William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe

Sir William Howe KB, mezzotint after C. Corbutt (d. I. Richard Purcell ), London 1777

William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe , KB , PC (born August 10, 1729 , † July 12, 1814 in Plymouth ) was a British general during the American Revolutionary War .

Howe was Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in North America from 1776 to 1778. Although he had some military success, he did not succeed in crushing the American Continental Army and stopping the independence movement.

Life

origin

Howe was born in England as the third son of Emmanuel Howe, 2nd Viscount Howe , and Mary Sophia. His mother was the daughter of Baroness Kielmansegg , a half-sister of King George I. This connection with the crown may have promoted the careers of all three sons (they also looked similar to George I), but all of them were also very capable officers. William's eldest brother was General George Howe, 3rd Viscount Howe , who was killed at Fort Ticonderoga in 1758 . The next brother was Admiral Richard “Black Dick” Howe , who fought with him in America during the Revolution.

Early career

Howe joined the army at the age of 17 by buying a cornet patent from the Duke of Cumberland's Dragoons in 1746 . This was common at the time. The next year he fought as a lieutenant in Flanders during the War of the Austrian Succession . After the war he moved to the 20th Regiment of Foot, where he befriended James Wolfe .

Howe's service brought him to America for the first time during the Seven Years' War . His performance in this conflict did much to increase his reputation. Howe commanded a regiment in the siege of the fortress Louisbourg and led a successful amphibious landing . This attack, carried out under fire, allowed the attackers to advance into the flank of the defenders and earned Howe praise from his commander.

Howe commanded the light infantry under Major General James Wolfe in the Battle of Québec , Canada on September 13, 1759. He led a charge to gain a positional advantage in the battle of the Plains of Abraham , to allow Wolfe's army to rally before the battle. Because of his achievements, he was promoted to brigadier general. He achieved further fame during the conquest of Montreal under the command of Jeffrey Amherst before returning to England. In 1761 Howe served in the conquest of Belle-Île off the French Atlantic coast. In 1762 he was adjutant general of the armed forces that took Havana .

In 1772 Howe was elected a member of the British Parliament for Nottingham . That was not unusual - in the 1761 election, for example, over 60 army officers had been elected to the House of Commons . Howe generally sympathized with the colonies. He voted against the Intolerable Acts to suppress the American colonies and in 1774 assured his constituents that he would not return to active service to fight the Americans. But when the time came and George III. called him in 1775, he went to America.

The American Revolution

Major General Howe arrived in Boston on May 15, 1775 at the head of 4,000 additional troops for General Thomas Gage . Gage had orders to destroy the American army and break its siege on Boston . Howe's plan was to take Cambridge , but the Americans fortified the heights above the city.

Bunker Hill

Howe planned to overrun the American fortifications with a massive attack. Therefore, he commanded the British troops at the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. He personally led the left wing of the attack. His leadership on the battlefield was excellent and the British achieved their goals, but the price was appalling. General Thomas Gage called it "A victory bought dearly, another one would ruin us."

Although Howe was not wounded during the battle, it had a marked effect on his state of mind. The daring, aggressive commander who had served with Wolfe became a cautious, timid general reluctant to seek direct confrontation. His assumption that those in open turmoil were only a small minority of Americans who would collapse in the face of a force was in ruins. Howe's report to George Sackville called for an additional 19,000 troops and contained the prophecy "... with fewer forces ... this war will drag out until England is heartily tired of it."

The campaigns to conquer New York and Philadelphia

On October 10, 1775, Howe took over from Lieutenant General Thomas Gage as Commander in Chief of the British Army in America when Gage returned to England. In April 1776 his position as Commander-in-Chief was confirmed, but the armed forces in Canada were placed under the command of Guy Carleton . Howe successfully defeated General George Washington in the Battle of Long Island in the summer of 1776, but let him escape. Many military historians believe that had there been decisive action, there would have been an opportunity to destroy the Continental Army. In recognition of his achievements, he was ennobled as Knight Companion of the Bath Order in 1776 and was given the addition of "Sir" to his name.

In September 1776, Howe ordered Nathan Hale to be executed for espionage.

Howe decided not to support the Saratoga campaign in 1777 , although he had initially promised to do so. Instead, he began to advance on Philadelphia . He managed to occupy the city again, just as in New York, but again he was unable to destroy Washington's troops once and for all. He withdrew with his troops to Valley Forge and reorganized them there during the winter.

After the revolution

Howe resigned in 1778 and on May 20, Sir Henry Clinton was appointed Commander in Chief. Howe returned to England. In 1793 he was appointed full general . When his brother Richard died in 1799, he inherited his Irish title and became fifth Viscount Howe . In 1814 he became a member of the Privy Council and governor of Plymouth , where he died that same year. Howe was buried in Back Lane Cemetery (now the Holly Road Garden of Rest ) in Twickenham , Middlesex . His wife Frances, who died in 1817 at the age of 75, rests by his side. The title of nobility expired with his death.

literature

• Howe, William Howe, 5th Viscount . In: Encyclopædia Britannica . 11th edition. tape 13 : Harmony - Hurstmonceaux . London 1910, p. 838 (English, full text [ Wikisource ]).

Web links

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predecessor	Office	successor
Richard Howe	Viscount Howe 1799-1814	Title expired