The Man Behind The County: The Story Of John Eager Howard
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Howard County was named after John Eager Howard (born June 4, 1752), an American soldier, Freemason and governor of Maryland. Born to the planter elite at a plantation named “The Forest,” John’s family were Anglican slaveholders.
During the American Revolution, Howard rose through the ranks to become a colonel of the Continental Army by 1777, earning merits in the Battle of White Plains, the Battle of Monmouth and the Battle of Cowpens, the latter of which saw John earn a silver medal for his command of the 2nd Maryland Regiment.
When he was wounded with a bayonet at the Battle of Eutaw Springs in 1781, Nathaniel Greene noted that John was “as good an officer as the world affords. He has great ability and the best disposition to promote the service...He deserves a statue of gold.”
In the wake of the war, John would go on to have an impressive political career with stints in the Continental Congress, the governorship of Maryland, the state Senate and the Electoral College. He was asked by George Washington to be the Secretary of War, which he declined.
Even when out of office, John was a huge presence in Maryland with his philanthropy and citizenship. He was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society in 1815, earning 22 electoral votes for VP in the 1816 election.
In addition to getting the namesake of Howard County, the City of Baltimore commissioned an equestrian statue of John, above, and named three streets after him.
