Patrick Rogan (1847 – December 17, 1912) was an

Irish-American , image = Irish ancestry in the USA 2018; Where Irish eyes are Smiling.png , image_caption = Irish Americans, % of population by state , caption = Notable Irish Americans , population = 36,115,472 (10.9%) alone ...

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

soldier who received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

for his actions during the

Indian Wars The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, were fought by European governments and colonists in North America, and later by the United States and Canadian governments and American and Canadian settle ...

. He was born in

County Leitrim County Leitrim ( ; gle, Contae Liatroma) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. Shortly after immigrating to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, Rogan was paid $625 to be a substitute for a man recently called up for the draft. He enlisted in the army in February 1865, serving during the final months of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. He was discharged from the army the following July, but reenlisted almost a year later in 1866, joining the 7th US Infantry. During his first enlistment, Rogan married Margaret McLennon, who was the sister of future MOH recipient John McLennon (who received the medal for the same action as Rogan). By the end of his first enlistment in 1870, he had already been promoted to the rank of sergeant. During his second enlistment, he served with his brother-in-law under

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

John Gibbon John Gibbon (April 20, 1827 – February 6, 1896) was a career United States Army officer who fought in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Early life Gibbon was born in the Holmesburg section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the four ...

in the

Nez Perce War The Nez Perce War was an armed conflict in 1877 in the Western United States that pitted several bands of the Nez Perce tribe of Native Americans and their allies, a small band of the ''Palouse'' tribe led by Red Echo (''Hahtalekin'') and ...

. By the end of fifth enlistment in 1889, he had finally been promoted to the rank of first sergeant. He retired from the army in September 1895. Following his retirement, Rogan was employed as a night watchman for the Union Pacific Coal Company. He died in

Rock Springs, Wyoming Rock Springs is a city in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 23,036 at the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state of Wyoming, and the most populous city in Sweetwater County. Rock Springs is ...

, and was buried beside his wife and brother-in-law McLennon.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company A, 7th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Big Hole, Mont., 9 August 1877. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: 2 December 1878.

Verified and reported the company while subjected to a galling fire from the enemy.

External links

Biography
at Friends of Nez Perce Battlefields * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rogan, Patrick 1847 births 1912 deaths 19th-century Irish people Irish soldiers in the United States Army People from County Leitrim United States Army Medal of Honor recipients Irish-born Medal of Honor recipients American Indian Wars recipients of the Medal of Honor