RADM Montgomery Sicard, USN was born in New York on 30 September 1836 and was appointed midshipman on 1 October 1851. After graduation from the Naval Academy in 1855, he served in the Home and East India squadrons until the outbreak of the Civil War. During the war, he served in the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, participating in the capture of New Orleans late in April 1862 and the passage of the Vicksburg batteries in June 1862. Sicard later commanded Seneca during the assaults on Fort Fisher in December 1864 and January 1865. After the war he commanded the Pensacola from 1868 to 1869 followed by the Saginaw from 1869 to 1871 assigned to the North Pacific Squadron. His next ship command found him assigned to the North Atlantic Squadron aboard the Swatara from 1877 to 1878 cruising in Atlantic and Caribbean waters. His command duty afloat alternated with ordnance duty in Washington and New York until he became Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance from 1881 to 1890. Sicard commanded the Amphitrite Class Monitor Miantonomah (BM-5) from October 1891 to November 1893 with a compliment of 12 officers and a crew of 136 men. In 1897, he was promoted to Rear Admiral and took command of the North Atlantic Squadron but was forced to relinquish his command at the outbreak of the Spanish-American War due to ill health. Upon his partial recovery, he was placed in charge of the Board of Strategy and took an important part in guiding the conduct of the war. Rear Admiral Sicard retired on 30 September 1898 and died at Westernville, N.Y., on 14 September 1900
Naval History and Heritage Command photo NH 45388, Commodore Montgomery Sicard, USN (1836-1900) taken circa the 1890s