Arthur L. "Gat" Howard DSO (February 16, 1846 – February 7, 1901), was an American and Canadian expert in the use of the early machine gun. He is best known for his use of a

Gatling gun The Gatling gun is a rapid-firing multiple-barrel firearm invented in 1861 by Richard Jordan Gatling of North Carolina. It is an early machine gun and a forerunner of the modern electric motor-driven rotary cannon. The Gatling gun's operatio ...

in support of the

Canadian militia The Canadian Militia is a historical title for military units raised for the defence of Canada. The term has been used to describe sedentary militia units raised from local communities in Canada; as well as the regular army for the Province of Ca ...

in the

North-West Rebellion The North-West Rebellion (), was an armed rebellion of Métis under Louis Riel and an associated uprising of Cree and Assiniboine mostly in the District of Saskatchewan, against the Government of Canada, Canadian government. Important events i ...

of 1885.

Life

Battle of Batoche Print by Seargent Grundy

Howard served for five years in the regular

United States Cavalry The United States Cavalry, or U.S. Cavalry, was the designation of the mounted force of the United States Army. The United States Cavalry was formally created by an act of United States Congress, Congress on 3 August 1861 and ceased as a dist ...

. After leaving the regular army, he lived in

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...

, where he was employed by Winchester Arms. Howard then formed a cartridge-making firm of his own called A.L. Howard & Co., but his business premises were destroyed by fire in 1883. On July 18, 1884, Howard was placed in command of the Machine Gun Platoon,

Connecticut National Guard The Connecticut Military Department is a state agency of the government of Connecticut. Its primary components are the Connecticut Army National Guard, the Connecticut Air National Guard, and four companies of the state militia. The Military D ...

, with the rank of Second Lieutenant. When the

Métis The Métis ( , , , ) are a mixed-race Indigenous people whose historical homelands include Canada's three Prairie Provinces extending into parts of Ontario, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the northwest United States. They ha ...

and Indians broke out in western Canada, in March 1885, the Canadian militia commander, Major General

Frederick Middleton Sir Frederick Dobson Middleton (4 November 1825 – 25 January 1898) was a British general noted for his service throughout the Empire and particularly in the North-West Rebellion in Canada. Imperial military career Middleton was born in Lo ...

, suggested that two Gatling guns be procured from the United States. Dr. Richard J. Gatling, the gun's inventor, began searching for a man who was an expert in the use of the Gatling, and selected Lieutenant Howard. Howard agreed to go to Canada with the two Gatlings. He was granted a month's leave of absence from the Guard (later extended). The Connecticut Guard later made it plain that they had "no hand" in Howard's planned expedition. Howard left his wife and four children and a comfortable middle class life to travel to the

North-West Territories The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately and a 2021 census population of 41,070, it is the second-largest and the most populous of the three territories in Northern Canada. Its estimated pop ...

with the Gatlings. His fascination with the Gatling gun, and scientific determination to test it under arduous battle conditions seem to have motivated his undertaking a dangerous mission which completely lacked U.S. government sanction – although this did not deter him from wearing his blue American officer's uniform in Canada, even on the battlefield. Howard's unofficial status was made even plainer when Dr. Gatling said that the lieutenant was not working for the Gatling manufacturer. He was travelling to Canada, Dr. Gatling said, merely as "a friend of the gun." Howard journeyed, partly by rail, partly overland, to

Swift Current Swift Current is the sixth-largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is situated along the Trans-Canada Highway west of Moose Jaw, and east of Medicine Hat, Alberta. As of 2024, Swift Current has an estimated population of ...

, North-West Territories. There he gave a demonstration of the weapon to some fascinated Canadian militiamen and Mounted Police, one of whom wrote: "These curious instruments of destruction we inspect with interest, and their trial is watched eagerly. A few rounds are fired at some duck on a distant pond – no execution is done apparently, but the rapidity of fire shows us how very deadly a weapon of this kind might be on proper occasions. We want now to see one tried on the Indians..." One of the Gatlings was used at the

Battle of Cut Knife The Battle of Cut Knife, fought on May 2, 1885, during the North-West Rebellion, occurred when a flying column of North-West Mounted Police, Canadian militia, and Canadian regulars attacked a Cree and Assiniboine teepee settlement near Batt ...

on May 2, 1885. However eyewitness accounts make it clear that Howard was not present; rather, the gun was operated by Canadian gunners. Howard himself and one Gatling embarked on the

South Saskatchewan River The South Saskatchewan River is a major river in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The river begins at the confluence of the Bow River, Bow and Oldman Rivers in southern Alberta and ends at the Saskatchewan River Forks in ce ...

aboard the steamboat ''Northcote'', by which he travelled to Fish Creek, arriving on May 5, 1885. There he formed part of a Canadian militia column, which then moved on

Louis Riel Louis Riel (; ; 22 October 1844 – 16 November 1885) was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political leader of the Métis in Canada, Métis people. He led two resistance movements against the Government of ...

's capital at

Batoche Batoche, which lies between Prince Albert and Saskatoon in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, was the site of the historic Battle of Batoche during the North-West Rebellion of 1885. The battle resulted in the defeat of Louis Riel and his M ...

. On May 9, 1885, the first day of the

Battle of Batoche A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

, Howard fired some of the first shots from the militia side, aiming some rounds at the Roman Catholic rectory (the bullet holes may still be seen). He distinguished himself in action later that day, when his prompt and courageous actions prevented a group of the Métis from capturing one or more Canadian field guns. He was shifted that day from place to place so that the Gatling's firepower could be used to beat off significant enemy attacks. On May 12, 1885, the final day of the battle, Howard and his Gatling were again in the thick of the fighting, being brought up to defeat the last resistance near the village of Batoche. After the militia victory, Howard stayed in Canada, and became a wealthy cartridge manufacturer. On the outbreak of the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

, he became a machine-gun officer in the

Canadian Mounted Rifles Canadian Mounted Rifles was part of the designation of several mounted infantry units in Canada in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Units of the Permanent Active Militia Permanent Active Militia was the proper name of Canada's full-time ...

. He then organized a unit called the Canadian Scouts, with the rank of major. Arthur Howard was killed in action at Rustplaats on February 17, 1901. Major Howard's grave is in

Wakkerstroom Wakkerstroom (''Awake Stream'') is the second oldest town in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. The town is on the KwaZulu-Natal border, 27 km east of Volksrust and 56 km south-east of Amersfoort. History The settlement was laid out o ...

, Mpumalanga, South Africa. He was posthumously

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...

for "acts of gallantry" and awarded the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...

. Howard was given the nickname "Gat" by the Canadian popular press during the campaign of 1885.

Life

References

Further reading