John Eager Howard - Revolutionary War Patriot

John Eager Howard
Captain, Second Maryland Battalion,
Flying Camp, Continental Army
Colonel, 3rd Maryland Regiment
Major General, Third Division, Maryland Militia
Member, Continental Congress
President, Maryland State Senate
Governor of Maryland
U.S. Senator from Maryland
Committee of Supply, Baltimore City,
War of 1812
1816 Federalist Party candidate
for Vice President. 

(Editor's Note - For a change of pace this winter we will do profiles of some of the Federalists who helped create this great nation. They gave us Liberty. But would they even recognize the centralized, authoritarian and socialistic Big Brother nation that calls itself the United States?)


John Eager Howard (June 4, 1752 – October 12, 1827) was an American soldier and politician from Maryland. He was elected as governor of the state in 1789, and served three one-year terms. He also was elected to the Continental Congress, the Congress of the United States and the U.S. Senate. He was born in and died in Baltimore County. Howard County, Maryland, is named for him.

Howard was Maryland’s first Federalist Governor, a military hero, politician, patriot, and public servant, was born at 'The Forrest,' in Baltimore County on June 4, 1752, the son of Cornelius and Ruth (Eager) Howard.

His ancestor, Joshua Howard, had received a grant of land in Baltimore County about 1685, and his family had subsequently added to these holdings. His father was a man of sufficient wealth to enable the future governor to secure a good education under private tutors.

The American Revolution

When the Revolutionary War began, he was commissioned a captain in the 'Flying Camp' of the Second Maryland Battalion.  While he was with this unit, he fought at Battle of White Plains in New York.

Howard was promoted to major in the Maryland Fourth Regiment.  His troops performed superbly at the Pennsylvania Battle of Germantown in October 1777.

In June 1778 Howard's Maryland regiments fought at the New Jersey Battle of Monmouth.  An 11,000 man Continental Army under General George Washington attacked the rear of the 15,000 man British Army column commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton as they left Monmouth Court House (modern Freehold Borough).

Both armies held the field, but the British commanding General Clinton withdrew undetected at midnight to resume his army's march to New York City.

While Cornwallis protected the main British column from any further American attack, Washington had fought his opponent to a standstill after a pitched and prolonged engagement; the first time that Washington's army had achieved such a result. The battle demonstrated the growing effectiveness of the Continental Army after its six month encampment at Valley Forge.

In 1778, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Fifth Regiment and in the following year he transferred to the Second Regiment.

Howard Participated in the fighting at Battle of Camden in South Carolina.  There he gained a reputation for his ability.

Battle of Cowpens

He was awarded a silver medal by Congress for his leadership at the 1781 South Carolina Battle of Cowpens, during which he commanded the 3rd Maryland Regiment, Continental Army.

Realizing that poorly trained militia were unreliable in battle, especially when they were under attack from cavalry, Commanding General Daniel Morgan did not tell them to stand and fight. Instead, he asked the militia to fire two volleys and then withdraw around the left, so he could have them re-form in the rear, behind the third line, under cover of the reserve (light dragoons commanded by William Washington and James McCall). The movement of the militia in the second line would mask the third line to the British.

The third line, on the hill, was manned by his best troops: about 550 men consisting of Continentals from Delaware and Maryland, and experienced militiamen from Georgia and Virginia. Colonel John Eager Howard commanded the Continentals and Colonels Tate and Triplett the militia. The goal of this tactic was to weaken and disorganize Tarleton's forces (which would be attacking the third line uphill) before attacking and defeating them.

Howard’s men would not be unnerved by the militia’s expected move, and unlike the militia they would be able to stand and hold, especially since the first and second lines, Morgan felt, would have inflicted both physical and psychological damage on the advancing British before the third line came into action.

Battle of Cowpens

Battle of Cowpens

American counterattack under Colonel John Edgar Howard at
Cowpens, the second phase of the Battle of Cowpens.

Morgan's stratagem worked perfectly. The British drove in successive lines, anticipating victory only to encounter another, stronger line after exerting themselves and suffering casualties. The depth of the American lines gradually soaked up the shock of the British advance.

The British—with 40% of their casualties being officers—were astonished and confused. They reformed and continued to advance.

The 71st Highlanders were ordered to flank the American right. John Eager Howard spotted the flanking movement and ordered the Virginia militiamen manning the American right to turn and face the Scots. However, in the noise of battle Howard's order was misunderstood and the militiamen began to withdraw.

