Ka cika wannan magana: An haifi Howry a ranar 14 ga Mayu, 1844 a Oxford, Mississippi, ɗan James M. Howry da Narcissa (Bowen) Howry. Ya karɓi karatunsa na farko a Oxford kuma ya fara karatu a Jami'ar Mississippi, amma ya bar kwalejin don yin aiki a Yaƙin Basasa na Amurka. Howry ya shiga rundunar sojojin Amurka ta 29th Mississippi Infantry Regiment a matsayin mai zaman kansa. Daga baya ya sami kwamiti, kuma ya sami mukamin kyaftin. Kwarewar yaƙin Howry ya haɗa da Yaƙin Chickamauga,
Lookout Mountain, Mishan Ridge, Resaca, Cocin New Hope, Peachtree Creek, Atlanta, Jonesborough, da kuma Franklin. Howry ya ji rauni a yakin Franklin, kuma ya kasance a cikin soja har zuwa karshen yakin. Bayan yakin, Howry ya kasance memba na dogon lokaci na Tsohon Sojan Tarayyar Tarayya. Ya yi aiki a matsayin shugabanni da dama, ciki har da kwamandan rundunar sojojin Arewacin Virginia tare da mukamin Laftanar Janar.