Howe, Richard Howe, Earl

Howe, Richard Howe, Earl, 1726–99, British admiral; elder brother of Viscount Howe. He won early recognition in the Seven Years War for his operations in the English Channel. After the outbreak of the American Revolution, he was given (1776) command of the North American fleet. He and his brother were commissioned to seek a peaceful settlement of the dispute with the colonies, but negotiations at Staten Island in 1776 came to nothing, and he supported (1777) his brother's successful campaign against Philadelphia. In 1778 he outmaneuvered the French fleet under the comte d'Estaing in its attempt to cooperate with land troops to take British-held Newport, R.I. He resigned later that year, but in 1782 he assumed command of the Channel fleet and relieved the siege of Gibraltar. Howe is best remembered for his decisive victory over the French fleet in the battle called the First of June in 1794. Created Earl Howe in 1788, he was popularly known as Black Dick.

Bibliography

See I. D. Gruber, The Howe Brothers and the American Revolution (1972).

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Howe, Richard Howe, Earl

(born March 8, 1726, London, Eng.—died Aug. 5, 1799) English admiral who commanded the British fleet to victory in the Battle of the First of June (1794) in the French Revolutionary Wars. As vice admiral (from 1775), he commanded in North America (1776–78), defeating French attempts to take Newport, R.I. After returning to England, he commanded the Channel fleet against the French and Spaniards and served as first lord of the Admiralty (1783–88). In 1793 he again commanded the Channel fleet. His victory against the French on June 1, 1794, provided an example of tactical excellence for his successors, including Horatio Nelson.