USA Bio Oliver O. Howard

[Battleline]

Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard (b. 1830, d. 1909) Oliver Otis Howard certainly knew how to be in the wrong command at the wrong time. One cannot think of Howard without remembering his tragic command of the Army of Potomac’s XI Corps, where it was the focus of shattering attacks both at Chancellorsville and at Gettysburg. To Howard’s credit, he was personally brave and could make the right decision in time of great chaos. Howard lost his right arm after the Battle of Seven Pines (Fair Oaks), needing just 80 days to return to command. In 1893, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery at Seven Pines. And during the Federal rout on the first day at Gettysburg, it was Howard who picked Cemetery Hill and Ridge as a rallying point for the Union forces. For that, he received the thanks of Congress. Transferred to Federal forces in Tennessee, Howard was a competent commander under Gen. Sherman. Howard was born Nov. 8, 1830, in Leeds, Maine. He graduated from Bowdoin College in 1850 and then attended the U.S. Military Academy. He graduated with the Class of 1854. Prior to the war, Howard spent more than half of his army time as an assistant professor of mathematics at West Point. He was a first lieutenant in ordnance at the start of the war. According to Ezra Warner’s “Generals in Blue,” Howard not only survived making mistakes, but prospered despite them. Elected colonel of the Third Maine in May of 1861, Howard resigned his regular commission June 7. At First Bull Run, Howard was a brigade commander in Heintzelman’s Division. His command was driven from the field in disorder, but Howard was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers, dated from Sept. 3, 1861. During the Peninsular Campaign, Howard commanded a brigade in II Corps until he was wounded twice at Seven Pines May 31, 1862. Howard recovered and was promoted to major general of volunteers to date from Sept. 3, 1862. He was in command of the army’s rear guard after Second Bull Run when Federal forces retreated back to Washington, D.C. At Antietam, he replaced the wounded John Sedgwick as commander of the II Corps 2nd Division and led that unit through Fredericksburg. He was made commander of XI Corps May 31, 1863, replacing Franz Sigel. That upset many of the men, who, like Sigel, were German-born. Howard’s first command was a disaster. At Chancellorsville, he received orders to protect the flank. He didn’t and Stonewall Jackson’s flank attack crumbled XI Corps. At the Battle of Gettysburg, Howard and Carl Schurz brought XI Corps into the defensive line on the north side of Gettysburg. The corps’ old nemesis, II Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia again routed XI Corps from the field. Howard briefly commanded the Federal defenses between the death of John Reynolds and the arrival of W.S. Hancock, moving I and XI Corps back to Cemetery Hill and Ridge. In the cemetery, he rallied I Corps. After Gettysburg, Howard was sent to the Army of the Cumberland to command that unit’s IV Corps. When Gen. McPherson was killed July 22, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign, Gen. Sherman selected Howard to command the Army of the Tennessee. In this command, he showed he had learned from his past mistakes. After the war, Howard was given the rank of brigadier general in the Regular Army to date from the capture of Savannah. He became an advocate of Negro welfare and was appointed the first commissioner of the “Freedmen’s Bureau” by Pres. Andrew Johnson. He was instrumental in starting Howard University in Washington, D.C. He continued his military service, both in Indian Country and as superintendent of West Point. He was promoted to major general in the Regular Army in 1886 and commanded the Division of the East until his retirement in 1894. He also helped to found Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. Howard died in Burlington, Vermont, Oct. 26, 1909.

3897 characters (including boldface coding). Much more could be written on Howard!

[Gil R.]

Got it. Thanks.

[Gil R.]

Huh. I had no idea that Howard University was named for this Howard. Nice job on the bio.

As usual, I had to shorten the bio in no small part because of my own additions. I removed this from the introduction, since it’s repeated below: “Transferred to Federal forces in Tennessee, Howard was a competent commander under Gen. Sherman.” I also removed from the intro the fact that he returned after eighty days, since that’s indicated below. And I took out the bit about having learned from his mistakes, since every general (well, most generals) learned from their mistakes.

