— Ch. 1 · Lineage And Early Life —
Frank Key Howard.
~3 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
Frank Key Howard entered the world on the 25th of October 1826. He carried a heavy name within American history. His grandfather Francis Scott Key wrote The Star-Spangled Banner during the War of 1812. Another grandfather was John Eager Howard, a Revolutionary War colonel. This dual heritage placed him at the center of national memory before he turned twenty. Howard worked as a journalist in Baltimore by the early 1850s. He edited the Daily Exchange newspaper with a clear political stance. The paper supported Confederate interests while Maryland remained a border state. His family background did not prevent him from taking a controversial position. Many citizens viewed his editorial choices as dangerous to Union efforts.
Editorial Conflict With Lincoln
Just after midnight on the 13th of September 1861, federal agents arrived at Howard's home. Major General Nathaniel Prentice Banks led the arrest team without a warrant. George B. McClellan had issued direct orders for this action. President Abraham Lincoln had suspended habeas corpus in Maryland earlier that month. The Daily Exchange published an editorial criticizing these moves. It also attacked the imprisonment of Baltimore mayor George William Brown. Henry May, a sitting U.S. Congressman, sat in jail alongside city police commissioners. The entire city council faced detention under martial law declared by the administration. Secretary of State William Seward reportedly gave the order to the arresting officer. Howard wrote later that the government targeted him for speaking against these policies. The editorial became the specific basis for his removal from freedom.