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William was born in England, the third son of the Emmanuel Howe, 2nd Viscount Howe and Mary Sophia. His mother was the daughter of Baroness Kielmansegge and had been a mistress of King George I. This connection with the crown may have improved the careers of all three sons (they looked something like George I), but all were also very capable officers. William's eldest brother was General George Howe, who was killed at Ticonderoga in 1758. The next brother was Admiral Richard Howe who joined him in America during the revolution.
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During the Seven Years War Howe's service first brought him to Amerca. His service in this conflict did much to raise his reputation. William commanded a regiment at the siege of Louisbourg and led a successful amphibious landing. This action under fire earned the attacker's a flanking position and earned Howe his commander's praise.
Howe commanded the light infantry under Major General James Wolfe at the Battle of Quebec, Canada on September 13, 1759. He led a fighting ascent to gain position on the Plains of Abraham, clearing the way for Wolfe's army to assemble before that battle. His actions here earned him the rank of Brigadier General. He earned further fame in the capture of Montreal under Jeffrey Amherst before returning to England. Howe also served in the capture of Belle Isle, off the French coast, in 1761. He was adjutant-general of the force that captured Havana in 1762.
In 1761 Howe was elected a Member of Parliament for Nottingham. This was not unusual, as the election of 1761 sent over 60 army officers to the commons He was generally sympathetic to the colonies, but he was quiet and reserved in his support. He did oppose the Coercive Acts[?], and in 1774 assured his constituents that he would resist active duty against the Americans. But when the time came and King George called in 1775 he sailed for America.
While Howe wasn't injured in the battle, it had a pronounced affect on his spirit. The daring, aggressive commander who had served with Wolfe became the cautious, reluctant General who was slow to seek direct confrontation. His concept that those in open rebellion were a small minority of Americans who would fold with a display of force was shattered. Howe's report to Lord Germain called for 19,000 additional troops and included the prophecy that "...with a less force....this war may be spun out until England will be heartily sick of it."
Howe failed to support the Saratoga Campaign in 1777. Instead he launched the campaign to capture Philadelphia. He succeeded, just as he had in New York, but again failed to crush Washington.
wikipedia.org dumped 2003-03-17 with terodump