Carlos Howard
Carlos Howard | |
|---|---|
| 2nd Governor of West Florida | |
| In office November 1792 – August 1793 | |
| Preceded by | Arturo O'Neill |
| Succeeded by | Enrique White |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1738 |
| Died | Unknown |
| Profession | Military career, Governor of Spanish West Florida |
Carlos Howard (c. 1738 - ?) was an Irish-born military officer who served as Governor of West Florida (in Pensacola), between 1792 and 1793. Prior to that appointment, he served as secretary and general administrative assistant to the East Florida Governor Vicente Manuel de Céspedes y Velasco, in St. Augustine.
Biography
[edit]He joined the Spanish army in his youth, attaining the rank of captain.[1] He was part of the Irish Infantry Regiment,[2] and later joined the Regiment of Louisiana,[3] where he attained the rank of lieutenant colonel.[3][4]
Eventually he emigrated to Florida, where he became secretary of the Governor Vicente Manuel de Céspedes y Velasco.[1] He also served as general administrative assistant.[2]
Cespedes sent a message to Howard to “prepare the Anglo-American residents of the province for a change of masters”.[1] This was in reference to the regime change from two decades of British rule to a resumption of Spanish authority. Howard sent information about Georgia to St. Augustine.
In November 1792, Howard was appointed Governor of West Florida,[5] where he established a small militia among the settlers on the Nassau and St. Marys Rivers.[6] He left the office in August 1793.[5]
In June 1795, American rebel marauders led by Richard Lang attacked the Spanish garrison on Amelia Island. Colonel Howard, once again an officer in the Spanish military, discovered that the rebels had built a battery and were flying the French flag. On August 2, he raised a sizable Spanish force, sailed up Sisters Creek and the Nassau River, and attacked them. The rebels fled across the St. Marys to Georgia.[7]
Personal life
[edit]Howard spoke English, French and Spanish.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Corbitt, Duvon Clough. The Administrative System in the Floridas, 1783-1821, II. Page 1 (57).
- ^ a b c Florida Historical Quarterly. Posted by FLORIDA HISTORICAL SOCIETY in July 1959 - April 1960. Page 22.
- ^ a b United States Congress (1830). Congressional edition, Volumen 202. Page 288.
- ^ DJJ Ross (1976). Visit to the Indian Nations: The Diary of John Hambly - jstor. Page 1 (57).
- ^ a b Cohoon, Ben. U.S. States F-K.
- ^ Paul E. Hoffman (11 January 2002). Florida's Frontiers. Indiana University Press. p. 243. ISBN 0-253-10878-0.
- ^ O'Riordan, Cormac A (1995). "The 1795 Rebellion in East Florida". Paper 99, Theses and Dissertations. University of North Florida. p. 13. Retrieved 21 June 2013.