Captain on the English side in Ireland doing the Nine Years war (Tyrone's rebellion).

The Chronicle of Ireland, 1584-1608, is an early `official military diary' maintained for the Earl of Pembroke. Although its author is unknown, it is considered highly likely that it was written by Sir James Perrott (this opinion includes the use of handwriting analysis). It is an interesting document for many reasons. Among others, the following extract illustrates the variations in spelling Montagu/e at this time - there are 3 spellings of what is clearly the same name!

The scene (from The Chronicle of Ireland, 1584-1608):

"The Lord Deputy ... returned to Dubline ... July 1595. ... Tyrone ... protestes he would more be ruled by hym then any other man, and prayes he would healpe to make knowen unto the Queene his desier to continew hir faythfull subject. ... commissioners are sent into the North, where Tyrone ... and others exhibit theyr complayntes agaynst Sir William FitzWilliams, the late and last Lord Deputy of Ireland. ... Sir William ... excuseth his deferringe of the answers by reason of his infirmities... sayth in generall that traytors of all ages had visors to cover theyr vilde actions; ... Certaynly he was suspected to be subject unto much corruption...

... Sir Robert Gardener, Cheife Justice and one of the Counsell of Ireland, comes into England... he layes open the causes of the late revolt ... and corrupt dealinge of the last Lord Deputy, ... wherof he geives divers particular instances. ...

... the Queene ... sware FitzWilliames should answer it with the losse of his head... But ... he let his sicknes appere that his absence might be excused... And soe, in shorte time, ... increasinge by feare finished his life; and soe freed hym..."

The Queen here is Queen Elizabeth. Captain Mountague apparently commanded a troop of horse:

"Sir John Norys... commander of the forces in Ulster... taketh a jorney into the North... the companies were mustered on the Greene at Dubline the xjth of August 1595. ...

... Of a thowsand foote and a hundred horse sent out of England and brought by Captayne Deringe and Captayne Mountague, some were conferred on the Erle... two troupes of horse at 50 a-peece were distributed to Captayne Deringe and Mountague.

... the Lord Deputy takes a jorney to Kells (9 September)... He had with hym the horse troupes of the Erle of Thomond, the Lord of Donsanny, and Captayne Mountague. ...

... at Blackwater ... Tyrone ... offered skirmish. The rebels were about 4000...

The Saboth day after the passine over the Blackwater ... the rebells horsemen shewed themselves on the hylls... Whereof ... the Lord Deputie ... commanded Captayne Mountague, with his horse and some others, to draw out to incounter and to drive away the rebells, but Captayne Turner ... desired ... he might have the honor..."

At this point, a `low-intensity' guerilla campaign is described:

`... upon places of advantage in bogges and woods ... did sometimes charge the foote as they marched, either in the reare or in flanke. The manner of theyr fight was sodaynly to power in shotte, and as soone to retier, especially if our men stood to it... The best course taken ... was thus devised: ... to draw the shotte and pikes by files, and those to be led and myngled with officers ... beinge knowen to be resolut men. ... the rebels had theyr handes full; and thoe sometimes some of our men were slayne or hurt, yet commonly the traytors were beaten backe and had the most harme.'

Captayne Mountague reappears in a court martial of 4 officers:

"... Uppon the Lord Liftenants returne greate falte was found with his attemptinge of this jorney, helde unnecessary, and a comsumption of the Quenes treasure...

... returning ... tawardes Dubline, Sir Henry Harington, governor of the Obirnes contie ..., having ... 500 foote and 50 horse, received a disgracefull and dangerous discomfeture by the Obirnes and other rebells...

The occasion of this overthrow... grew by treachery of one Walsh, liftenant of Irish birth and ... kindred unto some of the principell rebells... There were slayne and hurt about 140, and of the rebells killed about 20. Most of the English were new men late raysed in England, and not trayned nor drawen into the fields. They wanted victuell, only some beives were brought in by Captayne Mountacuts horse...

After the overthrow, ... the Lord Liftenant called a Marshalls Court of the coronells, ... that might be found the causers of this dishonor... When sentence was geiven, Sir Henry Dockwray, a coronell and counsellor at warre, delivered that oppinion which was best approved: that he did acquite Captayne Charles Mountacue, commander of the horse, from any blemish of cowardise, for it was proved that he charged with his horse, discharged his pistoll, and strake with his sword: Captayne Linley and Captayne Malery he did not condempne, neither could he soe much cleare them as to allow what they did, for thoe they did forsake the front and stoode not in the place of charge, yet they did not rune away, but went out of theyr stations to bringe in theyr soldiers which (as it was alleaged) fell to rowte and did or were redy to rune away: Liftenant Walsh he absolutly helde worthie of death for runing away, which by some was esteemed cowardiz and could be noe lesse, by others helde treacherie; therfor he was condempned to be shotte unto death. This oppinion most of the coronells did follow; but the Lord Liftenant was more sevire, and in his owne judgement helde them for the most parte worthie of examplarie punishment. ... Liftenant Walsh was shotte to death by his fellow soldiers."

