Existing comment:
Lieutenant John H. Patterson:
John Patterson risked his life to save another soldier. On May 5, 1864, during the Battle of the Wilderness, Patterson hoisted a wounded officer onto his back and carried him to safety, preventing the man from being either captured by the enemy or consumed by the burning woods around him.
Patterson survived the war and remained in the army until 1898, when he was seriously wounded leading troops at El Caney, Cuba, during the Spanish-American War. He retired the following year at the rank of brigadier general and lived until 1920. |