John Henry Patterson (Medal of Honor)

John Henry Patterson (February 10, 1843 – October 5, 1920) was a Union officer during the American Civil War and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for courage under fire at the Battle of the Wilderness.

Biography

Patterson was born in Selkirk, New York and was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the newly created 11th Infantry Regiment in May 1861.^[1] On May 5, 1864, under heavy fire from Confederate 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.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and Organization:

First Lieutenant, 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.^[2]

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients
• List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: M–P
• List of brigadier generals in the United States Regular Army before February 2, 1901

Notes

References

• "Civil War Medal of Honor recipients (M-Z)". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. August 3, 2009. Retrieved July 1, 2010. 

• "John Henry Patterson". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved 2007-11-08.