Known Activities
Howard served in the Union Army during the Civil War, reportedly enlisting in the Fifty-second Illinois Cavalry Regiment for a period of three years. According to the Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kane County (1904), he subsequently enlisted in Company C, Ninth Illinois Cavalry in 1865. The precise sequence and overlap of these two periods of service is not entirely clear from available sources.
In 1874, Howard entered into a business partnership with M. T. Barrows in a hardware enterprise in Dundee. The nature and duration of that partnership beyond its founding date is not further documented in available sources.
At some point during the 1880s, Howard was elected Justice of the Peace, suggesting a degree of standing and trust within the local community, though the specific township or term of service is not recorded in the source consulted.
He married Mary Oatman in 1864, the same year the Civil War was ongoing, and the couple are believed to have remained in the Dundee area through the remainder of his life.
Howard died on February 17, 1902, in the Dundee area. (Source: Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kane County (1904))
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| July 2, 1839 | Born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana |
| 1864 | Married Mary Oatman |
| c. 1862–1865 | Served in Fifty-second Illinois Cavalry Regiment (approximately 3 years) |
| 1865 | Enlisted in Company C, Ninth Illinois Cavalry |
| 1874 | Became partner with M. T. Barrows in Dundee hardware business |
| 1880s | Elected Justice of the Peace |
| February 17, 1902 | Died |
- Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kane County, 1904. Archive.org