JOHN EAGER HOWARD

Howard was born June 4, 1752 in Baltimore, Maryland. At the beginning of the Revolution, he joined the Continental Army as an officer. He fought at White Plains and in the Monmouth campaign. In 1779, he transferred to the war's southern theater and the disastrous American defeat at Camden, South Carolina. Later, he led his troops at the battle of Cowpens (for which Congress awarded him a silver medal), Guilford Courthouse, Hobkirk's Hill, Eutaw Springs, and Charleston. After retiring from the army, he served in the last session of the Continental Congress. Following that, he was Maryland's governor for a term and then a state senator. He spent one term in the United States Senate, but declined an appointment as Secretary of War. During the War of 1812, he commanded the defense of Baltimore. An outspoken Federalist, he was their unsuccessful candidate for vice president in 1816. Howard died in Baltimore on October 12, 1827.