Henry Prince (June 19, 1811 – August 19, 1892) was a Union civil war general and Army paymaster. A veteran of the Seminole Wars and Mexican–American War, he would become one of the oldest surviving officers in the American Civil War. Prince was promoted to brigadier general of United States Volunteers on April 28, 1862. On July 17, 1866, PresidentAndrew Johnson nominated Prince for appointment to the grade of BrevetBrigadier General, U.S.A. (Regular Army (United States), to rank from March 13, 1865, and the United States Senate confirmed the appointment on July 23, 1866. Gravely injured during his military service, Prince never entirely recovered from his wounds. Despondent over his constant pain, Prince would die by suicide at age 81.
Background
Henry Prince was born in Eastport, Maine, the son of Benjamin D. Prince. His father served as paymaster in the Massachusetts Militia during the War of 1812.[1][2] His son would follow in his footsteps both as a military officer and paymaster.[citation needed]
Prince enrolled as a cadet at the United States Military Academy on September 1, 1831. He graduated 30th in his class from West Point on July 1, 1835.[3][4]
On September 18, 1835, he was commissioned as a Brevet Second Lieutenant in the 4th Infantry Regiment.[5] Prince made his formal oath of allegiance to the United States on November 3, 1835.[6]
Early service
Seminole Wars
Prince's first posting was to Florida where he would see regular action in the Seminole Wars. He would be engaged in number of battles, among them, at Camp Izard, Oloklikaha and Thlonotosassa Creek. He would be wounded while defending Camp Izard.[7] On June 11, 1836, he was formally appointed Second Lieutenant of the 4th U.S. Infantry, Corps of Topographical Engineers.[3][page needed]
Prince kept a diary during his time in Florida. It would later be transcribed and published in 1998 as a book titled Amidst a Storm of Bullets.[9][page needed]
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. Prince would distinguish himself in his conduct. From November 1846 to September 1847,[10] Prince would serve as adjutant under General George Cadwalader.[11]
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...[12]
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.[13]
On September 8, 1847, at the Battle of Molino del Rey, 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".[12]
During his recovery, Prince would be promoted to Captain of the 4th Infantry on September 26, 1847.[14][15] He would additionally receive a brevet major for his actions in the Battle of Molino del Rey.[7]
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.[16]
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, Washington.[3]
On May 23, 1855, Prince was promoted to the rank of Major.[14] That year he would begin serving as paymaster,[17] a role that his father had once performed in the War of 1812. In 1857 he became paymaster in San Antonio,[18] and later served in the Utah Campaign.[14] During his time in Utah, Prince was engaged in the response to the Mountain Meadows Massacre.[19][page needed]
Civil War
Brig. Gen. Henry Prince of the 2d Division, 3d Corps, and staff, Culpeper, Virginia. Photograph from the main Eastern theater of the Civil War, Meade in Virginia, August–November 1863. Prince is seated third from right.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Prince was working in the Army's pay department as a paymaster.[20]
Prince would join the 6th Maine Infantry Regiment, as part of Company K. Prince was first elected Colonel of the regiment,[21] but later declined the position as he would have had to resign his position as paymaster.[22][page needed]
On August 9, 1862, he was captured in a cornfield during the Battle of Cedar Mountain, Virginia.[24] 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.[25]
Prince would later command the Second division of the III Corps.[28] As division commander, he participated in the Battle of Manassas Gap,[29][30] as well as the Bristoe and Mine Run campaigns.[31] His participation in the Mine Run campaign came under scrutiny as William H. French blamed his failure to exploit a Confederate advantage on one of his "division commanders", widely considered to be Prince.[32] Prince would successfully defend himself against French's accusations after the war concluded.[27]
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.[32]
On April 30, 1866, he was mustered out of the volunteer service.[34] He continued to serve in the Army and returned to his work in the pay department.[citation needed]
In 1875 he was assigned to the command of Deputy Paymaster General of the Military Division of the Pacific.[37][38] He rose to Lieutenant-colonel and then department paymaster general in 1877.[3][39] He would then retire from army service on December 31, 1879, at age 62.[40]
In 1886, Prince was living in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. 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.[41]
Prince later moved to England where he was said to live off the interest of his retirement pension of $3,000 per year.[42] He was considered quite wealthy and the former paymaster reportedly had no money troubles.[43]
Six weeks prior to his death, Prince was receiving treatment for chronic Bright's disease. 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.[citation needed]
Morley's Hotel in Trafalgar Square, pictured in 1908
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.[45]
A coroner's inquest recorded a verdict of "Suicide while in a state of unsound mind".[45] Prince's body was returned to the United States and he was buried in Hillside Cemetery, in his hometown of Eastport, Maine.[32] Prince never married and reportedly left no near relatives.[43]
^United States. Adjutant-General's Office, War Department (June 10, 1862). General orders. No. 63. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Adjutant General's Office. p. 32.
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