Volney Erskine Howard was born in
Norridgewock, Somerset County, Maine on October 22, 1809, to Richard Howard, a prosperous farmer. He attended
Bloomfield Academy, Skowhegan, Maine and Waterford College. At the age of 22, Howard traveled to Mississippi to study law and he commenced law practice in
Brandon, Mississippi. In 1856, he was appointed
Adjutant General of California, following the resignation of
William T. Sherman during the time of the
San Francisco Committee of Vigilance. His attempt to oppose the Committee by force quickly failed, and he moved the same year to
Sacramento. He later served as a delegate to the second
California constitutional convention in 1878–1879 ==References==