Henry Stanton Burton (1818–1869) was a graduate of

West Point 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 ...

, a career American Army officer who served in 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 ...

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 the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

Early life

Henry Stanton Burton was born in September 1818 at

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York (state), New York, General George Washington stationed his headquarters in West Point in the summer and fall of 1779 durin ...

, where his father was employed as a

sutler A sutler or victualer is a civilian merchant who sells provisions to an army in the field, in camp, or in quarters. Sutlers sold wares from the back of a wagon or a temporary tent, traveling with an army or to remote military outposts. Sutler wa ...

. He studied at

Norwich University Norwich University is a private university in Northfield, Vermont, United States. The university was founded in 1819 as the "American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy". It is the oldest of six senior military college, senior militar ...

from 1832 to 1835 before being appointed to 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 ...

at West Point from

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

in 1835. Burton graduated on July 1, 1839, and was appointed 2nd Lieutenant, 3rd U.S. Artillery Regiment. From 1839 to 1842, he served in the Florida Indian War and on November 11, 1839, was promoted

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 ...

. From 1843 to 1846 he was assistant instructor of infantry and artillery tactics at West Point.

Mexican War and duty in California

During the

he became lieutenant colonel of U.S. Volunteers and served as second in command of the

1st Regiment of New York Volunteers 1st Regiment of New York Volunteers, for service in California and during the war with Mexico, was raised in 1846 during the Mexican–American War by Jonathan D. Stevenson. Accepted by the United States Army in August 1846, the 1st Regiment of Ne ...

. Accepted by the U.S. Army in August 1846, the regiment was transported around

Cape Horn Cape Horn (, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which is Águila Islet), Cape Horn marks the nor ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

where it served as garrisons. Elements of the Volunteers under Lt Colonel Burton were involved in operations of the

Pacific Coast Campaign The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...

Baja California Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...

, fighting in the Battle of La Paz, Siege of La Paz and in the final defeat of the Mexican forces at the Skirmish of Todos Santos. His command remained as a garrison in Baja California until the peace treaty returned it to Mexico. As the war drew to a close, it appeared that Baja California would remain a Mexican state, while Alta California would become territory of the United States. Burton offered to help residents of Baja California move to Alta California and become United States citizens. Burton returned to Monterey with his command and the evacuated Mexicans. On July 9, 1849, he married one of the refugees, Maria Amparo Ruiz at Monterey. After his Volunteer regiment disbanded in October 1848, Burton, unlike most of them who rushed to the gold fields, returned to his regular army service; having been promoted to Captain on September 22, 1847. In 1852, he bought Rancho Jamul near San Diego and homesteaded it on March 3, 1854. In 1855, he went to San Diego, to serve as commander of the Post at Mission San Diego de Alcalá where he first established Camp Burton, as a temporary position before occupying permanent quarters in the abandoned Mission San Diego de Alcalá. While there he was living at Rancho Jamul with his family.

Civil War

Captain Burton remained in California on duty in various forts until 1862, when, having been promoted to

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

on May 14, 1861, the

began. He was ordered to

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

, where he commanded

Fort Delaware Fort Delaware is a former harbor defense facility, designed by chief engineer Joseph Gilbert Totten and located on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River.Dobbs, Kelli W., et al. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), the Union / Unite ...

military prison until 1863. On July 25, 1863, he was promoted lieutenant colonel, 4th U.S. Artillery Regiment. On August 11, 1863, he was promoted

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

, 5th U.S. Artillery Regiment; and commanded the Artillery Reserve of the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the primary field army of the Union army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the Battle of ...

from 1863 to 1864. He was inspector of artillery in the Richmond Campaign in the

Department of the East The Department of the East was a military administrative district established by the U.S. Army several times in its history. The first was from 1853 to 1861, the second Department of the East, from 1863 to 1873, and the last from 1877 to 1913. ...

. From 1864 he was a member of the retiring board. On March 13, 1865, he was promoted brevet brigadier general U. S. Army, for the capture of

Petersburg, Virginia Petersburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 33,458 with a majority bla ...

Later life

Following the Civil War, Burton subsequently commanded the 5th U.S. Artillery Regiment at

Fort Monroe Fort Monroe is a former military installation in Hampton, Virginia, at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula, United States. It is currently managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth o ...

, Virginia, at

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...

, at

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

, and at

Fort Adams Fort Adams is a former United States Army post in Newport, Rhode Island, Newport, Rhode Island, that was established on July 4, 1799, as a Seacoast defense in the United States#First System, First System Coastal defence and fortification, coas ...

, Rhode Island. From October 1868 to March 1869 he was on court martial duty at New York City. He died April 4, 1869, at

, in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, United States. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and nort ...

, and was buried at

.George Washington Cullum, Volume 1 of Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U. S. Military Academy at West Point, N. Y.,: From Its Establishment, in 1802, to 1890, Houghton, Mifflin, Cambridge, 1891. pp.744-745
/ref>

External links

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burton, Henry Stanton 1818 births 1869 deaths Norwich University alumni United States Military Academy alumni United States Army personnel of the Seminole Wars American military personnel of the Mexican–American War People of Vermont in the American Civil War Union army colonels United States Army colonels Burials at West Point Cemetery