Born at Mohawk, New York, September 26, 1850, he earned the Medal of Honor during the Indian Wars at Big Dry Gulch, Arizona, on July 17, 1882, while serving as First Lieutenant, 6th United States Cavalry. The Medal citation reads:
“Rallied his command and led it in the advance against the enemy’s fortified position.”
He graduated from West Point in 1872, 18th in a class of 57. He was breveted First Lieutenant, 27 February 1890 for gallant service against hostile Indians on the Washita River, Texas, September 9-11, 1874. He was issued Indian War Campaign Medal number 699.
He retired in 1914 as a Colonel and died in New York City on August 26, 1923 at the age of 72. He is buried in Section 1 of Arlington National Cemetery. His wife, Rebecca Kenyon West (1851-1912), is buried with him.
Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.
Reviewed by: Michael Howard