At the time of the 1860 census of Bunker Hill Township, Ingham County Michigan, Henry was living with his father, Chilion Smalley. Henry's occupation was given in the census as "Stage Proprietor" (stage probably meaning stage coach).
Henry enlisted for one year in company G, Twelfth Regiment of Michigan Infantry, on February 17, 1865, at Bunker Hill, age 37. He mustered Feb. 22, 1865 in Jackson, Michigan. He died of typhoid fever in the military hospital at De Vall's Bluff, Arkansas, April 5, 1865.
Per his military records Henry was born in Friendship, New York, and he was 5 feet 8 inches tall, with fair complexion, brown eyes and black hair.
The following is the last letter written by Henry to his wife, Betsey:
April 2
Dear Wife
It is with pleasure that I sit down to answer your letter which came to hand in due time it found me sick but I am (in hopes - crossed out) better than I have been I was happy to hear from you and learn that you have got through with your trouble all right it relieved my mind of a good deal of anksiety about you then my boy turned out to be a girl at last well that is all right you said that you wanted I should send it a name I will do so if it don't suit you need not call it that The name is Malissa Adealia I would like to see it very much but I can't till my time is out
It is very sickly here now amonsed the recruits there was about eighty that went to that regiment the same time I went we have bin here four weeks today there has bin four of them has died there are about one half of them are sick
there was a shock of a earthquake here last nite it happened about ten o'clock I had gon to bid and had got to sleep it woke me up the first thought I had was that there were a lot of soldiers trying to turn the house over in a minute it was all in confusion throughout the (hall? whole?) regiment it (?knocked?) one building down
the rebbels getting rite bold about here lately they go in small bands there has bin several small plases attacked lately last night they tore up about half mile railroad a few miles from here there was a cavalry (scout?) went out from here other day they run on a band of ten of the rebbles they layd in ambush and fird on our men and kiled five our men then rushed on them and took them prisoners they brought them in here and put them in the jail house They are about as hard looking a set of fellows as I ever saw
Betsey I want you to rite to me as often as once in two weeks and I do the same... (the letter is unfinished)
This letter was found in a box of letters and cards that was kept by Henry's daughter, Melissa Adelia Smalley Stanfield. Tucked in with the letter was a tin-type picture of Henry in which he appears to be dressed for going off to the war. This box of letters is now in the possession of Sharon Stanfield Lemorie, granddaughter of Melissa's son, Oland Stanfield.
Henry died of typhoid shortly after this letter was written. According to his military record, Henry was buried in Row 7, Grave 19, presumably in a military cemetery in DeValls Bluff where he died. His body may have been moved to the National Cemetery in Little Rock, but a record of this has not yet been found.
Melissa's daughter, Clara Stanfield Ridsdale, said that her mother always thought that Henry was drafted into the war. It seems unusual that Henry would enlist when the war was almost over and shortly before his wife was due to have a baby. Perhaps Henry felt it was his patriotic duty as his father had fought in the War of 1812 and his great grandfather had fought in the Revolutionary War. He may also have been influenced by the experience of his brother in law, James Cortright. James had served in the war in Kentucky and Tennessee, and had been discharged from service the previous December. James's brother, George Cortright, had also enlisted the year before, but died of disease before leaving Michigan. It's also possible that Henry was in need of the $100 bounty that was offered by the government for enlistment. Henry only collected one third of that money before he died.
The property that Henry owned in Bunker Hill Township when he died was later inherited by his daughter. Melissa and her husband, John William Stanfield, built a home and raised their family on that inherited property.