The Arkansas advocate., 1831-08-24
AN AMERICAN PATRIOT.
Colonel JoiiN Etopa uo.,,n

born June 4, i4o2, in Maryland, of ; ' respectable famly. Ahenthe Colonie 7 began their resistance to the nothe ! country, he was appointed Captain : and ia December of the same year : (Ia6) he was promoted to majorit, ; in ono of the seven regiments organisee in lis native State. June l, i799, h. was appointed Lieutenant Colonel; amt after the battle of Iiahkirk's Hill, As : succeeded to the command of the SC cond regiment, in consequence Of tht
 death of Lieutenant Colonel Ford. 60.
 lonel Howard was one of the most eff
 eent and conspicuous coadjutors oi
 General Green In the South. At the
 battle of the Cowpens, he especially
 distinguished himself, and may be said to
 have turned the fortune of the day, by a charge with fixed bayonets, which he
 headed--a mode Of fighting then used
 for the first time during the war, and
 for which the Mary land Line became
 remarkable. At one period in this bat
 tie, Col. Howard is said to have had in his hands the swords of seven British officers, who had surrendered to him personally. For his gallant conduct in
 this action, Colonel Howard received
 the thanks of Congress, and a silver me-
 dal. inthe battle of Eutaw, the Nary
 land Line were ordered by Green to at-
 tempt by repeated charges to drive the
 enemy from their position. h this ser
 vice they were so cut up, that of the
 whole corps, Colonel Howard was left with only one commissioned officer, and
 30 men. With this gallant little band,
 he was advancing again to the charge,
 when he received a severe wound, from the effects of which he never recovered entirely. lie was. however, continued in his command til the army was dis banded, when he retired to his large Patrimonial estate near the city of Bal-s tinore. He vas also present al the } battles of Germantown, White Plains,
 Monmouth, Camden, and Hoblsirk's ] Hill. In November, l7s8, he 11as cllos- en Governor of Maryland, which post he filled for three years. In I796, he was elected to the Senate of the Unit cd States, and continued a member of that body until March 1903. In I79S, l when Washington was appointed tocom- ni;fd the American Army,in tic eA- peetation of war with France, Colonel l Howard was selected by him for the 1 post of Brigadicr General. The decla- l ration of the late war with Great Bri- l tain found Colonel Howard in complete 1 retirement from the political world.- But when the soil was invaded, hc-was among the foremost to rcpel the aggres-
 sion. En the city of Baltimore, as in the other cities along the coast, it was iouhd l to organize q committee of vi- | glance and safety, to whom was intrust- l ed, by universal consent, such powers as became necessary in time of danger, | and which exceeded the limits of the usual authorities. or this committee Colonel Howard was q member. After the capture of Washington, when the enemy were advancing on Baltimore, it was suggested in this body, that it would be best to capitulatc, to save the city from destruction. Indignant at the pro prosition, Colonel Howard rose and ex- claimed, ssI hayc,f believe, as much pro pefty in the city as my onc of the Com mittce, and hive four sons in the field; 1 but l will sooner see my property in ash es, and my sons in their graves, than con 1 sent 10 listen to any proposal of capitu- l lation.' Aftert the war, he retired again to his estate, where he continued to re- side until his death, in October, 1897. In private life he was distinguished for tbe amenity of his manners, the sound
 ness of his judgement, his hospitality,
 and his extensive and useful knowledge.
 As a soldier and patriot, he deserved, said General Green, "a statue of gold no 1 less than Roman and Grecian heroes" Origin of Chess.--The following ac- count of the origin of Chess is givcnby
 the Arabian writers. At the commence
 ment of the fifth century of the Chris
 tian era, India was govcrnedby ayoung
 and powerful monarch of an excellent
 dispostion, but who was greatly cor
 ruptcd by his iiatterers. This young
 prince forgot that monarchs ought to
 be the fathers oftheir people, that the
 love of the people for their king is inc
 only solid support of the throne, and
 that they constitute all his strength
 and power. It was in vain that the braTnns and the rajahs repeated to him these important maxims.
 ,l Intoxicated by his greatness, which he imaoined to be unequalled, he des-