also engaged in a fierce war of pamphlets be-
tween himself, Burgoyne, and Lord Germain.
Howe subsequently spent the next four years
in political limbo until the Germain cabinet
resigned in the wake of Yorktown in 1782.
That year he partially redeemed his military
standing by becoming lieutenant general of
ordnance. In 1783, Howe advanced again to
full general and received several important
commands in the wars against revolutionary
France. Following his brother’s death in 1799,
Howe inherited his title as earl. His health had
begun declining at this point, so in 1803 Howe
resigned from the military altogether. He died
while serving as governor of Plymouth on
July 12, 1814, possibly the most controversial
British general of the American Revolution.
Bibliography
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W. With the British Army in Philadelphia.San
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tre, NY: Sarpedon, 2000; Widmer, Kemble. The
Christmas Campaign: The Ten Days of Trenton
and Princeton.Trenton: New Jersey Historical
Commission, 1975.HUGER, BENJAMIN
Huger, Benjamin
(November 22, 1805–December 7, 1877)
Confederate General
H
uger was a moderately successful offi-
cer of the antebellum army and one of
few Mexican-American War veterans
to win three brevet promotions. Old and infirm
by the Civil War, his lackluster performance
resulted in exile to secondary assignments.
Benjamin Huger was born in Charleston,
South Carolina, on November 22, 1805, into a
distinguished Southern family of Huguenot
descent. His father, Francis K. Huger, an army
officer, was formerly an aide-de-camp to Gen.
James Wilkinson in 1800 and also served as
adjutant general during the War of 1812. His
mother was the daughter of Gen. Thomas
Pinckney of the American Revolution. Huger
gained admittance to West Point in 1821 and
four years later graduated eighth in a class of- He was subsequently commissioned a sec-
ond lieutenant in the Third U.S. Artillery; he
performed topographical duty until 1828 be-
fore visiting Europe on a leave of absence.
Huger joined the Ordnance Department upon
his return, rising to captain in 1832. In this ca-
pacity he commanded the garrison at Fortress
Monroe, Virginia, for 12 years while also serv-
ing on the ordnance board for seven years.