Howard Harding was born around 1837 in Lowville, New York. By 1850, he and his sister Mary were living with their uncle Charles Morse in Lowville. By 1855, Harding was working as a farmer in Lowville, He moved to Chatham, Illinois, sometime before 1861. He enlisted in the Union army on July 20, 1861, and he mustered in as a private in Company A of the 3rd Illinois Cavalry on August 21. According to his service records, he was 5 feet, 6 inches tall, with brown hair and hazel eyes. The regiment took part in the Battle of Pea Ridge, the Battle of Port Gibson, and the siege of Vicksburg. He was promoted on June 8, 1863, and assigned to a new regiment, but the details are unclear. He died sometime after 1863.