Author: Michael Edwin Garey
Timothy Howe was born October 6, 1742 in Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts to Bezaleel Howe and Anna Foster. Timothy first served in the British army under General Abercrombie including the defeat to General Montcalm at Ticonderoga in 1758. He later served under Lord Jeffrey Amherst who recaptured both Ticonderoga and Montreal for the British. After the surrender of Canada to the British, Timothy settled at Stillwater, New York. He married Elizabeth Andrus and became a Baptist lay-preacher. In 1772, Timothy, his wife and five children with his father-in-law Titus Andrus moved to Wyoming on the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. No reason is known why they moved.

In the early winter of 1777 a couple came to the Fort Wyoming and Timothy put them up at his inconvenience. In the spring the couple left. Unknown to the people at the Fort is the couple were British spies and they went back to inform the British what they found at the Fort. In 1778, 1200 Rangers, Royal Greens and Iroquois set out and easily captured the Wyoming territory. The men at the Fort heard the British were coming and decided to fight rather than surrender. The men marched out of the Fort to protect the women and children and met the enemy. Only nine men survived the battle and subsequent massacre by the British and particularly the Indians, Lieutenant Timothy Howe being one of them. The next morning, the 4th of July, the British demanded an unconditional surrender of the Fort and said anyone who was involved in the battle the previous day would not be given any favor. With that, Timothy escaped leaving his wife and children.

Elizabeth Andrus was captured with all the others at the Fort. She was spared and the following day she took her children outside the fort to pick berries. They gradually moved further and further away until they were able to run into the woods. She led the children, including future Patriots Timothy Jr. and his twin brother Titus who were 13 years old at the time, across the Pocono Mountains to the Delaware Water Gap. After crossing the Delaware River they entered Orange county, New York. During the journey the only food they had was berries they found along the way.

Sources:
“Four Brothers In The American Revolution”, by Herbert Baker Howe, pub. 1957, pages 13 - 23
“Howe Genealogies”, by Daniel Wait Howe, pub. 1929, pages 65 and 126 - 127
"Major Bezaleel Howe 1750-1825", by Herbert Barber Howe, pub. 1950, pages 34 and 35
“Genealogy of John Howe of Sudbury & Marlborough MA” by Daniel Wait Howe, pub 1929, pages 126 and 127

Additional biography submitted by Donald Arthur Deering, SAR# 172105, Lawrence Everhart Chapter, MD Society:
Timothy Howe, Senior
(1742-1826)

Timothy Howe, Senior was the eldest son of Bezaleel and Anna Howe, born 6 October 1742 in Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. He was the oldest of four brothers, which included Darius, Baxter and Bezaleel. Circa 1764 he married Elizabeth Andrus, born 1745 at Stillwater, Albany County, New York. There were a total of eight children born of this marriage: Timothy Junior, Titus, Elizabeth, Lucy, Anna, Darius, Lydia and Bezaleel. We know their twin sons, Timothy Howe Junior and Titus Howe born 27 June 1765, are also proven Revolutionary War Patriots and enlisted in 1782 in Tower Hill in the New York Levies. Timothy Senior served in the French and Indian war, and after his marriage moved to Wyoming on the Susquehanna River, where he lived until driven out by the Indians and Tories in July 1778. Lieutenant Timothy Howe Senior fought in the Battle of Wyoming of Pennsylvania on July 3, 1778 under Captain Dethick Hewitt with the 24th Regiment. Captain Hewitt was slain with his whole company, except nine men (including Timothy) who made their escape. Timothy’s name appears as a survivor on the Wyoming Monument erected in 1833 in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. His wife Elizabeth while at Forty Fort during the battle, gathered her 7 children together, and watching her opportunity when the enemy was otherwise engaged, wandered into the woods and made their escape. Mother and children travelled for three days through the wilderness, and after fording the Delaware River and many other streams, they finally reached the Great Nine Partners, in Dutchess Co., New York after a 200 mile journey. Timothy after two additional years of military service, found his way to Tower Hill, where he and wife Elizabeth were reunited. On 14 July 1780, she gave birth to their 8th child, Bezaleel; however, she died due to child birth complications on the same day. She is buried along the road over Tower Hill in the southwestern town of Amenia, near the boundary line of the Town of Washington not far from Wassaic, New York. Her grave is unmarked. Following the loss of his wife Elizabeth, Timothy married Zipporah Cash on 14 April 1782. Timothy Senior fathered another 7 children with his 2nd wife, their names are: Mary, Martin, Phoebe, Daniel, Isaac, Ira and Amanda; in all he fathered 15 children. Timothy Howe Senior died at Wyoming, Genesee County, New York in 1826 at the age of 84, his location of his grave is unknown.