Patrick O'Rorke
| Patrick Henry O'Rorke | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
March 25, 1837 County Cavan, Ireland |
| Died | July 2, 1863 (aged 26) Battle of Gettysburg |
| Place of burial | Holy Sepulchre Cemetery (Rochester, New York) |
| Allegiance | |
| Service/branch | |
| Years of service | 1861–1863 |
| Rank |
 Colonel
|
| Commands held |
 140th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment
|
| Battles/wars | |
| Signature |  |
Patrick Henry "Paddy" O'Rorke or O'Rourke (March 25, 1837 – July 2, 1863) was an Irish-American immigrant who became a colonel in the Union Army during the American Civil War and was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg.
O'Rorke was born in County Cavan, Ireland on March 25, 1837. He was a year old when his parents emigrated to the United States. In 1842, his family moved to Rochester, New York, where he attended the public schools. In 1853, at age 16, he was awarded a scholarship to the University of Rochester; however, before attending college, his father died, and O'Rorke, to support his family, took a job as a marble cutter at the request of his mother.
In 1857, he was appointed a cadet in the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, graduating first in his class in June 1861. He was then commissioned to the Corps of Engineers as second lieutenant.
In July 1861, O'Rorke served at the Battle of Blackburn's Ford and the First Battle of Bull Run, where his horse was killed from under him, and then as assistant engineer in preparing the defenses of Washington, D.C. He sailed with the Port Royal Expedition in October 1861 and provided vital reconnaissance and engineering in constructing the batteries on Jones, Bird, and Tybee Islands for the bombardment and siege of Fort Pulaski, on Cockspur Island near Savannah, Georgia. Following the capture of the fort on April 11, 1862, O'Rorke was selected as one of the officers to receive the surrender.
Following the battle, O'Rorke returned to Rochester where he was married on July 9 to Clara Bishop.
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Wikipedia