Henry B. Carrington

Born in Wallingford, Connecticut, in 1824, Henry B. Carrington studied at Yale before building a varied career as a teacher, lawyer, militia officer, and author. During the Civil War, he served in the Union Army and became known for helping organize and mobilize large numbers of Indiana volunteers for federal service.

Carrington later served on the western frontier, where he commanded forces in the Powder River country and oversaw the establishment of Fort Phil Kearny. That posting tied his name to one of the most tense and violent chapters of conflict between the U.S. Army and Native nations in the region.

He also wrote extensively, turning his military experience and long interest in history into books. Among his best-known works is Battles of the American Revolution, and his papers and published writings show how strongly he wanted to interpret both the nation’s founding struggles and the conflicts of his own lifetime.