Henry Vanderburgh (1760–1812) was born in Troy, New York in 1760. He was the son of William Vanderburgh and Margaret Gay. At the age of sixteen, Vanderburgh was made a lieutenant in the 5th New York Regiment of the Continental Army in 1776. Later he was promoted to Captain of the 2nd New York Regiment. He served in the Continental Army until the end of the Revolutionary War. After the War, Vanderburgh relocated to the Indiana Territory. He was appointed a commissioner for the licensing of Merchants, Traders and Tavernkeepers for Knox County, Indiana in 1792.