Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. Born in Maine, he was the younger brother of Oliver Otis Howard, who would serve as a Major General in the Union Army during the Civil War. A theological seminary student when the Civil War began, he left his religious studies in April 1861 and enlisted in the 3rd Maine Volunteer Infantry regiment, a unit that was raised by his older brother, who was appointed its Colonel and commander. Mustered in as a Private, he was appointed as the unit’s Principal Musician. At the July 1861 First Battle of Bull Run, he served on the staff of Colonel Howard, who commanded Third Brigade of the Third Division. Mustered out of the 3rd Maine on September 1, 1861, he rejoined the Union war effort when he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in Company D, 61st New York Volunteer Infantry in January 1862. He was soon after again detailed to serve on the staff of his older brother, who had been promoted to Brigadier General. He would be wounded twice during 1862, being severely wounded in the right leg on June 1 at the Battle of Fair Oaks, and wounded by in the left leg by a piece of an artillery shell on December 13 at the Battle of Fredericksburg. In April 1863 he was mustered out of the 61st New York Infantry, and was commissioned a Major of Volunteers and Aide-de-Camp, again on the staff of Oliver Otis Howard, who was by now a Major General and commander of the Army of the Potomac’s XI Corps. For the next year he accompanied his brother as the XI fought in the May 1863 Chancellorsville Campaign, the June-July 1863 Gettysburg Campaign, and the operations against Knoxville and Chattanooga in November 1863. Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in May 1864, he served as an Assistant Inspector general through the Summer 1864 Atlanta Campaign and the celebrated “March to the Sea”. In April 1865 he was commissioned Colonel and commander of the 128th United States Colored Infantry, serving in that duty until the unit was mustered out in October 1866, one of the last Union Army volunteer units to be discharged. Lastly, he was detailed to the staff of Major General Rufus Saxton, who commanded the military district that encompassed South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. During this time he became an Assistant Commissioner of the Freedman’s Bureau. He was mustered out of the Army on January 1, 1868. After the war he settled in Chicago, Illinois, where he was a newspaper editor and publisher. He passed away in 1908.
Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. Born in Maine, he was the younger brother of Oliver Otis Howard, who would serve as a Major General in the Union Army during the Civil War. A theological seminary student when the Civil War began, he left his religious studies in April 1861 and enlisted in the 3rd Maine Volunteer Infantry regiment, a unit that was raised by his older brother, who was appointed its Colonel and commander. Mustered in as a Private, he was appointed as the unit’s Principal Musician. At the July 1861 First Battle of Bull Run, he served on the staff of Colonel Howard, who commanded Third Brigade of the Third Division. Mustered out of the 3rd Maine on September 1, 1861, he rejoined the Union war effort when he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in Company D, 61st New York Volunteer Infantry in January 1862. He was soon after again detailed to serve on the staff of his older brother, who had been promoted to Brigadier General. He would be wounded twice during 1862, being severely wounded in the right leg on June 1 at the Battle of Fair Oaks, and wounded by in the left leg by a piece of an artillery shell on December 13 at the Battle of Fredericksburg. In April 1863 he was mustered out of the 61st New York Infantry, and was commissioned a Major of Volunteers and Aide-de-Camp, again on the staff of Oliver Otis Howard, who was by now a Major General and commander of the Army of the Potomac’s XI Corps. For the next year he accompanied his brother as the XI fought in the May 1863 Chancellorsville Campaign, the June-July 1863 Gettysburg Campaign, and the operations against Knoxville and Chattanooga in November 1863. Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in May 1864, he served as an Assistant Inspector general through the Summer 1864 Atlanta Campaign and the celebrated “March to the Sea”. In April 1865 he was commissioned Colonel and commander of the 128th United States Colored Infantry, serving in that duty until the unit was mustered out in October 1866, one of the last Union Army volunteer units to be discharged. Lastly, he was detailed to the staff of Major General Rufus Saxton, who commanded the military district that encompassed South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. During this time he became an Assistant Commissioner of the Freedman’s Bureau. He was mustered out of the Army on January 1, 1868. After the war he settled in Chicago, Illinois, where he was a newspaper editor and publisher. He passed away in 1908.
Bio by: RPD2
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