Henry Walker Rowe was a native of Candia, New Hampshire, where he was born on April 1, 1840. He entered military service in Manchester, enlisting on August 14, 1862, as a Private with Company I of the 11th New Hampshire Infantry.

During the American Civil War, Rowe’s regiment was heavily engaged in the Virginia campaigns. On June 17, 1864, during the Second Battle of Petersburg, Rowe and two companions performed a daring feat of bravery. While at the front lines, the trio rushed a group of Confederate pickets, successfully disarming 27 enemy soldiers and capturing a stand of flags.

Following this action, Rowe continued to serve with the 11th New Hampshire until he was wounded in the shoulder during the Battle of the Crater on July 30, 1864. He spent the remainder of his enlistment recovering in Douglas Hospital in Washington, D.C., and was officially mustered out of service on June 14, 1865. For his gallantry at Petersburg, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. He died in Roxbury, Massachusetts, in 1913.