Arthur Lockhart “Gat”” Howard

An old military archives record shows his place of birth as Hinsdale,New Hampshire although they have no record of his birth there. He waslargely raised in Connecticut, I believe, his family being from there. His brothers were Oscar and Albert and he had a sister named Estelle. He went to the Chicopee Grammar School in Massachusetts in 1860 andwas listed as 15th in his class. He was a member of the NationalGuard in Connecticut where he gained his first military experience,although it is reported that he enlisted while underage during theCivil War. He is registered as Private 2nd Company in 1880-1884 andthen as a 2nd Lieutenant commanding 2nd MG Platoon in 1884. It alsolists him as a Sargeant in the U.S. Cavalry in 1866, being dischargedin 1871. He was a soldier of fortune most of his life, fighting inwars to help demonstrate and market his gatling gun and munititions.He reportedly fought for five years as a young man putting down indianinsurrections in America. He is known as "Gat" Howard, not because heinvented the gun but because he improved it, increasing its powerimmensely. He apparently knew it better than Mr. Gatling himself.

He is listed as a machinest at The Winchester Repeating Arms Companyat 42 Munsen Street in New Haven, Connecticut in 1876. In 1877 heleft the company where he was a foreman to establish a small shop ofhis own adjoining his house at 58 Brewster Street in New Haven. Hemade shot shells and other amunitions (known as the Standard,Keystone, New York Club and ALH shotshells), marketing them to suchfirms as Keystone Ammunition of Philadelphia and U.S. CartridgeCompany in Lowell, Massachusetts until 1881. His plant was completelydestroyed by fire in that year and he then joined the U.S. CartridgeCompany in Lowell, Massachusetts assuming charge of their shotshelldepartment. After he joined U.S. Cartridge, they patented the famousBlack Climax cartridge which won the National Trap Shoot in 1884 andin 1917. He was still a member of the National Guard of Connecticutand his first 5 children were born in New Haven during this time. In1883, 1884 and 1885 he is listed at 58 Shelton Street in New Haven andbegan his own company again with partner G.P. Salisbury named A.L.Howard & Company. In 1885, he went to Canada as asalesman/demonstrator for gatling guns and fought in the famous Battleof Batoche Ferry (assisting General Middleton), being instrumental inthe victory against Louis Riel, the renegade Indian leader of the RielRebellion. This was his first exposure to Canada and as a result ofhis experiences, he decided the market for his munitions was wide openresulting in his lifelong association with Quebec.

In 1886, he lobbied the Dominion government to make his ammunitions inCanada which led to the formation of the Dominion Cartridge Companyand the construction of a factory and plant in Brownsburg, Canada.This became his home and he built a large estate, completed in 1898,in the town. It is mentioned in an obscure article that his wife,Sarah Newgeon Howard, did not follow him to Brownsburg, however,explaining his subsequent marriage to a farmer's daughter fromBrownsburg named Margaret Green. A child by her is mentioned in hiswill, but has never been found. He also opened a plant in Capelton toproduce fulminate of mercury in 1892 and gave the running of it to hisson George Howard in 1897.

News of the Boer War in South Africa naturally sparked his interest asa possible location to demonstrate his war machines and he enlisted onDecember 29, 1899 as a Lieutenant of the Canadian Mounted Rifles, forduty with machine gun detachment. A harrowing trip over with his twohorses on the transport ship Laurentian was documented. Hisdetachment became known affectionately as "Howard's Scouts," beingattached to the British Army. Word of his death in battle came onFebruary 17, 1901 at the age of 57, after nearly a year in SouthAfrica. Lord Kitchener wrote a two page commendation, describing GatHoward as a "gallant and enterprising officer." One of the men whofought next to him wrote that he was "afraid of nothing, takingdelight in facing bullets." He evidently always rode a white horse,audaciously attracting attention from the enemy.

A.L. Howard is variously described as stern, courageous, hard-driving,but kind and generous as well as having a sense of humor. He hasattained a rather legendary status in Quebec, Canada and to hisdescendants, as well. Leonard Wilson who worked at the plant inBrownsburg for 50 years, remembers him as a "man who got things done." Sarah, his daughter, described him as a kindly man who took good careof his children. There are many letters that he wrote home to hischildren from South Africa that display his affection for them. Hewas away much of the time, however, on his mercenary exploits, whichmight explain his wife's estrangement from him. There is a referencein one of his letters home, telling his son George to castigate hisbrother Nelson for not writing to him.

He is buried in Rustplaate, Transvaal, South Africa and his tombstonereads "In Memory of Major A.L. Howard, Howard's Scouts, Killed inAction, 7th February 1901."

National Archives and Records Administration- U.S. Army, Register ofEnlistments, 1798-1914 Record for Arthur L Howard 1867
Name:Arthur L Howard
Birthyear:abt 1846
Birthplace:New Hampshire, United States
Enlistment Age:21

Lieut. Howard's Sad Story. He Still Loves the Wife Against Whom aDivorce Suit Was Begun to-Day (News Article)
Date: 1888-03-22; Paper: New Haven Register

Divorced by the Courts. Lt. Howard a Single Man Again (News Article)
Date: 1888-11-02; Paper: New Haven Register

From:http://www.angloboerwar.com/other-information/16-other-information/1843-mentions-in-despatches-army
For Meritorious Services.
In bringing the following to notice for meritorious servicesperformed, Lord Roberts says it is impossible at this date to make thelist complete, and junior officers especially will be brought tonotice later.
Canada-Royal Canadian Dragoons: Lieutenant Colonels T D B Evans, F LLessard; Lieutenant B E W Turner; Private L W B Molloy. Strathcona'sHorse: Lieutenant Colonel S B Steele; Majors A Belcher, A M Jarvis;Captains G W Cameron, F L Cartwright, G F Mackie (adjutant);Lieutenants A E Christie, J E Leckie, Surgeon Lieutenant C B Keenan,MD; Regimental Sergeant Major J Hynes; Squadron Sergeant Major JRichards; Sergeants, W H Nelles, J M B Starving. Royal CanadianArtillery: Colonel C W Drury; Majors Houdin, G Ogilvie; Surgeon-MajorA N Worthington (attached); Captain H A Panet; Lieutenant L E WIrving; Battery-Sergeant Major W H Grimlett; Gunner Laidlaw. RoyalCanadian Regiment: Colonel W D Otter; Lieutenant Colonel L Buchan;Captain A H Macdonell; Lieutenant J H J Ogilvie (adjutant); Privates JKennedy, J Landen, M Crooke, B B Thompson. Mounted Infantry: TrooperWaite. Mounted Rifles: Captain A C Macdonald (2nd); Lieutenants HDavidson, A L Howard, W M Inglis, F Young; Regimental Sergeant MajorChurch; Sergeant B H Ryan; Corporals T Gallaghan, T B Miles, F WWhitlow; Trooper Crawley; Privates T Kerr (killed), S E Morrison,Hammond, Miles.

http://images.uwinnipeg.ca/action.cfm?letter=M&subject=Military&maxRows=99999&mode=browse&display=long
image no.:17329
contact sheet:A0546
collection:Royal Winnipeg Rifles Museum
description:Photo Taken From A Oil Painting Hanging In The Officers'Mess Rooms Of Captain "Gut" Howard. Legend On Painting Is "PresentedTo 90th Winnipeg Rifles By Captain A.L. Howard In Recollection OfPleasant Associations Of Northwest Campaign Of 1885". Capt. Howard WasMurdered By Boers In South Africa
subject(s):Military ? North West Rebellion ? Personalities
date:1885