Henry Prince (June 19, 1811 – August 19, 1892) was an American military officer and

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

general. After graduating from the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

, he would actively fight in the

Seminole Wars The Seminole Wars (also known as the Florida Wars) were a series of three military conflicts between the United States and the Seminoles that took place in Florida between about 1816 and 1858. The Seminoles are a Native American nation which co ...

and

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

, and also take on various support roles such as military recruiter,

surveyor Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually on the ...

fort A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...

commander, and eventually

paymaster A paymaster is someone appointed by a group of buyers, sellers, investors or lenders to receive, hold, and dispense funds, commissions, fees, salaries (remuneration) or other trade, loan, or sales proceeds within the private sector or public secto ...

. With the outbreak of the American Civil War, he would join the

United States Volunteers United States Volunteers also known as U.S. Volunteers, U.S. Volunteer Army, or other variations of these, were military volunteers called upon during wartime to assist the United States Army but who were separate from both the Regular Army (United ...

on the Union side and quickly receive an appointment to brigadier general. He would become one of the war's oldest surviving officers, and in 1866, he was awarded an honorary brevet rank of brigadier general in the parallel US Regular Army. Prince would continue to serve as a paymaster until retiring, and eventually move to

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

where he lived in financial comfort. However, despondent over constant physical pain from war wounds that had never entirely healed, he committed suicide in a

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

hotel at the age of 81.

Background

Henry Prince was born in

Eastport, Maine Eastport is a city and archipelago in Washington County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,288 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making Eastport the least-populous city in Maine. The principal island is Moose Island, Maine, ...

, the son of Benjamin D. Prince. His father served as paymaster in the Massachusetts Militia during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

. Henry Prince would follow in his father's footsteps both as a military officer and paymaster. Prince enrolled as a cadet at the

on September 1, 1831, and graduated 30th in his class on July 1, 1835. Later on September 18, 1835, the army commissioned Prince as a Brevet Second Lieutenant in the 4th Infantry Regiment. Prince made his formal oath of allegiance to the United States on November 3, 1835.

Early service

The Seminole Wars and Indian Territory

Prince's first posting with the 4th Infantry was

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, where he would see regular action in the

. He participated in several battles, including at Oloklikaha, Thlonotosassa Creek, and Camp Izard where he was wounded in action while defending the fort. On June 11, 1836, Prince received his formal

commission In-Commission or commissioning may refer to: Business and contracting * Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered ** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of anot ...

as a 2nd lieutenant. He would remain on duty in Florida through 1837 and into 1838, receiving an appointment to

1st lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a sen ...

on July 7. By the end of 1838, however, the army had transferred Prince and his

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

to assist with resettling the

Muscogee Creek The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek or just Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language; English: ), are a group of related Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsIndian removal policy. In 1839, the army posted Prince to

Fort Gibson Fort Gibson is a historic military site next to the modern city of Fort Gibson, in Muskogee County Oklahoma. It guarded the American frontier in Indian Territory from 1824 to 1888. When it was constructed, the fort was farther west than any ot ...

Indian Territory Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...

, and specifically tasked him with helping construct a road to

Fort Smith, Arkansas Fort Smith is the List of municipalities in Arkansas, third-most populous city in Arkansas, United States, and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County, Arkansas, Sebastian County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the pop ...

. Later in 1839, the army would reassign him to recruitment duties, which would continue until 1841. In that year, after another period at Fort Gibson, Prince would return to Florida in 1841 for the last years of the

Second Seminole War The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between the United States and groups of people collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Muscogee, Creek and Black Seminoles as well as oth ...

. Prince kept a diary of his time in Florida, which would later be transcribed and published in 1998 with the title ''Amidst a Storm of Bullets''. After the Florida war ended in 1842, Prince would spend the next several years in various posts and roles, including recruitment, Coast Survey, and finally in late 1846,

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...

of the 4th infantry.

Mexican–American War

At the start of the Mexican War, Prince was serving in the 4th Infantry on recruiting service. The regiment would soon become involved in action, notably in the

Mexico City Campaign Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. Prince would distinguish himself in his conduct. From November 1846 to September 1847, Prince would serve as

under General

George Cadwalader George Cadwalader (May 16, 1806 – February 3, 1879) was a general in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War and American Civil War. Biography Cadwalader was born and raised in Philadelphia. He studied law and was admitted to t ...

John Baillie McIntosh John Baillie McIntosh (June 6, 1829 – June 29, 1888) was a Union Army brigadier general during the American Civil War. His brother, James M. McIntosh, served as a Confederate general until he was killed in the Battle of Pea Ridge. Early y ...

later recalled Prince's actions:

The cool deportment of the experienced officers at this time, particularly of my acting adjutant. Lieutenant Henry Prince, who, at this critical moment, advanced in front of the line and urged the men to follow, greatly contributed to encourage and to restore the enthusiasm of the command...

