John A. Howard, 21st., Penn., Cavalry.

John A. Howard.

Birth: Sep. 12, 1840, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Death: Oct. 21, 1919, Scotland, Franklin County, Pennsylvania.

Burial: Spring Hill Cemetery, Shippensburg, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.

Civil War Record.

A Civil War veteran, he first served with Mercereau's Independent Cavalry Militia August 20, 1863 - February, 1864, but is on the roster as "John Hower." He then enlisted and mustered into federal service at Chambersburg February 4, 1864, as a private with Co. G, 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry (182nd Pa). Wounded in the head at Petersburg, Virginia, August 8, 1864, he returned to active duty (minus some hair, as the photo to the right shows) and honorably discharged with his company July 8, 1865.

Files of the Surgeon General.

Push to enlarge.

HOWARD, JOHN A., Private, Co. G, 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry, aged 21 years, was wounded in the engagement of the 2d Cavalry Division with the enemy near Jettersville, Virginia, April 5th, 1865, by two sabre-cuts, one of the right side of the head, and the other on the back. He was admitted to the Field Hospital of the Cavalry Corps on the day of his injury, when it was ascertained that the wound in the back was not serious, but that the cut on the head, six inches in length, and nearly parallel to the coronal suture, had involved the external table of the parietal bone. The hair was shaven, the wound approximated by adhesive strips, and cold water dressing applied. There were no grave cerebral symptoms, and on April 28th the wounded man was sent to the Base Hospital, at City Point, and thence, on April 30th, to Harewood Hospital, at Washington. A day or two after his admission, a photograph of his wound was made, by direction of Surgeon R. B. Bontecou, U. S. Vols., which is preserved as No. 16 of Volume I, Photographs of Surgical Cases, A. M. M. The middle figure in the preceding lithograph of "Sabre wounds of the head" is a faithful copy of this picture. His case progressing very favorably, Howard was transferred, on May 18th, to Mower Hospital, at Philadelphia. He was mustered out of service on .Inly 18th, 1865, with a pension of six dollars a month. In December, 1867, Howard was living at Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. He writes that he suffers greatly from dizziness, and that there have been several exfoliations from the parietal bones since he went to his home.