Charles Henry Howard
Encyclopedia
Charles Henry Howard was an officer in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
, and a newspaper editor and publisher. He was the younger brother of Union general Oliver O. Howard
.
. He attended Kent's Hill School and the Yarmouth Academy. He graduated from Bowdoin College
in Brunswick, Maine in 1859 and then attended the Bangor Theological Seminary
for one year before enlisting for the Civil War.
, and saw action at the First Battle of Bull Run
. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 61st New York Infantry on January 24, 1862, and served during the Peninsula Campaign
, where he was wounded during the Battle of Seven Pines
at Fair Oaks, Virginia. He fought at the Battle of Antietam
and was wounded again in the Battle of Fredericksburg
. In 1863, he was promoted to major
and aide-de-camp to his older brother Oliver and served with him at the battles of Chancellorsville
and Gettysburg
. He and his brother's corps were transferred to Tennessee and fought in the Battles for Chattanooga
. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel
and assistant inspector general in May 1864, and to colonel
in March 1865.
Howard also commanded the United States Colored Troops
training camp at Beaufort, South Carolina
. He was promoted to brevet
brigadier general
on August 15, 1865.
(the "Freedmen's Bureau"). He also became Inspector of Schools for South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and Assistant Commissioner for the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia.
Howard was for five years the Western Secretary of the American Missionary Association
. He also served as editor-in-chief of the Advance, a Congregational journal (1871–1881) and controlling editor of Farm, Field and Stockman, later Farm, Field and Fireside (1885–1905). He was briefly Western Editor and Business Manager of the National Tribune (1885). Howard continued to hold special government appointments in his later life including Government Inspector of Indian Agencies under Presidents James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur
.
Howard married Mary Catherine Foster of Bangor, Maine
, in 1867, and had five sons and two daughters.
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and a newspaper editor and publisher. He was the younger brother of Union general Oliver O. Howard
Oliver O. Howard
Oliver Otis Howard was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War...
.
Early life
Howard was born in Leeds, MaineLeeds, Maine
Leeds is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,001 at the 2000 census. It is included in both the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan New England City and Town Area.-Geography:According to the United...
. He attended Kent's Hill School and the Yarmouth Academy. He graduated from Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College , founded in 1794, is an elite private liberal arts college located in the coastal Maine town of Brunswick, Maine. As of 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranks Bowdoin 6th among liberal arts colleges in the United States. At times, it was ranked as high as 4th in the country. It is...
in Brunswick, Maine in 1859 and then attended the Bangor Theological Seminary
Bangor Theological Seminary
Located in Bangor, Maine, and Portland, Maine, Bangor Theological Seminary is an ecumenical seminary, founded in 1814, in the Congregational tradition of the United Church of Christ. It is the only accredited graduate school of religion in Northern New England....
for one year before enlisting for the Civil War.
Civil War
Howard enlisted as a private and musician in the 3rd Maine Infantry in June 1861, upon the request of his brother Oliver O. HowardOliver O. Howard
Oliver Otis Howard was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War...
, and saw action at the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 61st New York Infantry on January 24, 1862, and served during the Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
, where he was wounded during the Battle of Seven Pines
Battle of Seven Pines
The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive up the Virginia Peninsula by Union Maj. Gen....
at Fair Oaks, Virginia. He fought at the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
and was wounded again in the Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
. In 1863, he was promoted to major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
and aide-de-camp to his older brother Oliver and served with him at the battles of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
and Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
. He and his brother's corps were transferred to Tennessee and fought in the Battles for Chattanooga
Chattanooga Campaign
The Chattanooga Campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in October and November 1863, during the American Civil War. Following the defeat of Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans's Union Army of the Cumberland at the Battle of Chickamauga in September, the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Gen...
. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
and assistant inspector general in May 1864, and to colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
in March 1865.
Howard also commanded the United States Colored Troops
United States Colored Troops
The United States Colored Troops were regiments of the United States Army during the American Civil War that were composed of African American soldiers. First recruited in 1863, by the end of the Civil War, the men of the 175 regiments of the USCT constituted approximately one-tenth of the Union...
training camp at Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston. The city's population was 12,361 in the 2010 census. It is located in the Hilton Head Island-Beaufort Micropolitan...
. He was promoted to brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
on August 15, 1865.
Postbellum career
Following the war, Howard served in the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned LandsBureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands
The Freedmen's Bureau, was a U.S. federal government agency that aided distressed freedmen in 1865–1869, during the Reconstruction era of the United States....
(the "Freedmen's Bureau"). He also became Inspector of Schools for South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and Assistant Commissioner for the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia.
Howard was for five years the Western Secretary of the American Missionary Association
American Missionary Association
The American Missionary Association was a Protestant-based abolitionist group founded on September 3, 1846 in Albany, New York. The main purpose of this organization was to abolish slavery, to educate African Americans, to promote racial equality, and to promote Christian values...
. He also served as editor-in-chief of the Advance, a Congregational journal (1871–1881) and controlling editor of Farm, Field and Stockman, later Farm, Field and Fireside (1885–1905). He was briefly Western Editor and Business Manager of the National Tribune (1885). Howard continued to hold special government appointments in his later life including Government Inspector of Indian Agencies under Presidents James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur
Chester A. Arthur
Chester Alan Arthur was the 21st President of the United States . Becoming President after the assassination of President James A. Garfield, Arthur struggled to overcome suspicions of his beginnings as a politician from the New York City Republican machine, succeeding at that task by embracing...
.
Howard married Mary Catherine Foster of Bangor, Maine
Bangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
, in 1867, and had five sons and two daughters.