07/30/2026
A native of Leed’s Maine, Otis Howard is a less well-known Union general of the Civil War and namesake for Howard University here in DC.
Years after the war ended, he took on the services of a young distant cousin one summer in Newcastle Maine. He needed help responding to correspondence because he only had one arm.
That cousin, Francis Perkins, became our nation’s first woman federal cabinet secretary under FDR, and the creator of many of our workplace standards today.
The Francis Perkins historical site was opened his main second national Park in January 2025… A great place to visit just north of BoothBay Harbor.
Oliver Otis Howard lost an arm for the Union, saw his reputation nearly destroyed by two disasters in the East—and then rebuilt himself into one of Sherman’s most dependable commanders in the West.
A deeply religious officer known as the “Christian General,” Howard graduated from West Point in 1854. During the Battle of Seven Pines in 1862, two bullets shattered his right arm, forcing surgeons to amputate it. Remarkably, he returned to duty within months and later received the Medal of Honor for his actions.
Yet Howard’s courage could not protect him from controversy.
In 1863, he commanded the largely German-American XI Corps. At Chancellorsville, his men occupied the exposed right flank of the Union army. Despite warnings of Confederate movement, Howard failed to prepare adequately before Stonewall Jackson launched his devastating surprise attack. The XI Corps collapsed, and Howard received much of the blame.
Two months later, his corps suffered another crushing defeat on the first day at Gettysburg. Attacked by superior Confederate forces north of town, the XI Corps broke and retreated through Gettysburg to Cemetery Hill. Once again, Howard and his men were heavily criticized—although the German soldiers were often blamed far more harshly than they deserved.
Howard’s performance at Gettysburg was not entirely a failure. He had wisely kept General Adolph von Steinwehr’s division in reserve on Cemetery Hill, helping secure the ground that became the center of the Union defensive position. After John Reynolds was killed, Howard also assumed temporary command of the field until Winfield Scott Hancock arrived.
Howard’s redemption came in the West.
That fall, the XI and XII Corps were rushed to Tennessee to reinforce the trapped Union army at Chattanooga. Howard participated in the Chattanooga campaign and the fighting around Missionary Ridge. During the Atlanta Campaign of 1864, he commanded the IV Corps with enough ability to earn William Tecumseh Sherman’s confidence.
When James McPherson was killed outside Atlanta, Sherman selected Howard to command the Army of the Tennessee—even choosing him over the more senior Joseph Ho**er. At Ezra Church, Howard’s troops anticipated a Confederate attack, fortified their position, and repulsed repeated assaults with heavy losses.
Howard went on to lead the Army of the Tennessee during Sherman’s March to the Sea and through the Carolinas Campaign. In the West, he proved steady, disciplined, and reliable—the qualities Sherman valued most.
His most lasting work may have come after the fighting ended.
In 1865, Howard became commissioner of the Freedmen’s Bureau, overseeing efforts to assist millions of formerly enslaved people during Reconstruction. The bureau established schools, provided medical care, helped negotiate labor contracts, reunited families, and defended basic legal rights. Its administration faced criticism and controversy, but its educational work transformed countless lives.
Howard also helped establish Howard University in Washington, D.C., which was named in his honor, and later served as its president. His subsequent military career included the campaign against the Nez Perce—an episode that adds another complicated chapter to his legacy.
Howard was neither an incompetent failure nor a flawless hero. He was a wounded veteran who stumbled badly, recovered, and devoted much of his later life to education and public service.
How should Oliver Otis Howard be remembered: for his defeats in the East, his redemption in the West, or his work during Reconstruction?
