HOWE, SIR William, English general: b. 10 Aug. 1729; d. 12 July 1814. He was edu cated at Eton and received a commission in the Duke of Cumberland's Light Dragoons in 1746. In 1772 he was promoted major-general, lieutenant-general in 1775 and a full general in 1793. He was a brother of Admiral Lord Richard Howe (q.v.) and was appointed rather against his wishes successor of General Gage in command of the British forces in America. He had previously served under Wolfe at the battle of Quebec. He also took part in the campaign against Havana in 1762. He commanded at the battle of Bunker Hill (1775), in which he lost one-third of his men present in the action; in August 1776 he won the battle of Long Is land and in September took New York city. He won the battle of Brandywine in September 1777, in consequence of which Philadelphia was occupied by his army. At his own request he was recalled in 1779, and was succeeded by Sir Henry Clinton, who repulsed Washington at Germantown in the October following. After
his return, he represented Nottingtam in the House of Commons and held various military commands in England. At his request his con duct of the war, which had been severely criti cized, was investigated by a committee of the House before which he spoke at considerable length in his own and his brother's defense. He succeeded to his brother's Irish peerage as fifth viscount in 1799. In 1805 he was appointed governor of Plymouth, which post he held until his death. Consult Howe, Sir W., The Nar rative of Lieut. Gen. Sir W. Howe in a Com mittee of the House of Commons, etc.' (Lon don 1780); Stevens, B. F., ed., (Gen. Sir W. Howe's Orderly Book, 1775-76, etc.' (London 1890) ; Tower, C., (Essays Political and His torical> (Philadelphia 1914); Wilkin, W. H., 'Some British Soldiers in America) (London 1914).