General Cadwalader described Prince's efforts in a difficult crossing over the highly contested Puente Nacional:

Lieutenant and Adjutant Henry Prince, of the 4th infantry, who had been assigned to command the howitzers, rendered me highly valuable service at this critical moment. He advanced with the battery, and succeeded in breaching the barricades, and preparing the way for our troops to charge, which was made under a heavy fire from the enemy.

Batalla del molino del rey - 8 septiembre de 1847

Later, he would take part in both the

Battle of Contreras The Battle of Contreras, also known as the Battle of Padierna, took place on 19–20 August 1847, in one of the final encounters of the Mexican–American War, as invading U.S. forces under Winfield Scott approached the Mexican capital. Ameri ...

and the

Battle of Churubusco The Battle of Churubusco took place on August 20, 1847, while Santa Anna's army was in retreat from the Battle of Contreras or Battle of Padierna during the Mexican–American War. It was the battle where the San Patricio Battalion, made u ...

, where he would be brevetted for gallantry for his actions. On September 8, 1847, at the

Battle of Molino del Rey The Battle of Molino del Rey (8 September 1847) was one of the bloodiest engagements of the Mexican–American War as part of the Battle for Mexico City. It was fought in September 1847 between Mexican forces under General Antonio León again ...

, Prince was severely wounded with an injury that would trouble him for the remainder of his life. Maj. Francis Lee recounted, "Prince was severely wounded while actively engaged in encouraging and animating the men by his example". During his recovery, Prince would be promoted to Captain of the 4th Infantry on September 26, 1847. He would additionally receive a brevet major for his actions in the Battle of Molino del Rey.

Paymaster

Prince would spend the next three years recovering from his injury at home in Maine. While convalescing, he was in communication with the Army regularly. Despite the state of his injury, Prince wished to make himself available to the Army in Maine should needs arise. Prince returned to active duty on December 10, 1850. He would serve as a Coast Surveyor for the next five years. On March 7, 1855, he took command of

Fort Steilacoom Fort Steilacoom was founded by the U.S. Army in 1849 near Lake Steilacoom. It was among the first military fortifications built by the U.S. north of the Columbia River in what was to become the State of Washington. The fort was constructed due ...

, Washington. On May 23, 1855, Prince was promoted to the rank of Major. That year he would begin serving as paymaster, a role that his father had once performed in the War of 1812. In 1857 he became paymaster in San Antonio, and later served in the Utah Campaign. During his time in Utah, Prince was engaged in the response to the

Mountain Meadows Massacre A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

Civil War

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Prince was working in the Army's pay department as a paymaster. Prince would join the

6th Maine Infantry Regiment The 6th Maine Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 6th Maine Infantry was organized in Portland, Maine and mustered in for a three-year enlistment on July 15, 1861. ...

, as part of Company K. Prince was first elected Colonel of the regiment, but later declined the position as he would have had to resign his position as paymaster. On April 28, 1862, he was appointed Brigadier General United States Volunteers. He would then command a brigade and later a division in

Nathaniel P. Banks Nathaniel Prentice (or Prentiss) Banks (January 30, 1816 – September 1, 1894) was an American politician from Massachusetts and a Union Army, Union general during the American Civil War, Civil War. A millworker, Banks became prominent in local ...

Army of Virginia The Army of Virginia was organized as a major unit of the Union Army and operated briefly and unsuccessfully in 1862 in the American Civil War. It should not be confused with its principal opponent, the Confederate Army of ''Northern'' Virginia ...

. On August 9, 1862, he was captured in a cornfield during the

Battle of Cedar Mountain The Battle of Cedar Mountain, also known as Slaughter's Mountain or Cedar Run, took place on August 9, 1862, in Culpeper County, Virginia, Culpeper County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. Union Army, Union forces under Major gener ...

, Virginia. He described the moment of his capture in a report to the military command:

On approaching the right I perceived that the firing in the other brigades had ceased, which forcibly impressed upon me the necessity of learning immediately something of the day. No staff officer was left with me. I was the only mounted person present. I determined to go back to the ridge, where I might see the field or communicate with others... While walking my horse in the dense corn, where the ground was heavy, my bridle was seized, and I perceived that I was in the midst of enemies before otherwise discovering any person to be there.

After he was exchanged, he participated in the North Carolina campaigns and then the

Overland campaign The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, towards the end of the American Civil War. Lieutenant general (United States), Lt. G ...

. Prince would later command the Second division of the

III Corps III or iii may refer to: Companies * Information International, Inc., a computer technology company * Innovative Interfaces, Inc., a library-software company * 3i, formerly Investors in Industry, a British investment company Other uses * I ...

. As division commander, he participated in the

Battle of Manassas Gap The Battle of Manassas Gap, also known as the Battle of Wapping Heights, took place on July 23, 1863, in Warren County, Virginia, at the conclusion of General Robert E. Lee's retreat back to Virginia in the final days of the Gettysburg Campaig ...

