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 Howe,
ROBERT, military officer; born in Brunswick county,
North Carolina, in
1732; was in the legislature in 1773; was one of the earliest and
most uncompromising of the patriots of the Cape Fear region, and was
honored with an exception, together with Cornelius Harnett, when
royal clemency was offered to the rebels by
Sir Henry Clinton, in
1776. He was appointed colonel of the 1st North Carolina Regiment,
and with his command went early into the field of Revolutionary
strife. In December, 1775, he joined Woodford at Norfolk, in
opposition to Lord Dunmore and his motley army. For his gallantry
during this campaign, Congress, on February 29, 1776, appointed him
one of five brigadier-generals in the
Continental army, and
ordered him to Virginia. In
the spring of 1776, British spite towards General Howe was exhibited
by Sir Henry Clinton, who sent
Cornwallis, with 900 men, to ravage
his plantation near old Brunswick village. He was placed in chief
command of the Southern troops in 1778, and was unsuccessful in an
expedition against
Florida
and in the defense of Savannah. His conduct was censured, but
without just cause. Among others whose voices were raised against
him was
Christopher Gadsden, of
Charleston. Howe required him to deny or
retract. Gadsden would do neither, and a duel ensued. They met at Cannonsburg, and all the damage either sustained was a scratch upon
the ear of Gadsden by Howe's ball. Howe died November 12, 1785.
In retaliation for incursions from FLORIDA,
General Howe, at the head of 2,000 Americans, mostly militia of
South Carolina and
Georgia, attempted the
capture of
St. Augustine. He met with very little opposition before he
reached the St. Mary River, where the British had erected a fort,
called Tonyn, in compliment to the governor of the province. On the
approach of Howe they destroyed the fort; and, after some slight
skirmishing, retreated towards St. Augustine. But the Americans were
driven back from Florida by a fever which swept away nearly
one-fourth of their number, and rendered their retreat absolutely
necessary. |
