Henry C. Whelan was mustered into Civil War service as captain and commander of Company C of the 6th Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry on Sept. 10, 1861, and was promoted as high as lieutenant colonel on Sept. 20, 1863, though he was not mustered at that rank. He died of heart disease on March 2, 1864. In June 1863, during the Battle of Brandy Station, Virginia, Union cavalry discovered more than 9,000 Confederate cavalry gathered near Brandy Station in preparation for Gen. Robert Lee's invasion of Pennsylvania, and Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker sought to rout them. During the battle, the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry, known as the Lancers, was ordered to charge Confederate artillery. After regimental commander Maj. Robert Morris, Jr. was captured when his horse fell, Whelan took command and led the regiment in fighting Confederates with sabers while they attacked with pistols. The Lancers then made a second charge, and Whelan, now commanding the regiment, launched a headlong attack against a strong enemy position along a low stone wall. Supported by George Cram's 6th U.S. Cavalry, the Pennsylvania Lancers charged the 10th Virginia Cavalry through heavy arms and artillery fire, Whelan's horse was shot from under him, and the Lancers were eventually routed by a countercharge from the 9th Virginia Cavalry.