, as well as the Bristoe and Mine Run campaigns. His participation in the Mine Run campaign came under scrutiny as

William H. French William Henry French (January 13, 1815 – May 20, 1881) was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army General officer, General in the American Civil War. He rose to temporarily command a corps within the Army of the Potomac, but was re ...

blamed his failure to exploit a Confederate advantage on one of his "division commanders", widely considered to be Prince. Prince would successfully defend himself against French's accusations after the war concluded. After Mine Run, Prince was removed from his division command. In 1864 and 1865, he held commands over garrisons in Tennessee, Alabama and South Carolina. On July 17, 1866,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. The 16th vice president, he assumed the presidency following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a South ...

nominated Prince for appointment to the grade of Brevet Brigadier General, U.S.A. (

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a ...

), to rank from March 13, 1865, and the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

confirmed the appointment on July 23, 1866.

Postwar life

On April 30, 1866, he was mustered out of the volunteer service. He continued to serve in the Army and returned to his work in the pay department. In 1869 he was named as paymaster for New York city under the

Military Division of the Atlantic Military Division of the Atlantic, was one of the military divisions of the U. S. Army created by GENERAL ORDERS No. 118. on June 27, 1865 at the end of the American Civil War. President Andrew Johnson directed that the United States was to be divid ...

. In 1873 while serving in New York he was proposed as a member to the

Century Association The Century Association is a private social, arts, and dining club in New York City, founded in 1847. Its clubhouse is located at 7 West 43rd Street near Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. It is primarily a club for men and women with distinctio ...

by George S. Green. He was elected a member on October 4, 1873. In 1875 he was assigned to the command of Deputy Paymaster General of the

Military Division of the Pacific The Military Division of the Pacific was a major command ( Department) of the United States Army during the late 19th century. Formation On July 27, 1865, the Military Division of the Pacific was created under Major General Henry W. Halleck, repl ...

. He rose to Lieutenant-colonel and then department paymaster general in 1877. He would then retire from army service on December 31, 1879, at age 62. In 1886, Prince was living in

Fitchburg, Massachusetts Fitchburg is a city in northern Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The third-largest city in the county, its population was 41,946 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Fitchburg State University is located here. History ...

. While in the process of moving his belongings from Maine to Massachusetts, the facility where they were stored caught fire, causing him to lose a significant amount of his private papers, books, records and valuables. Prince later moved to England where he was said to live off the interest of his retirement pension of $3,000 per year. He was considered quite wealthy and the former paymaster reportedly had no money troubles.

Death

On August 19, 1892, Prince committed suicide at

Morley's Hotel Morley's Hotel was a building which occupied the entire eastern side of London's Trafalgar Square, until it was demolished in 1936 and replaced with South Africa House. It was next to St Martin-in-the-Fields Church. It was designed by the archi ...

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster in Central London. It was established in the early-19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. Its name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, the Royal Navy, ...

in London at the age of 81. Six weeks prior to his death, Prince was receiving treatment for chronic

Bright's disease Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that are described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. It was characterized by swelling and the presence of albumin in the urine. It was frequently accompanied ...

. He was reportedly seriously depressed, telling his physician that he wished to die and asking for sedatives. He was refused. Two days before his death, Prince purchased a revolver for protection from a local gunsmith. Prince's body was found by a chambermaid with a bullet wound above the right temple. Prince left an unsealed letter that read:

To all friends, When life has run its cycle and become a waste of nature in the body, overwhelming its natural and physical qualities with weakness and pain to an intolerable degree, it may with all propriety be removed. Such being the case with the life of the writer, his apology to the world is by these terms made through his most beloved and most intimate friends, who, he trusts, will appreciate the relief to him and ceaseless distress, which in his opinion, ought to be brought by the physician who is summoned with his drugs surely for that purpose when not to cure.

A coroner's inquest recorded a verdict of "Suicide while in a state of unsound mind". Prince's body was returned to the United States and he was buried in Hillside Cemetery, in his hometown of Eastport, Maine. Prince never married and reportedly left no near relatives.

References

External links

Original diary of Henry Prince
University of Florida Digital Collections, recounting Prince's time in Florida
Report Brig. Gen. Henry Prince, U.S. Army, commanding Second Brigade
Prince's report on the Battle of Cedar Mountain, where he was captured. {{DEFAULTSORT:Prince, Henry 1811 births 1892 deaths American emigrants to England American military personnel of the Seminole Wars American military personnel who died by suicide Members of the Aztec Club of 1847 Military personnel from Maine People of Maine in the American Civil War Suicides by firearm in England Union army generals United States Military Academy alumni United States Army officers United States Army paymasters United States Army personnel of the Mexican–American War People from Eastport, Maine