Henry Murray joined as an ensign on 1 June 1841, serving in Gibraltar from 1841 to 1848. He was promoted to lieutenant on 23 Aug 1843 and in that rank went to Canada where he was with the regiment from 1848 to 1852. During that time he was promoted to captain, on 12 Dec 1851. He was in the Light Company of the 79th and served with them in the Crimea from May 1854 being wounded in the trenches on 24 August. He was present at the siege of Sebastopol and the expedition to Kertch and Yenikale. He retired from the regiment in 1857. The portrait shows him in the dress uniform of the 79th Cameron Highlanders c1850. The chain and whistle on his shoulder belt, along with the green hackle on his feather bonnet and chain-mail shoulder wings are all indications that he was an officer in the Light Company.