It was now 7:45 am and the British had been fighting for nearly an hour. They were tired and disorganized, but they saw the militia withdrawing and believed the Americans were on the run. They charged, breaking formation and advancing in a chaotic mass. Morgan ordered a volley. Howard's militia stopped their withdrawal and made an about-face. The Virginians fired into the British at a range of no more than thirty yards, with deadly effect, causing the confused British to lurch to a halt. John Eager Howard then shouted "Charge bayonets!"

The Continentals, as ordered, then mounted a bayonet charge.

General Daniel Morgan
Morgan commanded Howard at the
crucial Battle of Cowpens.

Howard ordered the Virginia militia, whose withdrawal had brought on the British charge, to turn about and attack the Scots from the other direction.

The shock of the sudden charge, coupled with the reappearance of the American militiamen on the left flank where Tarleton's exhausted men expected to see their own cavalry, proved too much for the British. Nearly half of the British and Loyalist infantrymen fell to the ground whether they were wounded or not. Their will to fight was gone.

After the battle, Howard, holding seven swords of British officers who had personally surrendered to him, was complimented by Gen. Daniel Morgan: "You have done well, for you are successful; had you failed, I would have shot you."  Col. Howard replied: "Had I failed, there would have been no need of shooting me."

After Cowpens the army and Howard's Maryland regiments moved on to fight again at the Battle of Guilford Court House.  Commanding General Nathanael Greene placed his strongest line in the rear consisting of his regulars, included the Virginian Regiment, Delaware infantry, and the 1st and 2nd Maryland regiments.  The battle had lasted only ninety minutes, and although the British technically defeated the American force, they lost over a quarter of their own men.

Seeing this as a classic Pyrrhic victory, British Whig Party leader and war critic Charles James Fox said "Another such victory would ruin the British Army!"

The Maryland regiments continued on to press the British at the Battle of Hobkirk's Hill.  The battle was one of four contests in which Greene met tactical defeat, yet his overall strategy was successful in depriving the British of all South Carolina except Charleston.

Colonel Otho Holland Williams' two Maryland battalions under Lieutenant Colonel John Eager Howard and Major Henry Hardman served General Greene again in the September 1781 Battle of Eutaw Springs in South Carolina.  In that fight Howard was severely wounded in a bayonet charge.

Greene's force, with around 2,200 men, now approached the British camp as they deployed their force. When the Americans realized they were approaching the British force, they formed two lines, with the militia in the front line and the North Carolina, Maryland and Virginia regulars in the second line.

The British charged the American position and broke the center of the American forces' first line. The North Carolina Continentals in the second line reinforced the first, and were temporarily successful until they too were broken by a British charge. The Virginia and Maryland regulars then came to the aid of their comrades. This attack stopped the British advance and the British began to retreat in disorder.

The British attempt to pacify the South with Loyalist support had failed even before Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown.

After Eutaw Springs Howard resigned his commission and returned home, leaving his mark as an outstanding military leader.

Political Career

Following his army service, Howard held several electoral political positions.  In 1785, he became a justice of the Baltimore County Court, holding the post for three years. In the following year, he was a senatorial elector from Baltimore County as well as a justice of the Baltimore County Orphans’ Court. During 1787 and 1788, he represented Maryland in the Continental Congress.

On November 21, 1788, he was elected Governor succeeding William Smallwood. Up to that time, no state governor had ever belonged to a political party, so Howard became a member of the Federalist Party, and for the rest of his life, he would be a firm and staunch supporter of its principles.

As Governor Maryland ceded a ten-mile square tract of land to the newly formed national government for the site of a national capital. Another act of the same session provided for the granting of bounty lands to the west of Fort Cumberland to the former officers and soldiers who had served during the Revolution.  During his second year in office, Maryland ratified the Bill of Rights.  In another piece of legislation provided for the payment of the State debt within six years.

After being Governor Howard served as State Senator from 1791 through 1795; and Presidential Elector in 1792.  In 1793 he became a Commissioner of the City of Baltimore, a position which involved the planning of the city stockyards and the purchasing of lands for a marketplace.

He declined the offer from President George Washington in 1795 to be Secretary of War.

Howard was elected to the 4th Congress from November 30, 1796, through 1797 as a Federalist U.S. Senator for the remainder of the term of Richard Potts, who had resigned. He was elected for a Senate term of his own in 1797, which included the 5th Congress, the 6th Congress of 1799-1801 during which he was President pro tempore, and the 7th Congress, serving until March 3, 1803.  During his time in office he faithfully supported the policies and programs of the Federalist Party.

After his Senatorial term ended, he preferred retirement to private life. Yet, he continued to be active in public life. In 1804, he was appointed Commissioner of the State Penitentiary, a post which included the preparation of a new prison. He was nominated three additional times for terms as governor, but the Legislature failed to elect him. He served on Baltimore’s Committee of Supply during the War of 1812, assisting in the raising of money and supplies for defense.

