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Cool Deliberate Courage: John Eager Howard in the American Revolution

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"Cool Deliberate Courage" by Jim Piecuch and John Beakes is a tribute to those American patriots who most people have never heard of, but were the backbone of our great nation. For no other reason, that may be the best reason for reading this book.

John Eager Howard, born in Maryland in 1752, seems cut from the same perceptional cloths that we have of famous figures like Washington, Jefferson, and Nathaniel Greene. Born of a landowner family, educated in local schools, and called to serve because of his belief that the British colonies suffered under British rule, Howard rose steadily through the ranks the "hard way". I was struck how he could have "bought" his way to higher commissions, but instead chose to come up through the ranks, learning to be a soldier and earning the respect of his troops, fellow officers and senior commanders. The book reveals Howard to be one of those rare men who understands that leadership, knowledge, responsibility and hard work are the great callings of men in difficult and trying times.

Beakes and Piecuch do an excellent job of chronicling the service of John Eager Howard from organizing troops in New Jersey, to historic battles in the Carolinas. Howard rose from Lieutenant to the rank of Colonel serving with great honor through many battles that, as a novice reader of Revolutionary War battles, I had never heard of. Battles at the Cowpens, the Guilford Courthouse, and Hobkirk's Hill, to name just a few, are presented in vivid detail from both the strategic perspective and the very personal perspective of the officers and troops who fought bravely. Although, I generally think of myself as well read, my one great lesson that I have taken from this book is that I am sorely lacking in the true understanding of these pivotal events that shaped the founding of our country.

The final chapter of the book focuses on the final 36 years of Howard's life that in some ways understates our understanding and appreciation of this time period. Howard served in the Senate and was a fine businessman, family man, and early believer in causes such as the problems with slavery and racism.

The authors, admittedly basing this book on a "small number of documents that have lain largely unexplored for over two hundred years", have offered a riveting and detailed account that goes beyond mere historical accounting to reach for inspirational tones of great men in great times who fought for causes that we have little appreciation for in modern times.

In writing this review, I have two things to admit. First, I am well acquainted with John Beakes and have had many conversations about the book prior to its publishing. With that said, I have enjoyed reading it immensely. Second, while I have read the book once thoroughly, I find myself, going back through to understand the finer details of battles and events. If I do have a criticism of the book, it is that I wish more maps had been included to provide a broader geographical perspective of the battles and travels of Colonel Howard.

My interest in military history has always been in the World War 2 and modern eras of the Korean, Vietnam, and Middle East conflicts -- this book has opened my eyes to new frontiers.

John Eager Howard (1752-1827) was one of Maryland's finest sons. He was a distinguished infantry officer in the Revolutionary War from the summer of 1776, until 1781. Later, he got involved in politics, serving as governor of Maryland, a state senator, and finally, in the U.S. Senate. Yet, Howard's intrepid military exploits haven't been chronicled in a book, until now. Thanks to authors, Jim Piecuch and John Beakes, Howard comes alive again in a military biography worthy of such a legend. Its title is: "Cool Deliberate Courage: John Eager Howard in the American Revolution." Well written and fully documented, the book is 164 pages long. Focused on Howard's career in the military, the authors, with a wide brush, also retell the story of that war, whose victory by the gallant rebels over the then-mighty British Imperial War Machine helped to establish the Republic. I think Marylanders, especially, are going to love this tome. Why? Because so many of Howard's daring comrades in arms were Marylanders, too, such as: Col. Otho Holland Williams; Gen. Mordecai Gist (a cousin of Howard's); Captain William Smallwood, (whose now defunct namesake fort is found opposite Fort Howard); Captain Daniel Dorsey; Col. Moses Hazen; Brig. Gen. Rezin Beall; Col. Josias Carvil Hall; Major John Cradock (a boyhood friend); and Gen. Samuel Smith. Their roles, as part of the fabled "Maryland Line" in the Revolutionary War, are intertwined and recounted, to some extent, with Howard's riveting personal story.

Cool Deliberate Courage: John Eager Howard in the American Revolution

"Readers will find this work extremely well written and thoughtful."

