Benjamin Howard (Missouri)
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Howard was a Congressman from Kentucky
, governor of Missouri Territory
and a brigadier general in the War of 1812
.
Howard was born in Lexington, Kentucky
and graduated in 1797 from William and Mary College. He was elected to the Kentucky General Assembly
in 1800. He served in the 10th and 11th Congresses from Kentucky from 1807 until April 10, 1810, when he was appointed Governor of Louisiana Territory
(the Louisiana Purchase
area north of modern day Louisiana
) which was renamed Missouri Territory
in 1812.
He resigned his post during the War of 1812 to become brigadier general of the Eighth Military Department. During the conflict he and Nathan Boone (Daniel Boone
's youngest son) attacked Sac (tribe)
and Fox (tribe) positions in Illinois
and established Fort Clark (Illinois) by Peoria, Illinois
.
He got sick on the way back and died in St. Louis, Missouri
. He is buried in the Old Grace Church Graveyard in downtown St. Louis and then reinterred in Bellefontaine Cemetery.
Howard County, Missouri is named for him.
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, governor of Missouri Territory
Missouri Territory
The Territory of Missouri was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 4, 1812 until August 10, 1821, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Missouri.-History:...
and a brigadier general in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.
Howard was born in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
and graduated in 1797 from William and Mary College. He was elected to the Kentucky General Assembly
Kentucky General Assembly
The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky.The General Assembly meets annually in the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, convening on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January...
in 1800. He served in the 10th and 11th Congresses from Kentucky from 1807 until April 10, 1810, when he was appointed Governor of Louisiana Territory
Louisiana Territory
The Territory of Louisiana or Louisiana Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1805 until June 4, 1812, when it was renamed to Missouri Territory...
(the Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
area north of modern day Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
) which was renamed Missouri Territory
Missouri Territory
The Territory of Missouri was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 4, 1812 until August 10, 1821, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Missouri.-History:...
in 1812.
He resigned his post during the War of 1812 to become brigadier general of the Eighth Military Department. During the conflict he and Nathan Boone (Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone was an American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits mad']'e him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which was then beyond the western borders of...
's youngest son) attacked Sac (tribe)
Sac (tribe)
The Sacs or Sauks are a group of Native Americans of the Eastern Woodlands culture group. Their autonym is The Sacs or Sauks are a group of Native Americans of the Eastern Woodlands culture group. Their autonym is The Sacs or Sauks are a group of Native Americans of the Eastern Woodlands culture...
and Fox (tribe) positions in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and established Fort Clark (Illinois) by Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
.
He got sick on the way back and died in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. He is buried in the Old Grace Church Graveyard in downtown St. Louis and then reinterred in Bellefontaine Cemetery.
Howard County, Missouri is named for him.