History of Westernville, (Oneida County) New York United States of America

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Montgomery Sigard, naval officer, was born in New York city, Sept. 30, 1836. He entered the navy from Buffalo as acting midshipman, Oct. 1, 1851; was advanced midshipman, April 15, 1855; was commissioned master, Nov. 4, 1858; promoted lieutenant, May 31, 1860; lieutenant commander, July 16, 1862; commander, March 2, 1870; captain, Aug. 7, 1881; commodore, July 10, 1894; rear-admiral, Aug. 6, 1897, and was retired, Sept. 30, 1898, but remained at the head of the board of promotion until 1899. He saw service on the Potomac and Wabash in the home and Mediterranean squadrons, 1855?59; on the Dacotah, China station, 1860?61; with Farragut as executive officer of the Oneida in the capture of Forts Jackson and St. Philip; at the destruction of the Confederate flotilla; at the capture of the Chalmette batteries and of New Orleans, 1862. He was twice engaged in the passage of the Vicksburg batteries; in the engagement with the Confederate ram Arkansas, 1862; was executive officer of the Ticonderoga in pursuit of the Florida and other commerce destroyers; and commander the Seneca in both attacks on Fort Fisher, in the final capture of the fort, commanding the left wing of the 2d division in the land assault, Jan. 15, 1865. He was head of the department of gunnery and drawing at the Naval academy, 1865?67; was on the Pensacola, North Pacific station, 1868?69, and commander of the Saginaw, Pacific station, 1869?71. He was on ordnance duty at the navy yards, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1870?72, and Washington, D.C., 1872?77; commander of the Swatara, North Atlantic station, 1876?77; was on duty in Washington, 1877?79; in the Boston navy yard, 1880?81; chief of the bureau of ordnance, 1882?90; president of the steel inspection board, 1890?91; commander of the Miantonomoh, 1891?93; the Brooklyn, N.Y., navy yard, 1894?97; commander-in-chief of the North Atlantic squadron, April 20, 1897. He retired in 1898 on sick leave and on partial recovery was made chairman of the board of strategy in the war with Spain. He introduced the steel high-power rifle-cannon and established and directed the naval gun factory at Washington. He died at Westernville, N.Y., Sept. 14, 1900.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Westernville, (Oneida County) New York

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