Joseph Howell Jr.

Joseph Howell Jr. was born in Philadelphia on 30 June 1750, the son of Joseph Howell Sr. and Hannah (Hudson) Howell.^[1] He was raised and educated in Philadelphia and joined the Continental Army in 1776.^[1] He paid to raise and equip a company, of which he was appointed commander with the rank of captain.^[2] Howell's company was mustered into the army as part of the Pennsylvania Musketry Battalion, which was commanded by Samuel John Atlee.^[1] He was taken prisoner at the August 1776 Battle of Long Island, then held aboard the prison ship HMS Jersey.^[1]

After Howell was released in December 1776, he joined the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment, which was commanded by Walter Stewart.^[1] Unable to continue active service in the field as the result of health complications brought on by his time as a prisoner of war, Howell was appointed the regiment's paymaster with the rank of major.^[1] As a major in the United States Army, he was appointed auditor of accounts for the Department of War under the Articles of Confederation.^[1] In 1788, he succeeded John Pierce Jr. as paymaster-general, and he served until 1792.^[1][3]

After the 1791 adoption of the United States Constitution, Howell served at the Department of War with a commission as a major in the newly-organized Legion of the United States.^[1] He was appointed the department's accountant, and he served in this position until resigning in April 1795.^[4] He was also an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati, and from 1791 to 1793 he was secretary of the Pennsylvania society.^[1] Howell died in Philadelphia on 8 August 1798.^[1]

In 1785, Howell married Rebecca Betterton.^[1] They were the parents of a son, Benjamin B., and she died in 1787.^[1] In 1794, he married Hannah Kinnard.^[5] They were the parents of two children, son Jacob L. and daughter Rebecca E.^[2]