Henry Greene

Henry A. Greene

Captain Henry A. Greene was born circa 1827 to Samuel Greene and Ruth Capron, probably in Rhode Island. According to Richard Orton's 1890 book entitled, Records of California Men in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 to 1867, Captain Greene enlisted on August 10, 1861 in Nevada City, California and was mustered into Company G of the 1st California Volunteer Infantry. Company G was involved in the pursuit and capture of a group of Confederates under Dan Showalter at Warner's Ranch in San Diego County, California. The Confederates had been transporting arms and ammunition, and captured dispatches identified several of the men as commissioned officers in the Confederate Army. The 1st California Volunteer Infantry, along with other California forces, advanced into Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas during the war, and saw some action against hostile Indians. According to the diary of first sergeant George Hand of Company G, 1st California Volunteer Infantry (which was edited and published in 1996 as The Civil War in Apacheland) Captain Greene was "known by some as 'Humpy' from his round shoulders, by others as 'Should Arms or Right Face' from the way he speaks the command." In 1864 while stationed at Fort McRae, New Mexico, Sergeant Hand wrote about "the magnificent, incomparable thieving Greene, Capt. and comdg. Officer at Fort McRae," stating that "it is a shame and an outrage on good and loyal men to allow such a man as Capt. H.A.G. to hold office in the army of a free nation. He is known (not only by every man in his Co. but by all officers in this department) to be a thief and a robber, and to allow good men to be commanded by such men is worse than a shame, it is an insult. And worse than all, to ask them to enlist for three years more under such men is trying to rub it in...if ever a man deserved the ill will of a company and a ball and chain from a court martial, it certainly is Capt. H. A. Greene." According to Richard Orton, Captain Greene mustered out at Fort Craig, New Mexico on August 31, 1864 with the rest of the company.

The picture below shows Captain Henry A. Greene and his brothers ( Willard H. Greene , Daniel H. Greene, Jerome B. Greene , and Edward W. Greene), of who also served in the Civil War. Photograph and information submitted by Sebastian Nelson, Department Historian, Department of California and Pacific, SUVCW.

Left to Right: Willard H. Greene, Daniel H. Greene, Jerome B. Greene, Edward W. Greene, Henry A. Greene
Circa (after) February 1865