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5th Viscount Howe
- William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe (1729 1814), British army officer who rose to become Commander-in-Chief of British forces during the American War of Independence, circa 1770.
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William Howe (born August 10, 1729—died July 12, 1814, Plymouth, Devonshire, England) was the commander in chief of the British army in North America (1776–78) who, despite several military successes, failed to destroy the Continental Army and stem the American Revolution.
- Early Life
- Fighting in North America
- Battle of Quebec
- Colonial Tensions
- American Revolution Begins
- Bunker Hill
- New York
- New Jersey
- Two Plans
- Philadelphia Captured
William Howe was born August 10, 1729, and was the third son of Emanuel Howe, 2nd Viscount Howe and his wife Charlotte. His grandmother had been the mistress of King George I and as a result Howe and his three brothers were the illegitimate uncles of King George III. Influential in the halls of power, Emanuel Howe served as Governor of Barbados whi...
On January 4, 1756, Howe was appointed major of the newly formed 60th Regiment (re-designated 58th in 1757) and traveled with the unit to North America for operations against the French. Promoted to lieutenant colonel in December 1757, he served in Major General Jeffery Amherst's army during its campaign to capture Cape Breton Island. In this role ...
Remaining in North America, Howe served in Wolfe's campaign against Quebec in 1759. This began with a failed effort at Beauport on July 31 that saw the British suffer a bloody defeat. Unwilling to press the attack at Beauport, Wolfe decided cross the St. Lawrence River and land at Anse-au-Foulon to the southwest. This plan was executed and on Septe...
Returning to Europe, Howe took part in the siege of Belle Île in 1762 and was offered the military governorship of the island. Preferring to remain in active military service, he declined this post and instead served as the adjutant general of the force that assaulted Havana, Cuba in 1763. With the end of the conflict, Howe returned to England. App...
Stating that "he was ordered, and could not refuse," Howe sailed for Boston with Major Generals Henry Clinton and John Burgoyne. Arriving May 15, Howe brought reinforcements for General Thomas Gage. Under siege in the city following the American victories at Lexington and Concord, the British were forced to take action on June 17 when American forc...
In the resulting Battle of Bunker Hill, Howe's men succeeded in driving off the Americans but sustained over 1,000 casualties in capturing their works. Though a victory, the battle deeply influenced Howe and crushed his initial belief that the rebels represented only a small part of the American people. A dashing, daring commander earlier in his ca...
There, a new campaign was planned with the goal of taking New York. Landing on Staten Island on July 2, Howe's army soon swelled to over 30,000 men. Crossing to Gravesend Bay, Howe exploited the light American defenses at Jamaica Pass and succeeded in flanking Washington's army. The resulting Battle of Long Islandon August 26/27 saw the Americans b...
Again showing an unwillingness to eliminate Washington's army, Howe soon moved into winter quarters around New York and only dispatched a small force under Major General Lord Charles Cornwallis to create a "safe zone" in northern New Jersey. He also dispatched Clinton to occupy Newport, RI. Recovering in Pennsylvania, Washington was able to win vic...
In the spring of 1777, Burgoyne proposed a plan for defeating the Americans which called for him to lead an army south through Lake Champlain to Albany while a second column advanced east from Lake Ontario. These advances were to be supported by an advance north from New York by Howe. While this plan was approved by Colonial Secretary Lord George G...
Sailing south from New York, Howe moved up the Chesapeake Bay and landed at Head of Elk on August 25, 1777. Moving north into Delaware, his men skirmished with the Americans at Cooch's Bridge on September 3. Pressing on, Howe defeated Washington at the Battle of Brandywineon September 11. Outmaneuvering the Americans, he captured Philadelphia witho...
After the British abandoned Boston, William Howe replaced Thomas Gage as the British supreme commander in North America. Howe led the highly successful invasion of New York City in the summer of 1776.
Apr 10, 2013 · General William Howe was a British army officer who rose to become Commander-in-Chief of British forces during the American Revolutionary War. Howe was one of three brothers who enjoyed distinguished military careers.
These searing words, from a secret memorandum found in the British Headquarters papers, were written by Sir Henry Clinton, the man who succeeded Sir William Howe as Commander in Chief of the British army in North America.
Discover life events, stories and photos about William Deering Howe (1900–1948) of Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States.
- Male
- Polly Davis Brooks, Elizabeth Brite Shevlin
The Honorable Major General Sir William Howe, English Army. English Revolutionary War Military Leader. 1729-1814. Tall and Dark, Sir William Howe, born August 10, 1729, was the younger son of the second Viscount Howe. The Viscount had accounted himself well as a notable officer in the English Army under Wolfe in the Battle of Quebec in the ...
