The name of the ship depict on this stamp must be GENERAL MONGOMERY.
The URL below has the history and details of the GENERAL MONTGOMERY.
http://www.awiatsea.com/Privateers/G/Ge ... ll%5D.html
It looks that the action as depict on the stamps between the MONTGOMERY and the British merchantmen MILLERN never has taken place.
The detail of the GENERAL MONTGOMERY is from The American Navies of the Revolutionary War, by Nowland Van Powell and Richard Morris. The original painting shows an action with a British merchant vessel named the MILLERN, off Ireland, in July 1777. According to the text accompanying the painting (p. 54), there was a one hour fight with the MILLERN before she was captured. The prize was sent to America, but was re-captured off the Delaware Capes.
Another drawing of the GENERAL MONTGOMERY –MILLER action is in Copeland, Peter F., American Sailing Ships Coloring Book, New York: Dover Institute Publications, Inc., 1987. Copeland’s text (p. 5) dates the action to July 1776, and misdates GENERAL MONTGOMERY’s capture to 1776, and her subsequent re-capture to 1776.
There are no known contemporary drawings of the GENERAL MONTGOMERY, so both painting and drawing are based on what contemporary brigs or brigantines are known to appear. In the Van Powell painting GENERAL MONTGOMERY flies the striped Rattlesnake Flag, which is certainly possible.
There are however, additional problems with the text and painting. The GENERAL MONTGOMERY, of Philadelphia, never approached the Irish coast, and was captured by the HMS LEVANT before the action had taken place. The only vessel named MONTGOMERY on the Irish coast in the early spring of 1777, was the Rhode Island Privateer Sloop MONTGOMERY, and she was back in port by May 1777.
Furthermore, the “MILLERN” is untraceable. The only reference to the MILLERN that can be found at this time is the text accompanying the painting and the drawing.
At this time it appears that this is a case of several mistaken identities, and of a sea fight that never took place.
(The book “British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714 – 1792 gives that the GENERAL MONTGOMERY was taken by HMS LEVANT on 09 March1777.)
Antigua 1976 $1 sg492, scott428.
Malagasy Republic 1976 300Fr sg309, scott?
Paraguay 1975 15Gs MSsg?, scott1624