Thomas B. Howard
| Thomas Benton Howard | |
|---|---|
Admiral Thomas Benton Howard
|
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| Nickname(s) | "Ben" |
| Born | August 10, 1854 Illinois |
| Died | November 10, 1920 (aged 66) Annapolis, Maryland |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1873-1916 |
| Rank |
 Admiral
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| Commands held | |
| Battles/wars | |
| Spouse(s) | Ann Jacob Claude |
Admiral Thomas Benton Howard (August 10, 1854 – November 10, 1920) was an admiral in the United States Navy. He served as commander in chief of the US Pacific Fleet prior to United States entry into World War I.
Admiral Howard came from strong fighting stock. His father Bushrod Brush Howard, was a Captain in the Mexican War, and in the early days of the Civil War commanded Company I, 19th Illinois Infantry Regiment, more than one hundred of which were hurled into eternity, victims of the accident at Beaver Creek Bridge on the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad. Captain Howard and nineteen of his men perished in that disaster. Admiral Howard's mother was Elizabeth Mackay Howard, daughter of Helen and Aeneas Mackay, a United States Army Officer stationed at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, as was also her maternal grandfather, Captain Thomas Legate. Captain Legate moved to Galena, Illinois in 1828 as Superintendent of the lead mines.
Admiral Howard was born in Galena, Illinois in 1854 and was reckoned one of the precocious boys of his time. He was educated in the public schools and in 1868, through President Ulysses S. Grant, who spent the summer of that year in Galena, was appointed to the US Naval Academy. Mrs. Grant and Mrs. Howard were fast friends in former days at St. Louis, and Captain Howard, Admiral Howard's late father, had been held in high esteem by President Grant, who knew him well.
As a cadet in the academy, young "Ben" acquitted himself so nobly that President Grant frequently made him the subject of the most flattering comment. He was often, by special invitation, a guest at the White House, and was usually appointed Grant's aid whenever the President visited Annapolis. Admiral Howard was graduated at the top of his class in 1873, was promoted ensign in 1874. During his career he served under George Dewey at the Battle of Manila Bay and successively commanded Chesapeake, Nevada, Olympia, Tennessee, and Ohio. As captain of Ohio, he sailed around the world with the Great White Fleet in 1908–1909.
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