Robert Howe (Continental Army officer)
Robert Howe | |
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 Major General Robert Howe | |
| Born | 1732 Brunswick County, North Carolina |
| Died | December 14, 1786 |
| Allegiance | Great Britain; United States |
| Service/ | Province of North Carolina militia; Continental Army |
| Years of service | NC militia: 1766-1775; Continental Army: 1775- |
| Rank | NC militia: Artillery Colonel; Continental Army: Brigadier General |
| Commands | Continental Army: 2nd North Carolina Regiment; Southern Department of the Continental Army |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Alamance American Revolutionary War: Burning of Norfolk, Capture of Savannah, Battle of Stony Point |
| Relations | James Moore (great-grandfather) |
| Other work | North Carolina General Assembly (1786) |
Robert Howe (1732 – December 14, 1786) was a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
Early life
His great-grandfather was James Moore, colonial governor of South Carolina. He owned "Howe's Point" plantation at the mouth of the Cape Fear River and "Clarendon" in Bladen County, North Carolina.
Born to a prominent planter in Brunswick County, North Carolina, Howe was educated in England and, upon his return, was elected to the colonial assembly. Serving in the provincial North Carolina militia, Howe accepted a commission as a captain in 1766. He was first stationed at Fort Johnston (at the entrance of the Cape Fear River in present Southport, North Carolina). He was later promoted to colonel of artillery during Governor William Tryon's expeditions against the Regulators in April–July 1768 and April–May 1771.
American Revolution
In June 1775 after the American Revolutionary War broke out, Howe led a raid on the governor's mansion with the intent of kidnapping the royally-appointed governor, Josiah Martin. The plot failed but it forced Governor Martin to flee to the HMS Cruizer. Also in 1775, Howe was elected to the provincial congress, and he was appointed colonel of the Continental Army's 2nd North Carolina Regiment on September 1 of that year. Howe brought North Carolina troops into Virginia, arriving not long after the Battle of Great Bridge. These troops occupied Norfolk, Virginia, which had recently been abandoned by Loyalist forces. Howe, as senior officer, assumed command of the forces, and engaged in contentious negotiations over access to supplies with the captains of British ships, now overcrowded with Loyalist refugees, anchored in the Norfolk harbor. The situation deteriorated, and Norfolk was burned on January 1, 1776, in action started by British marines and completed by Patriot forces. Howe was promoted to brigadier general of the Continental Army on March 1, 1776, and assigned to command of its Southern Department. He was soon superseded by General Charles Lee, who began organizing an expedition against West Florida when he was recalled to George Washington's main army in New York City. Howe again took over the southern command.
In May 1777 he attempted to organize an expedition to St. Augustine, but Georgia state officials would not relinquish command of the militia to Brigadier Lachlan McIntosh, and parts of the expedition only barely reached the Florida line. Howe was promoted to major general on October 20, 1777. In early 1778 a third attempt at West Florida was planned, but again failed over issues of divided command and supply, despite penetrating further into West Florida than the previous year.
After the failure to capture St. Augustine, Howe was replaced in 1778 as commander of the Southern Department by Gen. Benjamin Lincoln. However, before Lincoln could arrive, over Christmas 1778, Howe was forced to abandon Savannah, Georgia, on December 29 after a brief battle with British forces led by Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell. Howe once again did not have authority over the militia until very late in the campaign and was later acquitted in a court martial over the loss.
Serving under Gen. Anthony Wayne, Howe next saw action at the Battle of Stony Point on July 16, 1779. After holding commands at West Point and the espionage network in the Hudson Highlands, Howe was transferred to the army of George Washington during a mutiny of Continental soldiers in New Jersey in January 1781. Putting down the revolt after executing two of the ringleaders, another mutiny in Philadelphia disbanded after news of Howe's approach in June 1783.
In 1783 Howe became an original member of the North Carolina Society of the Cincinnati.
Later years
After the war, Howe faced severe debt although he returned to North Carolina a hero. He was elected to the state assembly before his sudden death on December 14, 1786. As a man, Howe was something of a playboy and won a reputation as a womanizer. More than a few of his comrades considered him to be very pompous. His chief failing, a strange one considering his political background, was his lack of ability to get along with a number of state and local politicians, including Christopher Gadsden with whom he fought a duel. On the other hand, Howe did retain the support of a number of national political leaders, including George Washington and Henry Laurens.
References
- Dupuy, Trevor N. and Hammerman, Gay M., People and Events of the American Revolution. New York, 1974.
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