Archibald Montgomerie, 11th Earl of Eglinton (18 May 1726 – 30 October 1796) was a Scottish General and member of parliament (MP) in the British Parliament. He was also the Clan Chief of the Clan Montgomery. Montgomerie fought in the Seven Years' War, where he served with George Washington. He was the patron of the poet Robert Burns.
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Early life
Archibald Montgomerie was born on 18 May 1726 to Alexander Montgomerie, 9th Earl of Eglinton, and the 9th Earl's third wife, Susanna Kennedy. Montgomerie was one of the 9th Earl's twenty children. Montgomerie was educated at Eton during his teenage years and then went to Winchester College. At age 13, Montgomerie joined the army.
Military career
After joining the army, Montgomerie received a commission as a cornet in the Royal Scots Greys. He served in this rank from 1739 to 1740. He became Major of the 36th Regiment in 1751, and was elected lieutenant-colonel of the regiment on 4 January 1757. At the outbreak of the Seven Years' War, Montgomerie raised the Montgomerie's Highlanders. The regiment traveled to the American Colonies in 1757, and Montgomerie was put under the command of General Amherst. Montgomerie and his regiment, along with George Washington and Henry Bouquet, joined the expedition against Fort Duquesne in 1758. In 1760, he commanded an expedition against the Cherokee during the Anglo-Cherokee War. Montgomerie's expedition, which included 1,200 men, was ultimately unsuccessful in its mission but succeeded in reaping mass devastation on lower Cherokee country. Montgomerie led an assault on the Cherokee Lower Towns and had several Cherokee villages destroyed, including the major town of Keowee. He was defeated by the Cherokees, in 1760, at the Battle of Echoee and was forced to retreat back to Fort Prince George, failing in his mission to relieve the siege at Fort Loudoun.