John Howard was born on February 11, 1767 in Laurens County, South Carolina. He married Nancy Martha Howard on Jan 29, 1810 in Knox County, Tennessee. A prior wife is not documented. His verified children are limited to Nathan, William, and Phillip Allen Howard but he may have fathered 7 or more children. John Howard died April 9, 1851 and is buried in Clear Creek Cemetery in Morgan County, Tennessee.
John Howard was raised on his father’s plantation in Lauren’s County, South Carolina close to the Cherokee Boundary. John was one of eleven children as documented by his father, John Milton Howard 1728-1818, in his will which includes the names of Avis, Edward, Elizabeth, Susannah, our John, Stephen, Thomas, Samuel, William, Sarah, and Joseph. John spent his boyhood learning the language and customs of the local Chickamauga Band of Cherokee Indians.
In August 1775, four months after the start of the revolutionary war, John’s father, John Milton Howard, left his wife and family to join the Charleston Volunteer Militia under Captain Charles Drayton. It’s not surprising that young John Howard would want to follow the example of his father. And so, in April of 1781, John Howard enlisted under Captain William Barrey and Lieutenant William Brown as a private in the South Carolina New Acquisition District Regiment Militia. John had just turned 14 years old in February of 1781.
He marched to Gilbert’s Fort (probably Gowan’s Fort) in Spartanburg County in Northwestern South Carolina where he was assigned to spy on the local Cherokee Indians and British Loyalists for the next six months. Because of his young age and ability to speak Cherokee, John Howard was the perfect choice for a spy. As a teenager, he was able to circulate freely among the British, Loyalists, and Cherokee to listen to and report on enemy conversations without suspicion.
His spy mission complete, John Howard was verbally released from duty by Captain Barrey in October of 1781, six months after his enlistment. For his service as a spy in the Revolutionary War, John Howard was awarded 640 acres and a $20 annual pension.John lived in Laurens County, South Carolina up until about 1801, then moved to Christian County, Kentucky. He lived in Kentucky from 1801 to 1810 then moved to Knox County, TN. John Howard and his wife lived in Knox County, TN approximately 5 years and then moved to Roane County, TN in about 1815.
Roane County was divided in 1817 and the land where his farm was located became Morgan County. There are three land grants for John Howard near Little Clear Creek in Morgan County, Tennessee of 30, 50 and 100 acres respectively. Also attributed to John Howard is Howards Mill, located on Clear Creek in Morgan County. A land grant of 300 acres was awarded to John Howard on the Crab Apple branch of Daddy’s Creek in Cumberland County near present day Crossville and Peavine, Tennessee. Many of John Howard’s descendants still live in that area.