HenryBertram was a Prussian immigrant to the United States who was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He served in the Trans-Mississippi and Western Theaters. Bertram was born in Prussia as Emil Gustav Victor Beeger. Sometime before 1846 he immigrated to the United States. He joined the U.S. Army under the Americanized named Henry Beeger in 1846 and served in the Mexican War. In the 2nd U.S. Artillery he rose to the rank of sergeant on August 21, 1846 but deserted the army four and a half years later on January 20, 1851. Sometime before 1861 he changed his name to Henry Bertram, presumably to escape any connections to his earlier army desertion. On June 29, 1861, under his new name, Bertram enlisted in the 3rd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry as a first lieutenant. By July 31, 1861 he had risen to lieutenant colonel of the 20th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. Bertram and the 20th Wisconsin first saw action at the battle of Newtonia. In early December 1862, Bertram found himself as the senior ranking officer in his brigade, though only a lieutenant colonel. He assumed command of the 1st Brigade in Francis Herron's3rd Division of the Army of the Frontier. and was in command at the battle of Prairie Grove. Though Bertram clung to the title of brigade commander during the battle, he realistically commanded no more than the 430 men of his own 20th Wisconsin regiment as the other regiments in his command were detached for temporary assignment elsewhere. On December 10, 1862 Bertram was promoted to colonel. Despite his promotion he returned to regimental command during the siege of Vicksburg. He commanded brigades in the Department of the Gulf after the fall of Vicksburg. In August 1864 his brigade was transferred to the Mobile BayLand Forces under the command of Gordon Granger. There Bertram participated in the land operations during the battle of Mobile Bayagainst Fort Morgan. He briefly commanded the District of Southern Alabama before returning to brigade command. His brigade, now part of the XIII Corps, fought in the battle of Spanish Fort. He received a brevet promotion to Brig. Gen. of U.S. Volunteers, backdated to March 13, 1865. He was mustered out of the volunteer service on July 14, 1865. After the war he was a hotel proprietor and sheriff. He died in Wisconsin in 1878.
