Major Henry Hurst son of James and Mary Gunnell Hurst was born in Frederick County, Virginia
in 1769 and as a young man settled in Kentucky where he married a Miss Sebastian who died;
after which he married a widow, Mrs. Theobold whose maiden name was Stanholf(?pe). Shortly after his second marriage he located at Vincennes Indiana and almost immediately became a man
of prominence. He was one of the first seven lawyers admitted to the Vincennes Bar,  and upon
the incorporation of the town of Vincennes in 1804 was elected one of the trustees and at the
same time was elected trustee of Vincennes University. In 1802 he appeared as U.S. Attorney before the Clark County Court at Springmill, Ind. He was Clerk of the United States Courts
of the Indiana Territory from their organization until 1816.

He answered General Harrison's call for volunteers in 1811, (and) was appointed Major
of Indiana Militia and as Aid De Camp to General Harrison served through out the "Battle
of Tippecanoe" with great credit. Gen. Harrison and his aids, Col. Taylor and Maj. Harry Hurst, were riding over the field when the Major's horse was struck and fell with his rider beneath him. Thinking their companion dead, the officers drew reign, but did not dismount. 'Why, damn it, gentlemen,' growled the Major, 'aren't you going to get down and pull this horse off of me?' His friendship with General Harrison lasted until his death.

As Commander-in-Chief of the army, General Harrison turned to details of organization and supply. He appointed as aides Major Henry Hurst, a Vincennes lawyer, Major Waller Taylor, Colonel Marston G. Clark, a member of the Indiana legislature, and Attrorney-General Thomas Randolph, who volunteered as a private. Colonel Daviess reported also as a private but was complimented with the rank of major over the dragoons and mounted riflemen. Prominent among the latter was the colorful troop of "Yellow Jackets" under Captain Spier Spencer, an old Indian fighter, and the appointment of Daviess was not according to their wish.

On Harrison's inauguration Major Hurst was a conspicuous figure riding on the right side of
the President elect. In 1819 he was a candidate for Secretary of the State Senate, the election
was a tie and the President of the Senate being called on to decide the election voted against
Major Hurst and thereby defeating him. In 1838-39 he represented Clark County in the
Legislature.

After the Battle of Tippecanoe he was a familiar figure in Jeffersonville, his portly figure, bandana kerchief and snuff box being known to all the inhabitants.

He was an able lawyer of fine presence, rather blunt of speech but fond of a joke. In his last years he traveled the circuit but more for the pleasure of the members of the Bar than for the value of his profession. He was a member of the Indiana Historical Society, and in 1830 when the remains of the heroes of the Battle of Tippecanoe were removed from the old battlefield he had charge of the ceremonies. He died on New Years Day 1855 and was buried at Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville, KY.

In 1915 his home on Third St. Jeffersonville, Indiana was still standing. His son Wm. H. Hurst was Receiver of public money at U.S. land office at Jackson Mississippi under President (writer unsure) and his granddaughter Nancy Hurst married Myndhan R. Figg, Chancellor of Mississippi Supreme Court.

Sources:

a) Handwritten sheet of paper in Ben Hurst's scrapbook. Transcribed by Eric Hurst. Titled "Major Henry Hurst" Source unnamed. Date after 1915.

b) Indiana to 1816: The Colonial Period. by John Barnhart and Dorothy Riker. Published by the Indiana Historical Society. 1994. Page 324. Footnote 20.
20. The Governor (William Henry Harrison) appointed Henry Hurst clerk of the General Court and John Rice Jones attorney general of the territory on January 14 and 29 respectively. ...

c) Census of Indiana Territory for 1807. Family Hist. Sect. Ind. Hist. Soc. 1980. pg. 7.
List of Free white males of 21 years and upward. Knox County
Henry Hurst #287
William H Harrison #309

d) Newspaper clipping entitled "Ancedotes of Tippecanoe". Dated 1891. This was an interview with William Hurst of Louisville. Mr. Hurst's father was Elijah Hurst, who with several of his brothers fought at the Battle of Tippecanoe.

