VICTOR MONTGOMERY
Victor Montgomery was born on April 28th, 1846 in Nashville, Tennessee. He was one of 9 children born to the wealthy planter Alexander Montgomery and his wife Davidella. Victor, by his own admission, was raised in the lap of luxury, and received the finest education available to a young man from the South. At the outbreak of the Civil War he was a student at the Nashville Military Academy, and at age 16 in May of 1862 Victor journeyed to Corinth. Mississippi and joined a cavalry command of Confederate Rangers under the leadership of Captain E.J. Saunders. He spent the remainder of 1862 in operations in Northern Mississippi and Western Tennessee. He returned home in early 1863 to recover from an illness and was promptly captured by Union troops, but escaped from captivity after only one day. In the Spring of 1863 he joined an independent battalion of scouts attached to the command of General S.W. Ferguson and made such a reputation for daring and ability that in the spring of 1864 Victor was hand picked to be a scout for General Nathan Bedford Forrest, and in this capacity took part in the battles of Tupelo, Mississippi, Jacksonville, Tennessee, and the Franklin and Nashville Campaign where Forrest protected the rearguard of General John Bell Hoods’ shattered army. When the War ended, and a parole was sent to Victor at his home, he tore it up, believing he had done nothing wrong so no parole was necessary. Soon after he began the study of law at the University of Mississippi and began practicing his vocation in 1868. In 1875 he moved with his mother and father to Southern California and began practicing law in the city of Anaheim. Soon after setting up his practice he married Miss Charlie Louise Tarver, whose family had come from Texas. Victor and Charlie had 3 children, 1 son and 2 daughters. Victor became a very successful lawyer and a prosperous rancher, eventually owning over 140 acres of farmland and settling in Santa Ana. His standing in the community is best exemplified by the fact that when Orange County sought its independence from Los Angeles County, it was Victor Montgomery who drew up the original bill providing for the creation of the new County. His death in October of 1911 was mourned by all in the community, not only the Confederate veterans who had known him but the Union veterans also, who had come to respect and admire this man who had had such a positive impact on the new and growing community of Orange County.