship he proceeded to the Jamaica station, where he continued upwards of three years; and returned from thence to England with the latter officer in the Levant frigate, in 1770.
Soon after his arrival, Mr. Montagu was made a Lieutenant, and appointed to the Marlborough, of 74 guns, from which ship he removed into the Captain, another third-rate, bearing the flag of his father, then a Rear-Admiral, with whom he went to America, where he obtained the rank of Commander in the Kingfisher sloop of war; and from that vessel was promoted to the command of the Fowey, of 20 guns. His post commission bears date April 15, 1773.
At the commencement of the contest with our trans-atlantic colonies, we find Captain Montagu employed in the arduous service of blockading the ports of Marblehead and Salem, on which station he continued during a whole winter, and had the good fortune to capture the Washington, a brig of 16 guns, the first vessel of war sent to sea by the American States. Her crew, 70 in number, were sent to England as rebels; but instead of being hanged, as they deserved, and no doubt expected, they were there well clothed, and set at liberty.
Captain Montagu was subsequently entrusted, by Vice-Admiral Shuldham, with the difficult and important duty of covering the retreat and embarkation of the army under Sir William Howe, at the evacuation of Boston. The enemy having thrown up strong works, commanding the town and harbour, the Vice-Admiral dropped down to Nantasket Road with the line-of-battle ships, leaving the whole arrangement and execution of this service to Captain Montagu, who received the thanks of the General in a very flattering manner, through his brother, Lord Howe, when he assumed the chief command on the coast of America.
We next find our officer serving in the river Chesapeake, where he rescued Lord Dunmore and family, and also prevented Governor Eden of Maryland, from falling into the hands of the enemy. The Fowey was subsequently stationed by Lord Howe as the advanced ship at the siege of New York; soon after the reduction of which place, Captain Montagu returned to England in a very ill state of health.
