John Henry Patterson (February 10, 1843 – October 5, 1920) was a Union officer during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

and a recipient of the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

for courage under fire at the

Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant general (United States), Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General (C ...

Biography

Patterson was born in

Selkirk, New York Selkirk is a hamlet in the town of Bethlehem, Albany County, New York, United States. It is located south of the city of Albany and is a suburb of that city. A major freight railyard operated by the Selkirk Subdivision of CSX Transportatio ...

and was commissioned as a

First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

in the newly created 11th Infantry Regiment in May 1861. On May 5, 1864, under heavy fire from

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

forces, Patterson left cover to rescue a wounded officer, who was in danger of both capture and death, as the forest near where he had fallen had caught fire during the battle. Patterson picked up the officer and carried him several hundred yards to safety. Patterson remained in the

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a ...

after the war. He rose through the officer ranks and became the commanding officer of the 20th Infantry Regiment on 28 September 1898. At the same time, he was promoted to Brigadier General in the U.S. Volunteers and held that position until he was promoted to Brigadier General in the Regular Army on 18 January 1899. He retired shortly afterwards on 6 February 1899. Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, 1789 to 1903. Francis B. Heitman. Vol. 1. pg. 775. General Patterson was a companion of the New York Commandery of the

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or, simply, the Loyal Legion, is a United States military order organized on April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Union Army. The original membership was consisted ...

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and Organization: :

, 11th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1864. Entered service at: New York. Birth: New York. Date of issue: July 23, 1897. Citation:

:Under the heavy fire of the advancing enemy, picked up and carried several hundred yards to a place of safety a wounded officer of his regiment who was helpless and would otherwise have been burned in the forest.

Notes

References

* 1843 births 1920 deaths People of New York (state) in the American Civil War United States Army Medal of Honor recipients Union army soldiers United States Army officers American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor {{AmericanCivilWar-bio-stub

Biography

Medal of Honor citation

See also

Notes

References