The war in the South was a different kind of fight—a brutal, internecine struggle that pitted neighbor against neighbor, saw atrocities on both sides, and culminated in the decisive campaign that won American independence. John Mosley Montgomery served in this theater, his verified SAR recognition confirming Patriot service in Virginia, North Carolina, or South Carolina during the war's final, critical years.
The War Moves South
After 1778, British strategy shifted dramatically. Stalemate in the North and French entry into the war prompted a new plan: conquer the South, where Loyalist support was believed stronger, then march north to crush the rebellion. Savannah fell in December 1778, Charleston in May 1780, and by summer 1780, British forces controlled Georgia and South Carolina.
This was the situation John Mosley Montgomery entered—a Southern theater in crisis, where American militia and Continental forces fought desperately to prevent total British conquest of the region.
Southern Department Service
The Southern war was a militia war—irregular forces striking from swamps and forests, then melting away before British regulars could respond. This was partisan warfare at its most intense.
John M. Montgomery's service has been verified by the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR #34360), confirming documented Patriot activity in the Southern Department. His specific state of service—Virginia, North Carolina, or possibly South Carolina—remains under investigation, but all three saw intense fighting during the periods when the Montgomery men appear in military records.
Probable Campaign Involvement
- •If Virginia Militia: Yorktown Siege (September-October 1781), the decisive Franco-American victory that ended major combat operations
- •If North Carolina Militia: Battle of Cowpens (January 1781), where Daniel Morgan's tactical brilliance crushed Tarleton's Legion, or Guilford Court House (March 1781), where Greene bled Cornwallis's army
- •Partisan Warfare: Regardless of state, Southern militia spent much of 1780-1781 in guerrilla actions—ambushes, raids on supply lines, and harassment of British foraging parties
The Southern militia's contribution cannot be overstated. While lacking the discipline of Continental regulars, they provided critical intelligence, controlled the countryside, prevented Loyalist recruiting, and kept Patriot resistance alive during the darkest days of 1780 when it seemed the South might be permanently lost.
Young Family Lineage
John Mosley Montgomery represents the maternal line of the Young family, connecting through multiple generations to Lenore Arnett Young (1918-2018), whose century-spanning life bridged the Revolutionary era's distant memory to the digital age.
Montgomery family descendants migrated westward in the early 19th century, part of the great wave of Southern families seeking new lands in Tennessee, Kentucky, and eventually the trans-Mississippi West.
Sons of the American Revolution Recognition
John Mosley Montgomery's service has been verified and recognized by the Sons of the American Revolution under membership number SAR #34360. This recognition confirms documented Patriot service in the Southern Department, though specific regiment and battle details await further archival research.
More to Discover
Locating John M. Montgomery's SAR application packet will clarify his specific state of service, regiment, and county of residence. Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina all maintained extensive militia rosters, many now digitized and searchable.
Southern Department research is particularly challenging due to the chaotic nature of partisan warfare and incomplete record-keeping during 1780-1781, when British occupation disrupted normal administrative functions.