John Eager Howard
by Thomas Sully, 1834 Collection of the
Maryland Commission on Artistic Property

Howard remained a force in the Federalist Party politics until 1816.  In the 1816 presidential election, he received 22 electoral votes for Vice President as the running mate of Federalist Rufus King, losing to James Monroe and Governor Daniel Tompkins.  Rufus king and Howard were soundly defeated following which the Federalists ceased to be a major force in State politics.

After his last unsuccessful political campaign, Howard retired to his home at 'Belvedere' which he had built in 1786, making it a center of hospitality, elegance, and grandeur. He spent his last years as a retired elder statesman, contributing land to the City of Baltimore for public purposes. Howard lived until 1827. However, his health had been failing for some time.

Early in October, 1827 he caught a severe cold and died on the twelfth. Many prominent leaders attended his funeral including President John Quincy Adams, all of whom accompanied his body to its burial in Old St. Paul’s Cemetery. In compliance with his will, no inventory was made of his estate. He further desired that his personal and real estate should be sold by his executors at a public or private sale, but he bequeathed his real property to his sons.

Marriage and Family

John Eager Howard married Margaret ("Peggy") Chew, daughter of the Pennsylvania justice Benjamin Chew. Their first son, George Howard, was born on November 21, 1789 in Jennings House during Howard's term as Governor.

Howard developed the property "Waverley" at Marriottsville, Maryland for George. George Howard became a politician and was elected as governor forty years after his father's term, and four years after his death. Their second son, Benjamin Chew Howard, was also a prominent politician in Maryland, elected for four terms in the U.S. Congress. A grandson, Francis Key Howard, was a notable figure in Maryland at the start of the American Civil War.

Positioned at the corner of Howard and Eager Streets — on land that was part of his estate — the statue of John Eager Howard was a gift of the Municipal Art Society of Baltimore City. Howard was a colonel in the Continental Army, lead by General George Washington and this piece resides in the shadow of the nearby Washington Monument. Howard County is named in his honor.



Close-up of plaque on General Howard's grave.

(msa.maryland.gov)      (archive.org)      (Baltimore Sun)

(Baltimore Sun.com - Maryland)      (findagrave.com)      (Maryland.gov/msa)

(John Eager Howard)

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The Federalist eagle prevents Jefferson from burning the Constitution
on the alter of despotism and mob rule.

Life, Liberty and Property.
“Citizens choose your sides. You who are for French notions of government; for the tempestuous sea of anarchy and misrule; for arming the poor against the rich; for fraternizing with the foes of God and man; go to the left and support the leaders, or the dupes, of the anti-federal junto. But you that are sober, industrious, thriving, and happy, give your votes for those men who mean to preserve the union of the states, the purity and vigor of our excellent Constitution, the sacred majesty of the laws, and the holy ordinances of religion.” - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - A New York Federalist Newspaper (Spring of 1800)

The Federalist Party was the first American political party. In Presidential politics the Federalists operated from the early 1790s to 1816, the era of the First Party System. Remnants of the Party lasted until 1830. The Federalists totally controlled the Federal government until 1801.

The party was formed by Alexander Hamilton, who, during George Washington's first term, built a network of supporters, largely urban bankers and businessmen, to support his Conservative fiscal policies. These supporters grew into the Federalist Party committed to a fiscally sound and nationalistic government. The United States' only Federalist President was John Adams; although George Washington was broadly sympathetic to the Federalist program, he remained an independent his entire presidency.

Read some profiles of the great Federalist leaders who helped build a free United States.


THE FEDERALIST - Jonathan Dayton - Founding Father

The Revolution of American Conservatism - The Federalist Party in the Era of Jeffersonian Democracy

THE FEDERALIST - General Philip Schuyler - Revolutionary War Patriot

THE FEDERALIST - Founding Father Jared Ingersoll

THE FEDERALIST - General William Richardson Davie

THE FEDERALIST - General Thomas Pinckney

THE FEDERALIST - Josiah Quincy III - Federalist Patriot
.
THE FEDERALIST - Robert Goodloe Harper - "Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute."

THE FEDERALIST - Edmund Randolph - Founding Father

THE FEDERALIST - Colonel Benjamin Tallmadge - George Washington's Spy

THE FEDERALIST - Colonel John Hoskins Stone

THE FEDERALIST - Revolutionary War General Henry Lee

THE FEDERALIST - John Quincy Adams

THE FEDERALIST - Thomas Jefferson and political attack ads
.