The North Carolina Mason

September/October 2016 The North Carolina Mason Page 15 From the Medical Committee The time is now… By Steven Campbell Controversial, generally unknown, yet in good standing, defines the life of North Carolina's highest ranking mili- tary officer in the American Revolu- tionary War: Brother Robert Howe. ough scant, Cape Fear region re- cords indicate that Brother Howe be- gan his Masonic journey in Hanover Lodge (originating as an Army Lodge in the French & Indian War in 1758 and then disappearing). His name does appear on the rolls of St. John's 1 in Wilmington, NC. For business purposes, the young man immigrated to England. Returning to the Colony of North Carolina in 1766, he obtained the rank of captain in the Royal Militia, and was elected to the NC Assembly. Twice he commanded North Carolina's Fort Johnston. Colonel Howe was soon in command of the Royal Mi- litia Artillery and with Governor Tryon when the armed Regulators were crushed in their unsuccessful insurrection at the Battle of Alamance in May 1771. ough moderately successful as a planter, Howe's success as an officer and Assemblyman continued. Sensing the unsettling tyrannical rule of the Crown, Robert embraced the increasing Amer- ican ideals – to the point of becoming a member of the Sons of Liberty, the Committee of Safety, and finally North Carolina's Provisional Congress. As the American crisis evolved, Royal Gover- nor Josiah Martin called loyal subjects to arms. e result was a crushing de- feat at Moore's Creek and the Gov- ernor's flight. Brothers Robert Howe and Cornelius Harnett burned Fort Johnston. With the escalation of armed rebellion, these two men would be ex- cluded from the King's amnesty offered to all "misguided subjects." ey would be declared "most wanted". With the die cast, the Continental Congress in Philadelphia requested each colony to supply troops to serve in the newly created Continental Army, placed under the command of Brother George Washington. North Carolina would provide two regiments. Colonel Robert Howe was placed in command of the 2 nd NC Regiment and soon af- terwards ordered to Norfolk, Virginia. ere Royal Governor Dunmore's force The Grand Historian's Courier Case Our most wanted unknown brother was defeated, and Norfolk destroyed. For his valued service, Brother Howe was among the first eight men to be promoted to brigadier general. He re- turned home to a hero's welcome. Next General Howe traveled to South Carolina, where an initial Brit- ish attempt to capture the largest city in the South, Charlestown, was thwart- ed. During this period, Brother Lord Cornwallis, with nearly 1,000 British troops, landed in Wilmington for a short time and discharged specific or- ders to destroy Howe's home and plan- tation. ough no consolation for losing his home, Brother Howe was promoted to major general and named command- er of the Southern Department. (It is noted that many, if not most, major generals in the American Army were Freemasons.) Whilst the major British effort to crush the rebellion was taking place in the northeastern colonies, ac- tivity was ongoing in the south between Loyalists and Patriots. Men such as Brothers Francis Marion ("e Swamp Fox") and William Davie were proving most troublesome to British designs. General Howe's appointment as overall commander did not sit well with political leaders in either South Carolina or Georgia. One such leader, Christo- pher Gadsden (designer of the Don't Tread on Me flag), engaged Howe in a duel. ough Howe slightly wounded Gadsden, they became friends. Mean- while, British forces under Generals Campbell and Prevost appeared, and Howe, hoping to dispel their efforts, moved his scant Army of 900 regulars and militia south. As a result of ill pre- pared, poorly trained, and sparsely sup- plied troops, the Americans gave way as the British successfully took control of eastern Florida, Savannah, and Augusta, Georgia. Howe's lack of success resulted in his being relieved of command and replaced by Brother Benjamin Lincoln. With politics astir, Robert Howe's per- formance in the south was presented to a court martial – he was fully exonerated. ough politicians did not appear to appreciate Howe's qualities, Gen- eral Washington apparently did not share their opinion. When accused of administrative wrongdoing in Philadel- phia, Brother General Benedict Arnold was court-martialed. It was Howe who served as president of the court martial which found Arnold guilty of miscon- duct. After fulfilling this assignment, General Howe served in the field and was placed in command of the vital post at West Point. He would serve there until replaced by General Arnold. (It was at this post that Arnold would betray our nation.) Upon the arrest of Arnold's British contact Major John Andre, Howe sat upon his court mar- tial, which found Andre guilty of spy- ing, resulting in his execution. As the eight-year struggle for inde- pendence continued, unpaid American troops mutinied. In 1781, General Howe suppressed the mutiny of the New Jersey Continental troops. Various duty assign- ments kept him in New York and Phila- delphia as the scope of war increased in the south. In 1783, just months before peace came, it was Brother Howe who restored order to the capital as an unruly mob's action resulted in the Congress fleeing Philadelphia. With final victory and independence achieved, Howe returned to North Car- olina. e impact of the war had been harsh upon Howe's property, fortune, and personal life. Living apart from his wife, his reputation for enjoying the company of the fairer sex did not de- tract from the respect accorded him. In 1785, the United States Congress ap- pointed him a lead negotiator in defin- ing the western frontier boundaries. In 1786, the 54-year-old Howe was once again elected to serve in the NC House, which was meeting in Fayetteville at that time. Unfortunately, he perished while en route, reportedly at the home of General omas Clark. Records state he died of "fever." Biographers have not delved into our Brother's life, and much of it re- mains unknown, even where his mortal remains lie at rest. ere is much spec- ulation as to the location of his grave, and thankfully the General Robert Howe Chapter of the DAR continues to seek it out. If any of our readers has any news, insights or information on Brother Howe's grave, please contact your grand historian. Grand Historian Steven Campbell is a member of Blackmer 127. By Darrin A. Helton I recently had the privilege of at- tending Grand Master Bryant Web- ster's district meeting at my home lodge and was very impressed at the message presented by the grand mas- ter. One of the main points of the mes- sage was preparation for our inevitable demise. I would encourage each of us to pursue these issues and strongly recommend further preparatory steps including funeral preparation and specific wishes such as military and/ or Masonic funeral rites. As a hospice nurse, I have the unique opportunity to assist people as their journey in this life draws near and reaches its end. Too often, immediately after death, many families say, "We are not sure what he(she) would have wanted." at leaves many decisions regarding funeral services and arrangements to the griev- ing family left behind. Many of these decisions could be made prior to our death and could well be considered our final gift to our family. ey will know what we want and be allowed to grieve and rest easy in this knowledge. ese conversations are often avoided and even prove scary to some, but the comfort they provide far outweighs the initial discomfort. A very young Master Mason died unexpectedly in 2014. I was surprised to learn that he had made arrangements down to the songs he wanted played at his funeral service. While the accident that took his life was tragic, his wife and family were allowed to grieve without having to make those decisions and wondering what he would have wanted. One of the saddest phrases ever ut- tered is "We thought we had more time!" Quite simply, not one of us is guaranteed another minute; thus, the time for these decisions and conversa- tions are now. Darrin A. Helton is a registered nurse with Hospice of McDowell County and a member of Mystic Tie 237. The full area of ignorance is not mapped: we are at present only explor- ing its fringes. – J. D. Bernal

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