Earlier in his career, he was the 7th Attorney General of Wisconsin and served as a Union Army colonel in the American Civil War.
He was re-elected in 1861, but resigned office in October 1862 to volunteer with the Union Army for service in the American Civil War.
[1] During his second term as Attorney General, Howe led the state delegation to recover the body of Governor Louis P. Harvey, who had drowned while on a visit to the wounded soldiers from the Battle of Shiloh.
The regiment departed Wisconsin on October 30 and marched to Chicago, they then traveled by river to Memphis, Tennessee, via Cairo, Illinois.
The 32nd Wisconsin was the first regiment to reach Holly Springs after the raid, and immediately proceeded on a forced march toward Grand Junction, Tennessee, which was also under threat.
They ultimately returned to Memphis on February 2, 1863, and quartered there on provost duty through most of 1863, with an eye toward deterring Forrest, who was still attempting raids in the area.
[2] On March 11, 1864, the 32nd Wisconsin, along with XVI Corps, returned to Cairo on maneuvers to link up with General Grant on his operations in northern Alabama and Georgia.
At Cairo, the 32nd, along with other regiments, was diverted to Union City, Tennessee, to again deal with a raid by Nathan Bedford Forrest.
[1] He moved to Kenosha and from 1876 to 1892 was Solicitor for the Chicago, St. Paul and Omaha Railway Co.[7] Howe was nominated by President Ulysses S. Grant on December 9, 1873, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin vacated by Judge Andrew G. Miller.
[1] Following his resignation from the federal bench and railroad work, Howe served for a time on the board of the J. L. Perry Manufacturing Company.