The subject of this sketch was born July 17, 1828, at Portobello, Scotland, son of William Howie, a merchant, by a Miss Jameson, niece of Sir John Jameson, of County Wexford, Ireland. Thomas attended public school in London until twelve years of age, when he ran away to sea. In 1845 he was in the Mexican war and served throughout. He was afterward one of the 1,400 volunteers who went from New Orleans to Yucatan to suppress the rebellion, only 300 of whom returned. He then served until 1853 on the northwestern frontier carrying government dispatches, after which he went to Melbourne, Australia, via London. Turning his attention to mining, he remained in Australia and New Zealand until 1863, after which he went to San Francisco, and from thence into government service at Fort Leavenworth. After the war he settled in the Solomon Valley, organized Mitchell County, and was appointed justice of the peace by Governor Samuel J. Crawford, but, owing to the raids of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe, he had to leave that country in 1870, and came to the Cherokee Nation, where he now resides, devoting his attention to farming and stock-raising. In April 1870, he married Mrs. Mary Tiger, originally from Georgia. Her father was a white man, and her mother was a Miss Adair, niece of Judge Thompson Adair, of Tahlequah, and a cousin of ex-Chief Mayes. Mr. Howie has 200 acres of farmland and 75 head of cattle, besides mules and horses, a flock of sheep and Angora goats, and a stock of hogs, with a good home residence, orchard and garden. Mrs. Howie is a finely educated woman, of a kind and lovable disposition. Mr. Howie is about the middle height and weight, of good education and remarkable literary talents. He is Scotch-English, and of great energy and force of character. Few men have had an equal opportunity of seeing life and character in its every phase as has Mr. Howie.