A detailed description of an important battle in which Captain Montague played a role is provided by Cyril Falls in Elizabeth's Irish Wars, in a chapter entitled The Yellow Ford. This is a rather famous battle (he used the 'e' spelling):

"The Blackwater fort had been built and garrisoned to provide a means of entry into the territory of the Earl of Tyrone...

At the termination of the truce ... Tyrone had surrounded the fort and completely blockaded it. Thomas Williams inspired his men to a splendid resistance. The rebels would not venture on another assault ... they had lost 400 men. ... the garrison ... ate its horses and ... roots and grasses.

The (relief, ed.) force ... numbered 3,901 foot and about 320 horse, a considerable army by the standards of Irish war. ... An unusually large proportion was Irish, but the English included a detachment of veterans from the Continent....

The army moved in six regiments... Almost at once he found himself hotly engaged, Tyrone attacking his left flank while O'Donnel passed around to assail his right... Tyrone's force was covered by a bog, across which his sharpshooters passed with their usual agility. ... The enemy was rather superior in numbers ... having some 4,050 foot and 600 horse...

Galled continually by the fire ... from both flanks, the leading regiment pushed on across the Callan brook ... at a point known ... as the Yellow Ford." (Falls)

(Under continuous fire, the leading two regiments crossed the brook, though they lost their artillery when it bogged down in the creek. On the other side they encounterd a 5-foot wide trench with a thorn defense. The leading regiment got across the trench in heavy action and confusion and was annihilated. The second regiment, rushing forward to assist the first, was destroyed in identical fashion. The army's commander, who had rashly charged forward to lead from the front, was killed. A general retreat was called. Although at first this appeared to be going well, one of the regiments advanced again to attempt to save elements of the first two regiments. This regiment then had to be "saved" by the remaining regiment of the main body. These two regiments finally extricated themselves with very heavy losses. A soldier replenishing his powder supply from a powder cart then accidently exploded the powder cart in "a big explosion", at which point Tyrone's troops smelled victory and ...)

"It was probably at this stage that the Irish companies and some of the raw English reinforcements began to run away, the Irish going straight over to their countrymen..." (Falls)

The two regiments of the rear guard saved the remains, although it was a close thing, as they themselves were hard pressed.

"To translate into modern idiom, the Irish, after manuvering about the regiment and galling it with musketry fire... came in with a rush to close quarters at great strength. The musketeers had largely used up their ammunition ..." (Falls)

The commander of the rear guard stayed in control and saved three artillery pieces, which allowed him to withdraw...

"... Under cover of the English horse which behaved excellently throughout, the force reached the shelter of Armagh.

The losses in killed and missing were variously reported as 1,300 and 2,000, but did these ... include some 300 Irish who had deliberately deserted? ... At all events, ... there were only about 1,500 at Armagh.

On reaching Armagh, it was decided that the horse under Captain Montague - Colonel Calisthenes Brooke having been seriously wounded - should attempt to break through the rebels and make its way to Newry. This was accomplished with little loss, and Montague himself rode on to Dublin to bring the news to the appalled Council. The foot huddled within the shelter of the cathedral church, almost broken in spirit.

Such was the disaster of the Yellow Ford, the worst that has ever been suffered by the English in Ireland. ...

... It is not surprising that Archbishop Loftus and Sir Robert Gardner should have been perturbed by the news which Captain Montague brought them. The only army opposing the march of Tyrone on Dublin had been routed. Their military advisor was absent... They lost their heads." (Falls)

They proposed a compromise with Tyrone. This really made queen Elizabeth angry:

"We may not pass over this foul error to our dishonour, when you of our Council framed such a letter to the traitor, after the defeat, as never was read the like, either in form or substance, for baseness, being such as we presuade ourself, if you shall peruse it again, when you are yourselves, that you will be ashamed of your own absurdities and grieved that any fear or rashness should ever make you authors of an action so much to your Sovereign's dishonour and to the increasing of the traitor's insolency."

One of the results of this war in Northern Ireland was the Plantation of Ulster.

Who was this Captayne Charles Mountague?

Sources:
The Chronicle of Ireland, 1584-1608
Elizabeth's Irish Wars, Cyril Falls.

http://www.montaguemillennium.com/familyresearch/h_1592_charles.htm