Pvt. Henry Ambrose (1824-1886)

Henry Ambrose, 3rd great-grandfather of Brother David Long, was born in Washington County North Carolina in 1825. When war erupted the area of Washington County and the port of Plymouth quickly were seized by Federal Forces as it was a strategic supply line. Henry was like many north eastern North Carolinians during this period expressing views of neutrality. But as the war raged on he began to become sympathetic to the idea of preserving the Union. On February 4th 1864 he enlisted in the 1st North Carolina Union Volunteers who were stationed at the Port of Plymouth. This decision created great animosity within the Ambrose family as two of his brothers had enlisted in the Confederate Army almost 3 years prior. For the Ambrose family it was truly a brother against brother conflict. Private Ambrose would see action during the battle of Plymouth in April of 1864 in which he would be wounded and sent to a Union Hospital in Newbern North Carolina. After his recovery he returned to the 1st NC and would remain with them until the closing of the war.