George Monro (British Army officer)
| George Monro | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1700 Clonfin, County Longford, Kingdom of Ireland |
| Died |
3 November 1757 (aged 56–57) Albany, Province of New York |
| Allegiance |
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| Service/ |
 |
| Years of service | 1718–1757 |
| Rank | Lieutenant-Colonel |
| Battles/wars | |
| Relations | George Munro, 1st of Auchinbowie (father) |
Lieutenant-Colonel George Monro (sometimes spelled 'Munro') (1700 – 1757) was a Scottish-Irish soldier. He was an officer in the British Army best remembered for his resolute but ultimately unsuccessful defence of Fort William Henry in 1757 during the Seven Years' War / French and Indian War and the subsequent massacre of his garrison at the hands of France’s Indian allies. These events were made famous by James Fenimore Cooper in his novel The Last of the Mohicans (and subsequent TV/film adaptations).
Early life
Monro was born in Clonfin, County Longford, Ireland in about 1700, younger son of George Munro, 1st of Auchinbowie who was famed for his victory at the Battle of Dunkeld in 1689 in Scotland.[1] However, when John Alexander Inglis wrote his history of the Monro of Auchinbowie family in 1911, he had not at that time identified the younger George Monro as a member of the family.[1]
Monro joined Otway’s Regiment, the 35th Regiment of Foot, as a Lieutenant in 1718. He appears to have had an unremarkable military career. By 1750, he had been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.
Seven Years War
In 1757, with hostilities renewed between Britain and France, Monro was placed in command of Fort William Henry with 1,500 troops. That summer the Siege of Fort William Henry took place where he was attacked by a French force and their Indian allies, totalling about 8,000 men, under the command of the Marquis de Montcalm. Effectively cut off from the main British force, commanded by General Daniel Webb, the small British garrison stood little chance once the siege started in earnest on 3 August. Monro was forced to open negotiations with Montcalm on 9 August.
Munro’s tenacious defence won him generous terms, with the articles of surrender referring to the garrison’s "honourable defence", and Monro was able to negotiate for his troops to be allowed safe passage to Fort Edward, about seventeen miles away. However, it was not to be. As Monro led his garrison from Fort William Henry, Montcalm’s Indian allies attacked without order from Montcalm, leaving approximately 185 dead. Monro actually survived the massacre, but died suddenly just three months later, on 3 November 1757, at Albany.[2]
In popular culture
- Monro is portrayed as Colonel Munro in James Fennimore Cooper's story The Last of the Mohicans, in which he is the father of two daughters, Alice and Cora.[3] In the story, he plays a similar role as he did in history, leading the defense of Fort William Henry.[4] In the 1992 film adaptation, he is portrayed by Scottish actor Maurice Roëves, in which he is portrayed as being killed in the massacre by Montcalm's Indian allies, the leader of whom (Magua) cuts his heart out as revenge for Monro killing his family.[5][6] He is also portrayed in the 1920 silent film by James Gordon,[7][8][9] in the 1932 version by Edward Hearn,[10][11] in the 1936 version by Hugh Buckler[12] and in the 1965 version by Paul Muller[13][14][15] and in the 1968 version by Otto Ambros.[16]
- Monro is also portrayed as a supporting character in the 2014 action-adventure video game Assassin's Creed Rogue.[17] He is shown to be a noble character, seeking to help the people of New York City recover from the gang violence and the disrepair of the city.[18] He is a member of the Templar Order and assists Christopher Gist and the protagonist Shay Cormac until he is killed by Assassin Liam O'Brien in Albany after the fall of Fort William Henry.[19][20][21] He is voiced by Graham J. Cuthbertson.[22][23]
References
- 1 2 Holden, James A. and Inglis, John Alexander. (1913). The Lineage of Colonel George Monro - Proceedings of the New York State Historical Association. Volume 13. pp. 389 - 403.
- ↑ "1759: The Year Britain Became Master of the World", Frank Mclynn (2004)
- ↑ McManus, John C. (28 January 2010). U.S. Military History For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. p. 71. ISBN 9780470643235.
- ↑ Nester, William R. (13 February 2008). The Epic Battles for Ticonderoga, 1758. SUNY Press. p. 6. ISBN 9780791473221.
- ↑ Brereton, Pat (2005). Hollywood Utopia: Ecology in Contemporary American Cinema. Intellect Books. p. 270. ISBN 9781841501178.
- ↑ Rollins, Peter (23 January 2011). Hollywood's Indian: The Portrayal of the Native American in Film. University Press of Kentucky. p. 264. ISBN 9780813131658.
- ↑ Waldman, Harris (1 January 2001). Maurice Tourneur: The Life and Films. McFarland & Company. p. 104. ISBN 9780786409570.
- ↑ Österberg, Bertil O. (2001). Colonial America on Film and Television: A Filmography. McFarland & Company. p. 267. ISBN 9780786408627.
- ↑ Nollen, Scott Allen (1 January 1991). Boris Karloff: A Critical Account of His Screen, Stage, Radio, Television, and Recording Work. McFarland & Company. p. 350. ISBN 9780899505800.
- ↑ Harmon, Jim; Glut, Donald F. (1973). "The Classics "You Say 'What Dost Thou Mean By That?' and Push Him Off the Cliff"". The Great Movie Serials: Their Sound and Fury. Routledge. p. 324. ISBN 978-0-7130-0097-9.
- ↑ Hischak, Thomas S. (18 June 2012). American Literature on Stage and Screen: 525 Works and Their Adaptations. McFarland & Company. p. 114. ISBN 9780786492794.
- ↑ Motion Picture Herald. 124. Quigley Publishing Company. 1936. p. 18.
- ↑ Bianco e nero. 8. Editrice Il castoro. 1967. p. 114.
- ↑ La Saison cinématographique. 30. U.F.O.L.E.I.S. 1948. p. 62.
- ↑ "Uncas, el fin de una raza". ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- ↑ Österberg, Bertil O. (2001). Colonial America on Film and Television: A Filmography. McFarland & Company. p. 184. ISBN 9780786408627.
- ↑ S. Fernández, Jorge (9 March 2015). "Análisis de Assassin's Creed Rogue para PC". Hobby Consolas (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 January 2018.
- ↑ Pugliese, Tommaso (9 March 2015). "Tutto è lecito". Multiplayer (in Italian). Retrieved 7 January 2018.
- ↑ Gallagher, Jason; Saavedra, John (26 October 2017). "Assassin's Creed Origins and the Story So Far". Den of a Geek. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
- ↑ Sears, Connor (13 October 2014). "Assassin's Creed Rogue Story Trailer Confirms PC Version For Early 2015, Gives Players First Look At Returning Assassin Characters". Gamenguide. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
- ↑ Alisonno, Tommaso (17 October 2014). "Preview Assassin's Creed: Rogue". Game Surf (in Italian). Retrieved 7 January 2018.
- ↑ Jablicko007. "George Monro". Postaby (in Czech). Retrieved 7 January 2018.
- ↑ "Graham Cuthbertson Net Worth". Net Worth Post. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
External links
- Lieutenant-Colonel George Monro at the Wayback Machine (archived 12 December 2006)
- Biography of Colonel George Monro.
- Col. Monro and the Siege of Fort William Henry
- Lineage of George Monro
