Matthias Alexis Roche de Fermoy

Matthias Alexis Roche de Fermoy (c. 1737 – c. 1780) was a French volunteer soldier who served as a brigadier general in the Continental Army. Born in the West Indies, he was one of several foreigners given command positions in the army in 1776 (Marquis de Lafayette being one of the more famous of these). Fermoy's tenure as a brigadier general was marked by disgrace. Although he performed competently leading a brigade during the Battle of Trenton, he abandoned his brigade while it occupied a forward defensive position opposing the British advance prior to the Battle of the Assunpink Creek. In July 1777, his force was occupying Mount Independence, part of the defenses around Fort Ticonderoga in northern New York, prior to General John Burgoyne's advance. When the decision was made to secretly abandon the works on the morning of July 6, Fermoy endangered the operation by setting fire to his quarters at 2 am. After he was rejected for promotion to major general, he resigned in January 1778, and returned to the West Indies.

Matthias Fermoy
Born	c. 1737 North America
Died	c. 1780 (aged c. 43)
Allegiance	United States
Years of service	1776-1778
Battles / wars	American Revolutionary War Battle of Trenton Siege of Fort Ticonderoga

References

• Leiter, Mary Theresa. Biographical sketches of the generals of the Continental army of the revolution
• Broadwater, R.P. (2012). American Generals of the Revolutionary War: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7864-9173-5. Retrieved 2018-07-02.
• United States. Continental Congress (1823). Journals of the American Congress from 1774-1788: In Four Volumes. Journals of the American Congress from 1774-1788: In Four Volumes. Way and Gideon. Retrieved 2018-07-02.
• Griswold, R.W.; Simms, W.G.; Ingraham, E.D. (1858). Washington and the Generals of the American Revolution: With Finely Engraved Portraits. J.B. Lippincott. Retrieved 2018-07-02.

• Storozynski, A. (2009). The Peasant Prince: and the Age of Revolution. St. Martin's Press. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-4299-6607-8. Retrieved 2018-07-02.