Col. John Eager Howard and sons during the War of 1812

The namesake for Howard County and owner of land there (Waverly) was too old to fight, but his sons helped protect Fort McHenry and Baltimore. Howard's "Lodge Farm" [H map, width of the penisula, to top of map] on Patapsco Neck neighbor of Gov. Charles Carnan Ridgely (of Hampton Mansion) [R] and in the way of the British who landed at North Point [X] on Sept. 12, 1814.

Although the British had beaten the Americans in a battle north of Washington DC and burned the Capitol and White House, they would be delayed by fierce fighting going to Baltimore, their General Ross was killed and Fort McHenry survived a bombardment from the ships (there's a song about it).


Sixteen months earlier, on April 10, 1813 (Thurs night), Benjamin Chew Howard wrote to his brother John Howard Jr at the Chew home in Philadelphia to tell him that the British ships were off Baltimore and that he was heading out to “The Neck” - Patapsco Neck or North Point. John, the eldest, had been given Lodge Farm the Howard estate the width of the peninsula near the Ridgely’s place (image below, no pictures of the Howard home) both very close to where the British would land (X) the following year.

Ben wrote: “The oxen at the neck are too stiff-necked even to be broke, so we better kill them and give them to the Hussars [Md Militia light cavalry]. This plan is such a reasonable one, that I hope you will not object to it; for if they stay there, something worse may befall them. Perhaps you may think that we can live upon air, (And to-be-sure there is a great deal of oxygen in it) or fish, but I do not like to be kept alive by a creek in the neck.”

Lodge Farm was ransacked in Sept. 1814 by the invading British troops (or as they returned to North Point to board their ships). They took kitchen, dining, and bedding items, tools, an ox (a lone survivor of the previous year), three cows, 18 hogs, 200 chickens, 100 ducks 72 geese, 40 bushels of oats, and “wheat in the straw.” A two story home with two kitchens, large brick barn, ice house, dairy, granary, cow house, piggery, sheep house and meat house were on the 462 acres.

The Colonel was a member of the Committee of Vigilance and Safety which was instrumental in preparing the earthen works to defend the city. He was enraged by those who wanted to avoid a battle and surrender the city and proclaimed that “he had four sons in the field… but would rather see his sons slain and his property reduced to ashes than so far disgrace his country.”

John Eager Howard Jr. a lieutenant, and two of his brothers George and William, privates, were in the elite First Baltimore Horse Artillery under Captain Henry Thompson of “Clifton” (later Johns Hopkins’ home). They served as reconnaissance scouts during troop movements and as messengers between officers during the battles. John and thirteen men were ordered to accompany Commodores John Rodgers, Oliver Hazard Perry and David Porter to Washington to harass the British ships on the Potomac. During the 24 hour bombardment of Ft. McHenry they galloped through the rockets and pouring rain over a makeshift bridge between the fort and headquarters at what is now Paterson Park.

Ben, a Captain, and his First Mechanical Volunteers were among the first to fight a skirmish before the Battle of North Point on September 12, 1814. Gen Ross was killed, with three young Americans thought to be the shooter. One was in Capt. Howard's group, and they later erected the Aquila Randall monument. They and brother-in-law John McHenry of the United Volunteers were in the Maryland 5th Regiment, one of the few to hold their ground at the Battle of Bladensburg on Aug 24, 1814. The British marched into Washington DC to burn the Capitol and White House (more HERE)

Belvidere, the home of John Eager Howard (1752-1827) and Peggy Chew Howard (1760-1824) the daughter of Pa Chief Justice Benjamin Chew of Philadelphia. Their children were John Jr (1788-1822) son-in-law of Sen Read of SC; George (1789-1846) son-in-law of Gov Charles Carnan Ridgely and future Governor; Benjamin Chew (1791-1872) his wife Jane would write a fundraising cookbook; Dr. Wiliam Howard (1793-1834) married a cousin of Francis Scott Key; Juliana (1792-1821) married the son of Dr. James McHenry Sec of War and namesake of Fort McHenry; James (1797-1870) married another daughter of Gov Ridgely; Sophia (1800-1880) married William Read,the younger brother of John Jr wife; Charles (1802-1869) married the daughter of Francis Scott Key.

George Howard was given "Waverly" on Howard family lands in Howard County. He later became Governor when the preceeding governor died.

John McHenry (1791-1822) was in the 5th Regiment at Bladensburg, then at North Point. He died of fever in Pa., as did his brother-in-law John Eager Howard Jr who went to help him.

Other posts on
Jane and Benjamin Chew Howard HERE
Jane Howard & food (Researching Food History blog) HERE
Waverly and Gov. George Howard HERE
Col/Gov John Eager Howard HERE


©2025 Patricia Bixler Reber
Forgotten history of Ellicott City & Howard County MD