e) The Battle of Tippecanoe: Historical Sketches of the Famous Field upon which General William Henry Harrison Won Renown That Aided Him in Reaching the Presidency." by Reed Beard. Second Edition. Tippecanoe Publishing Co.
Lafayette, IN 1889. pg. 104

f) Chapter XI. Roll of Companies. The following are the rolls of the various companies under command of Gen. William Henry Harrison in his campaign against the Indians in the autum of 1811, which terminated in the overthrow of the Confederacy and the destruction of the Prophets Town. The names were taken from the official records at Washington:

(i) Roll of the General Staff of the Army commanded by General Harrison from September 6 to November 23, 1811, pg 105-106:

William McFarland, Lt.Col. and Adjt.;
Henry Hurst, Maj. and A.D.C.;
Waller Taylor, Maj. and A.D.C.;
Marston G. Clark, Brigade Inspector, promoted to the same Sept. 20;
Robert Buntin, Jr., 2nd Lt. and Forage Master;
Robert Buntin, Sr., Capt. and Q.M.;
Nathaniel F. Adams, Lt. and Adjt., belonged to the U.S.Regular army.

(ii)Roll of Capt. Spier Spencer's Company of Mounted Riflemen of the Indiana
Militia, from September 12 to November 23, 1811:

Spier Spencer, Captain, killed in action Nov. 7;
Richard McMahan, 1st Lieut., killed in action Nov. 7;
George F. Pope, 2nd Lieut., resigned Oct. 21;
Samuel Flanagan, 2nd Lieut., promoted from Ensign to 2nd Lieut.;
John Tipton, Captain, promoted from Private to Ensign;
Jacob Zenoe, 2nd Lieut., promoted from Private Nov. 7;
Phillip Bell, Ensign, promoted from Private to Ensign, Nov. 7;
Pearce Chamberlain, Sergeant;
Henry Batman, Sergeant;
Elijah Hurst, sergeant;
Benjamin Boyard, Sergeant;
Robert Biggs, Corporal, badly wounded;
John Taylor, Corporal;
Benjamin Shields, Corporal;
William Bennington, Corporal, badly wounded;
Daniel Cline, Musician;
Isham Stroude, Musician.

Privates-
John Arick;
Ignatius Able;
Enos Best;
Alpheus Branham;
Gadon Branham;
Daniel Bell;
James Brown;
Jesse Butler;
Mason Carter;
John Cline;
Marshall Dunken, killed in action Nov. 7;
William Davis, killed in action on Nov. 7;
Thomas Davidson;
James Dyce;
Henry Enlow;
William Hurst;
William Hurst, Jr.;
Beverly Hurst;
James Harberson;
James Hubbound;
Robert James;
James Kelley;
Thomas McColley;
Noah Mathena;
William Nance;
Thomas Owens;
Samuel Pfrimer;
Edward Ransdell;
Sandford Ransdell;
James Spencer;
Christover Shucks;
Joshua Shields, badly wounded;
Samuel Sand, killed in action Nov. 7;
George Spencer;
Jacob Snider;
Jon'n Wright;
James Wilson;
John Wheeler;
James Watts;
Isham Vest'
George Zenoe;
P. McMcickle;
Levi Dunn, deserted;
William Fowler, not properly mustered.

[Note: Several of Old John Hurst's family members were listed here, to wit, Elijah Hurst, Sergeant (son); William Hurst, Private (son), William Hurst, Jr., Private, (grandson); Beverley Hurst, Private (son by 2nd wife); Levi Dunn, Private, deserted (Husband of daughter Elizabeth.). Levi and Elizabeth Hurst Dunnwere to return to Tennessee to live./MPL:]

(g) Source:Old Tippecanoe: William Henry Harrison and His Time. by Freeman Cleaves. Scribner's Sons. NY. 1939. pg. 88. The March Up the Wabash

(h) "Inaugural Day dawned brisk and cold. Cannon saluted the sunrise and a dozen bands played as the military corpsassembled. Although the Whigs of Baltimore had presented Harrison with a fine coach, the President rode his favorite mount, Old Whitey, down Pennsylvania Avenue. Two former aides at Tippecanoe and the Thames, Major Henry Hurst and Colonel Todd, were at the right and left behind him..."
pg 336. Jubilation and Mourning