Maj. Gen. Oliver Otis Howard (b. 1830, d. 1909). Howard certainly knew how to be in the wrong command at the wrong time: one cannot think of Howard without remembering his tragic command of the Army of Potomac’s XI Corps, which was the focus of shattering attacks both at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. Howard’s career was also marked by surviving mistakes, and even prospering despite them. To Howard’s credit, he could make the right decision in times of great chaos and was personally brave, often leading his men from the front; at the Battle of Seven Pines (Fair Oaks), this cost him his right arm but earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1893. And during the Union rout on the first day at Gettysburg, it was Howard who picked Cemetery Hill and Cemetery Ridge as a rallying point for the Union forces, for which he would receive the thanks of Congress. Howard was born November 8, 1830, in Leeds, Maine. He graduated from Bowdoin College in 1850 and then attended West Point, graduating with the Class of 1854. Prior to the Civil War, Howard was an assistant professor of mathematics at West Point and held the rank of 1st lieutenant. Elected Colonel of the 3rd Maine, he resigned his regular commission on June 7, 1861. At First Bull Run, Howard was given temporary brigade command in Gen. Samuel Heintzelman’s 3rd Division. His command was driven from the field in disorder, but Howard was later promoted to brigadier general of volunteers, dated from September 3. During the Peninsular Campaign of 1862, Howard was commanding a brigade at Seven Pines on May 31 when he was wounded twice. Howard recovered and returned in time to command the army’s rear guard in the retreat from Manassas that August. At Antietam, Howard replaced the wounded Gen. John Sedgwick as commander of the 2nd Division and led that unit through the Battle of Fredericksburg in December. Having been promoted to major general of volunteers on November 29 (You had Sept. 3, but Heidler has Nov. 29 – I’m assuming that Sept. 3 is a mistake, since his promotion to brig. gen. was on that same date in 1861), Howard was made commander of XI Corps on May 31, 1863, replacing Gen. Franz Sigel. This change upset many of the men, who, like Sigel, were German-born. Howard’s first corps command was a disaster. At Chancellorsville, he received orders to protect the army’s flank, but his corps was surprised and soundly defeated by Gen. “Stonewall” Jackson’s flank attack. At the Battle of Gettysburg, Howard and his subordinate Gen. Carl Schurz brought XI Corps into the defensive line on the north side of the town. The XI Corps’ old nemesis, the late Jackson’s II Corps (now under Gen. Richard S. Ewell), again routed them from the field. Howard briefly commanded the Union defenses between the death of Gen. John Reynolds, commander of I Corps, and the arrival of Gen. Winfield S. Hancock, moving I and XI Corps back to Cemetery Hill and Cemetery Ridge and rallying I Corps. After Gettysburg, Howard was sent to Tennessee to command IV Corps in the Army of the Cumberland. When Gen. James B. McPherson was killed on July 22, 1864 during the Atlanta Campaign, Gen. William T. Sherman selected Howard to command the Army of the Tennessee, and Howard rewarded Sherman’s faith in him. After the war, Howard was given the rank of brigadier general in the Regular Army to date from the capture of Savannah. He became an advocate of Negro welfare and was appointed the first commissioner of the “Freedmen’s Bureau” by Pres. Andrew Johnson. In 1867, he was instrumental in starting Howard University, a historically black university that was named for him, in Washington, D.C. Howard continued his military service, both in Indian Country and as superintendent of West Point, gaining promotion to major general in the Regular Army in 1886 and commanding the Division of the East until his retirement in 1894. He also helped to found Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. Howard died in Burlington, Vermont, on October 26, 1909. (Bio by Bill Battle)

Leadership: 5
Tactical: 4
Initiative: 3
Command: 6
Cavalry:

Start date: 16

Teaches: Brave (2), Steady (14), Steady (14)