John Gregory Bourke

John Gregory Bourke
John Gregory Bourke
Born	(1846-06-23)June 23, 1846 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died	June 8, 1896(1896-06-08) (aged 49) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Place of burial	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service/branch	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1862–1896
Rank	Captain
Unit	15th Pennsylvania Cavalry Third U.S. Cavalry
Commands held	Chief of Scouts during the Apache Wars
Battles/wars	American Civil War Stones River Chickamauga Great Sioux War of 1876 Battle of Powder River Battle of Prairie Dog Creek Battle of Rosebud Battle of Slim Buttes Apache Wars Garza Revolution
Awards	Medal of Honor
Other work	writer

American Civil War

Great Sioux War of 1876

Apache Wars

John Gregory Bourke (/bɜːrk/; June 23, 1846 – June 8, 1896) was a captain in the United States Army and a prolific diarist and postbellum author; he wrote several books about the American Old West, including ethnologies of its indigenous peoples. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions while a cavalryman in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Based on his service during the war, his commander nominated him to West Point, where he graduated in 1869, leading to service as an Army officer until his death.

John G. Bourke was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Irish immigrant parents, Edward Joseph and Anna (Morton) Bourke. His early education was extensive and included Latin, Greek, and Gaelic. When the Civil War began, John Bourke was fourteen. At sixteen he ran away and lied about his age; claiming to be nineteen, he enlisted in the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry, in which he served until July 1865. He received a Medal of Honor for "gallantry in action" at the Battle of Stones River, Tennessee, in December 1862. He later saw action at the Battle of Chickamauga.