Twenty-two-year-old Henry F. Brewerton (pictured) left his college studies in Munich, Germany when the Civil War began to return home and volunteer for the Army. Henry's actions must not have been surprising in light of the family's long record of military service. Most notable was his father, also named Henry, a career Army officer who served as superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York from 1845 to 1852.
Henry received a commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the 5th U.S. Artillery on 14 May 1861 and was assigned to Light Battery K. He joined his battery at the Light Artillery School of Instruction at Camp Cameron, Pennsylvania, where it was being trained in the basics of artillery.
Image: CDV of Henry F. Brewerton (Hagley Digital Archives)