Memoirs of the Generals, Commodores and other Commanders, who distinguished themselves in the American army and navy during the wars of the Revolution and 1812, and who were presented with medals by Congress for their gallant services

by Thomas Wyatt

JOHN EAGER HOWARD.

John Eager Howard, the subject of this memoir, was born on the 4th of June, 1752, in Baltimore county, and state of Maryland. He was the grandson of Joshua Howard, who, when young, left his home, in the vicinity of Manchester, England, and against the wishes of his parents, joined the army of the Duke of York, afterwards James the Second, during Monmouth’s insurrection; fearing to encounter the displeasure of his parents, he joined a band of adventurers, who were preparing to seek their fortunes in the British colonies in North America, in the year 1685.

He soon obtained a grant of land in Baltimore county, (which is still held by the family,) and married Miss Joanna O’Carroll, of an Irish family, but recently emigrated from Ireland.

Cornelius, his son, and father of the subject of this sketch, married a Miss Eager, whose estate now forms part of the city of Baltimore. During the interval that elapsed between the emigration of the early members of the family to the revolution, they appear to have been quiet cultivators of the soil, taking no part in the political broils that were frequently arising in the colonies.

The time had now arrived, when every true son of America felt bound to participate in the approaching struggle for liberty and independence, and John Eager Howard received a commission as captain, in one of those bodies of militia termed flying camps in the regiment commanded by Colonel Hall. The commission depended upon his raising thirty men in a given time; but such was the esteem in which our hero was held, that he formed his company required in two days, and marched direct to the army.

In the following year he was promoted, till finally he succeeded Lieutenant-Colonel Ford in the command of the second Maryland regiment. He was present at the battle of White Plains, and continued to serve till the end of the year 1776, when his corps was dismissed. Congress having resolved to raise additional regiments to serve during the war, with officers commissioned by Congress, Major Howard was one of the number allotted to Maryland, and in April 1777, we find him marching with his regiment to join the army at Rocky Hill, near Princeton, where he remained till the latter end of June, when receiving information of the death of his father, he returned home, till the following September, when he rejoined the army a few days after the Battle at Brandywine Springs, but in time to give proofs of his bravery at the battle of Germantown, which afterwards so greatly distinguished him.

Colonel Hall being disabled at the commencement of the battle of Germantown, Major Howard assumed the command and encountered the British corps of light infantry, posted some distance from the main body, and after a sharp conflict, pursued them through their encampment, Howard passing with his regiment amidst the standing tents, and in front of Chew’s house, without any serious injury from the fire of the British. Having passed in safety, he advanced his Maryland troops about a quarter of a mile farther towards the main body of the British troops, who now sallied forth from their temporary fortress, and attacked the Maryland corps, but a return fire killed the officer who had commanded the garrison, and no further molestation ensued.

Major Howard still remained with the army, and was present at the battle of Monmouth, but we do not hear of any particular share that he bore in that contest. In June, 1779, Major Howard received the commission of Lieutenant-Colonel of the fifth Maryland regiment in the army of the United States, and accordingly prepared for a southern march, to meet General Gates and his army at the camp at Deep Run, North Carolina.

Having reinforced, they made night marches, in order to attack the British army, commanded as they thought by Lord Rawdon, but Cornwallis, who had lately arrived from Charleston with a strong reinforcement, was resolved to assault Gates in his camp. Gates, who had left his camp, and was proceeding by night marches to meet his antagonist, was encountered in the woods, where, to his great astonishment and dismay, he found that not Lord Rawdon, but Cornwallis, was the commander of the British troops, and that the enemy was much superior in force to the American troops. A retreat now was impossible, and the only alternative offered, was to form a line of battle. The disheartening intelligence, that Cornwallis had reinforced the British army, and the darkness of night, may, in some measure, account for the conduct of the militia in the battle of Camden, for they gave way early in the action, thereby throwing the whole of the British troops entirely upon the two Maryland brigades, who maintained the contest obstinately against superior numbers, at one time making a partially successful attempt to use the bayonet. Colonel Howard drove the corps in front of him out of line; and if the left wing of the American army had been able to occupy the attention of the British right, the day would have been propitious; but attacked as he was in front and rear, by horse and foot, the American troops were overpowered and driven into the woods and swamps in all directions. Colonel Howard succeeded in keeping a few of his men together, and being occasionally joined by other officers and men, they reached Charlotte, a distance of sixty miles, in about three days: their only subsistence during that time was a few peaches. From this time, and until the arrival of General Greene in December, Colonel Howard was employed in equipping and forming into a battalion, four companies of light infantry, placed under his command, and then transferred to Greene. The next conspicuous act of our hero was at the celebrated battle of the Cowpens, 17th of January, 1781. We find from manuscript and printed documents of Colonel Howard himself, whose scrupulous accuracy places his authority beyond a doubt, that it was Howard, and not Morgan, who gave the order to the right company to change its front and protect his flank, and it was Howard also, who, on his own responsibility, ordered the charge with the bayonet. We give his own language:—“Seeing my right flank was exposed to the enemy, I attempted to change the front of Wallace’s company, (Virginia regulars;) in doing it, some confusion ensued, and first a part, and then the whole of the company commenced a retreat. The officers along the line seeing this, and supposing that orders had been given for a retreat, faced their men about and moved off. Morgan, who had mostly been with the militia, quickly rode up to me and expressed apprehensions of the event; but I soon removed his fears by pointing to the line, and observing that men were not beaten who retreated in that order. He then ordered me to keep with the men, until we came to the rising ground near Washington’s horse; and he rode forward to fix on the most proper place for us to halt and face about. In a minute we had a perfect line. The enemy were now very near us. Our men commenced a very destructive fire; which they little expected, and a few rounds occasioned great disorder in their ranks. While in this confusion I ordered a charge with the bayonet, which order was obeyed with great alacrity. As the line advanced, I observed their artillery a short distance in front, and called to Captain Ewing, who was near me, to take it. Captain Anderson, (now General Anderson, of Montgomery county, Maryland,) hearing the order, also pushed for the same object; and both being emulous for the prize, kept pace until near the first piece, when Anderson, by putting the end of his spontoon forward into the ground, made a long leap, which brought him upon the gun and gave him the honor of the prize. My attention was now drawn to an altercation of some of the men with an artillery man, who appeared to make it a point of honor not to surrender his match. The men, provoked by his obstinacy, would have bayoneted him on the spot, had I not interfered and desired them to spare the life of so brave a man. He then surrendered his match. In the pursuit I was led to the right, in among the seventy-first, who were broken into squads; and as I called to them to surrender, they laid down their arms, and the officers delivered up their swords. Captain Duncanson, of the seventy-first grenadiers, gave me his sword and stood by me. Upon getting on my horse, I found him pulling at my saddle, and he nearly unhorsed me. I expressed my displeasure, and asked what he was about. The explanation was, that they had orders to give no quarter, and they did not expect any; and as my men were coming up, he was afraid they would use him ill. I admitted his excuse and put him into the care of a sergeant. I had messages from him many years afterwards, expressing his obligation for my having saved his life.” At the time Colonel Howard was “among the seventy-first,” as he observes, he had in his hand at one time, seven swords of officers who had surrendered to him personally.

The moral effect of this celebrated battle was felt throughout the whole country. Congress voted a gold medal to Colonel Howard, (See [Plate I.],) descriptive of his gallant conduct at the Cowpens, which is described at the end of this sketch.