Originally aired on September 26, 1997 - In part 161 of our Civil War series, Virginia Tech history professor James Robertson says that the piety that General Oliver Howard displayed in his private life did not transfer to stellar achievement on the battlefield.
#161 – General Oliver O. Howard
General “Stonewall” Jackson unquestionably epitomized the term “Christian” soldier. Yet there were others in the Civil War with an abiding faith, but not accompanied by sterling achievements. One such figure was Union Major-General Oliver O. Howard.
Born in Maine in 1830, Howard taught school until he earned enough money to attend and graduate from Bowdoin College. He then entered West Point and stood fourth in his class at graduation. Until civil war came Howard taught math at the military academy and wrapped himself in layers of Christian piety.
His career in the Civil War is one of the great paradoxes of American military history. As one writer concluded: “No officer entrusted with the field direction of soldiers has ever equaled Howard’s record for surviving so many tactical errors of judgment and disregard of orders emerging later with increased rank.”
Howard entered the war as a colonel of a main regiment. In the opening battle at Manassas he commanded a brigade that was driven from the field in disorder. For this Howard received promotion to brigadier general. In the fighting at Seven Pines in May, 1862, Howard lost his right arm from a wound. He was back on duty at Antietam where he took command of a division when his superior went down.
Howard being there when needed rather than any conspicuous conduct brought him promotion in March, 1863, to major general. His new command was the 11th Corps, the unwanted orphan of the Army of the Potomac. It contained many German units known to one and all as “Dutchmen”. A contemptuous title with the implication that men who talked with a foreign accent did not need to be taken seriously.
Howard was unable to develop any sense of esprit de corps among the melting pot of nationalities under his command. Indeed, the New Englander was never a leader to whom his soldiers would warm-up. Howard always addressed them as “my men” a phrase that did not go over any better then, than it would now. He was also too well-known as a Christian leader. A major general who went to army hospitals on Sunday to distribute food which was welcome and religious tracts which were not.
At Chancellorsville Howard commanded the extreme right of the Union line. He neglected to guard his flank and was driven in near panic by “Stonewall” Jackson’s assault. In the first days fighting at Gettysburg Howard took command of the field after his superior was killed. Howard was distinguished that day only for his indecisiveness. Through a combination of bad luck and low morale the 11th Corps broke again under fire. For this action Howard received the thanks of Congress.
The lucky but hapless general went west to command a corps in William T. Sherman’s army. Pious and straight-laced Oliver Howard seemed out of place in free-thinking western boys. But for in explicatable reasons he did a better job with them than he was able to do in the main Union army.
Howard carried his pre-war abolitionist sentiments into the post-war years. He became first commissioner of the welfare agency known as the “Freedmen’s Bureau”. While Howard’s oversight was conscientious and unimpeachably honest his workers enjoyed an orgy of fraud and corruption. Not until 1874 did Howard clear his name of negative charges.
When he failed to organize an integrated Congregational Church in Washington Howard turned to higher education and was instrumental in establishing a black college that bears his name. Before his death in 1909 Howard also played a key role in the founding of Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee.
He was a solid citizen. He could be an inspirational leader. But as a Civil War General Oliver Howard was one who never showed a sign of anything but diligent mediocrity.