Post-War Letters

Calendar February 28, 2015
Letters, Post-War, Richard Howell, Correspondence, Governorship

Letters written after the Revolutionary War, including correspondence from Richard Howell’s time as Governor of New Jersey.1 Howell served as Governor of New Jersey from 1793 to 1801, elected annually for six consecutive terms.2 As governor, he commanded New Jersey militia forces during the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794, leading an expedition to western Pennsylvania in response to President Washington’s call for troops.3 Primary source letters from his governorship have not yet been digitized for this page; key archives to consult include the New Jersey State Archives (Trenton) and the New Jersey Historical Society. For related earlier correspondence, see the Revolutionary War Correspondence section.

Post-War Timeline

Calendar February 28, 2015
Timeline, Post-War, Richard Howell, Governor of New Jersey, Governorship, Whiskey Rebellion

This timeline covers Richard Howell’s life after the Revolutionary War, his marriage, his rise to the governorship, his command during the Whiskey Rebellion, and his death in 1802.

April 1779, New Jersey#

Richard Howell Resigns His Commission After three years of active service, including the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, and Monmouth, and covert intelligence operations for General Washington, Richard Howell resigns his commission from the 2nd New Jersey Regiment.[^1]

January 11, 1780, Morris Town, NJ#

Board of War Secret Intelligence Mission Despite having resigned his commission, Richard Howell continues to serve the American cause. A document from Washington’s headquarters at Morristown records that Howell has been employed by the Board of War on a “Plan of Intelligence.”[^2] His intelligence work outlasts his formal military service. See: Revolutionary War Correspondence.

Pre-War Letters

Calendar February 28, 2015
Letters, Pre-War, Richard Howell, Correspondence

Letters written before Richard Howell goes to war.1

  1. Richard Howell (1754–1802) was born in Gloucester County, New Jersey, and read law under Joseph Ellis in Burlington, N.J., prior to the Revolution. His pre-war political engagement included participation in the Greenwich Tea Burning of December 22, 1774 — one of the few documented acts of colonial protest outside of Boston — and service on local Committees of Correspondence in Cumberland County. Primary source letters from this period have not yet been digitized for this page; for context on his wartime service, see the Revolutionary War Correspondence section. ↩︎

Pre-War Timeline

Calendar February 28, 2015
Timeline, Pre-War, Richard Howell, Colonial Period, Wales, New Jersey

This timeline covers the Howell family’s origins and Richard Howell’s early life, from the Welsh emigration through the colonial period and the years leading up to the American Revolution.

c. 1700s, Wales#

Howell Family Emigrates from Wales The Howell family emigrates from Wales to the American colonies, settling in the Delaware Valley region. Reynold Howell, Richard’s grandfather, is among the early settlers.[^1]

c. 1724, Newark, Delaware#

Reynold Howell Establishes the Family in America Reynold Howell (Richard’s grandfather) purchases a plantation near Newark, New Castle County, Delaware.[^2] The family takes root in the mid-Atlantic colonial community.

Revolutionary War Timeline

Calendar February 28, 2015
Timeline, Revolutionary-War, Richard Howell, 2nd New Jersey Regiment

This timeline covers Richard Howell’s military service during the American Revolutionary War, from enlistment through his intelligence work, the major battles, and his resignation from the Continental Army.

Note: Where only a year is known, January 1 is used as a placeholder date.

December 22, 1774, Greenwich, NJ#

The Greenwich Tea Burning Richard Howell and his twin brother Lewis participate in burning British tea in Greenwich, Cumberland County, New Jersey, an act of defiance that marks the brothers’ entry into the revolutionary cause.[^1] See: Greenwich Tea Burning.

Family Tree

Calendar February 27, 2015
Family Tree, WikiTree, Genealogy, Richard Howell

Our research has been ongoing for several years and we are continually adding to Richard Howell’s family tree data. We are using WikiTree so it can be available to any and all interested parties free of charge. This allows us to focus this site specifically on Richard Howell and his service to the United States of America. We know WikiTree is the best place to present the family tree data. By clicking on any of these items you will be taken off this site and to the appropriate WikiTree page.