--Josh Howard

On Point, The Journal of Army History

Howard County is named after John Eager Howard, yet how many of its residents know who he was? Thanks to John Beakes' and Jim Piecuch's meticulous examination of the archival and published record, and their success in a co-author endeavor, John Eager Howard now has a well-deserved account of his life and significant military accomplishments. Though focusing on his war record, Beakes and Piecuch also provide an ample introduction to the young Baltimore native, and summarize his post-Revolutionary War achievements, including his service as a U.S. senator, and Governor of the state of Maryland. In this scholarly work, the facts never overwhelm a great story, and the narrative brings John Eager Howard to life while recounting his skills as an officer and leader of Maryland's Continental Army troops.

As a soldier Howard gained repute for his collected calm under enemy fire. He possessed the ability to visualize and seize upon tactical moments, when victory or defeat hung in the balance. Yet in 1776, at the opening of the Revolution, Howard was a newly commissioned major totally without military experience. He learned his trade quickly in the northern campaigns in New York and Pennsylvania, but was ultimately sent to fight in the southern theater, centered in North and South Carolina. Howard's commander was General Nathanael Greene, and he fought with General Daniel Morgan, among others. These southern battles involved constant movement, ambush, and pursuit. A notable American victory at the Battle of the Cowpens was followed by tactical checks at Guilford Courthouse and Eutaw Springs that nonetheless worked to confound British military strategy. Fighting in the south was savage, pitting American citizen soldiers or militia mixed with Continental troops against the trained British professional. Some may be surprised when reading about the behavior of soldiers under fire, which makes the quality of their leaders all the more critical to the outcome of battle.

I highly recommend Cool Deliberate Courage to amateur military historians, serious students of the American Revolution, or anyone interested in learning about an outstanding Maryland soldier, who was praised by George Washington. The authors, having elevated John Eager Howard from obscurity, assert that this is the first of more books on military men who helped General George Washington earn victory in the American Revolution. Please, give us more!

"Cool Deliberate Courage: John Eager Howard in The American Revolution" is a scholarly military biography of Lieutenant Colonel John Eager Howard of the Maryland Line, who served in the American Revolutionary War from 1776 to 1781. His skill and distinction on the battlefield were notable; he was awarded a Silver Medal by Congress for his efforts in the Battle of Cowpens in 1781, and there remains written testimony to his shrewdness and valor as observed by his contemporaries, including George Washington and Nathaniel Greene. "Cool Deliberate Courage" is a solidly researched, expertly presented and thoroughly detailed account, and a worthy addition to public and college library military biography shelves.

Forgotten leader finally gets his due

Reviewer

Sunday, January 24, 2010

COOL DELIBERATE COURAGE: John Eager Howard in The American Revolution. By Jim Piecuch and John Beakes. Nautical and Aviation Publishing. 164 pages. $28.95.

This delightful and informative military biography is a fitting tribute to an almost forgotten warrior in the Continental Army of the American Revolution, who was there on the line from the beginning to the end.

John Eager Howard's service began in 1776 when he was commissioned a captain of a company of volunteers from Baltimore, which he had recruited himself.

It was integrated with a mobile unit composed of four battalions of Marylanders and volunteers from Pennsylvania and Delaware called a "flying camp," which had been formed by the Second Continental Congress in reaction to British Gen. William Howe's incursion into Long Island, N.Y.

His unit saw action in the White Plains campaign, where the Americans suffered heavy losses. In December 1776, Howard accepted a commission as a major in the 4th Maryland Continentals and participated in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown and Saratoga, where he distinguished himself as a resourceful and courageous leader.

Of particular interest to local readers was his participation in the Southern campaign. As lieutenant colonel of the 2nd Maryland Regiment, he served under a succession of commanders: the Baron Johann DeKalb, Horatio Gates and Nathanael Greene. Under them, he fought with conspicuous bravery in the battles of Cowpens, Camden and Guilford Courthouse.

The authors have done commendable work in recounting Howard's notable contributions to those and other battles in the South Carolina theater and in noting their importance to the Revolutionary effort.

He is, however, remembered in his home state by an equestrian monument at his grave at Old Saint Paul's Cemetery in Baltimore and in a stanza of the state song, "Maryland, My Maryland."

Having an abundance of homegrown heroes to write about, most South Carolina historians of the period have cited Howard's contributions only in passing.

This small volume by the Mount Pleasant military history publishing company is a well-written and worthy contribution to South Carolina and Revolutionary War History