Henry Stanton Burton was born in September 1818 at West Point, New York,[1] where his father was employed as a sutler.

He studied at Norwich University from 1832 to 1835[2] before being appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point from Vermont in 1835.

Elements of the Volunteers under Lt Colonel Burton were involved in operations of the Pacific Coast Campaign in Baja California, 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.

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.

[3][4] Captain Burton remained in California on duty in various forts until 1862, when, having been promoted to major on May 14, 1861, the American Civil War began.

He died April 4, 1869, at Fort Adams, in Newport, Rhode Island, and was buried at West Point.