Henry W. Howgate
| Henry W. Howgate | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | (alias) "H.W. Harrison", "Henry Williams" |
| Born | 1834 |
| Died | June 1, 1901 (aged 66–67) Washington, D.C. |
| Allegiance |
United States of America Union |
| Service/branch | United States Army Signal Corps |
| Years of service | 1862–1866, 1867–1880 |
| Rank | Brevet Captain |
| Unit | 22nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment |
| Battles/wars |
Battle of Chickamauga; Atlanta Campaign |
| Relations | wife/Cordelia Day Howgate mistress/Nellie Burrell daughter/Ida Howgate |
| Other work | Reporter; antique book dealer |
Capt. Henry W. Howgate (1834 – June 1, 1901) was Chief Disbursing Officer in the United States Army Signal Corps and responsible for major Arctic explorations. He caused a scandal after embezzling over $133,000, slipping away from authorities while awaiting trial, running off with his mistress, and spending 13 years evading capture, in which time he evaded the Secret Service and Pinkertons Detective Agency, worked as a reporter, and ran a New York City antiquarian book shop.
Howgate was the son of a British shopkeeper. At age 21, Howgate immigrated to the United States and worked as a reporter.
In 1866, he married Cordelia Day (b. June 8, 1837), daughter of Uriel Day and Olive (Sperry) Day of Macomb County, Michigan. Howgate and Cordelia had one daughter, born in 1866.
Howgate met Nellie Burrell of Saline County, Nebraska, early in his military career. She got a job working as a hostess in the United States Department of the Treasury in Washington, D.C. through the influence of Senator Algernon Paddock. She remained Howgate's mistress for most of his life.
In 1862, Howgate became a Second Lieutenant with the 22nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment, and, in 1863, he became a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Signal Corps. In 1866 he had left the Army, returned to Michigan and married. Then in 1867, he joined the 20th Infantry before re-joining the Signal Corps where he served as property and disbursing officer before becoming responsible for planning all polar expeditions. Under his auspices, he was responsible for polar expeditions at a time when several countries were also supporting polar exploration and scientific studies. Fascinated with the Arctic, Howgate developed an extensive library of Arctic literature.
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