John O'Rourke (December 1, 1834 – May 5, 1882) was an American politician and businessman.

Career

Born in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

, O'Rourke emigrated to the United States in 1857 and settled in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

. He was a book-keeper for the John Fitzgerald firm of Milwaukee and a time conductor for the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. He served in the

6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 6th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Throughout the war, it was part of the brigade that came to be known as the Iron Brigade in the Army of the Pot ...

and in the 1st Illinois Light Artillery, Battery L during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. He then moved to

Juneau County, Wisconsin Juneau County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,718. Its county seat is Mauston. History Before white settlement, before loggers and explorers, the area that is now Juneau Coun ...

and continued to work for the John Fitzgerald firm. In 1868, he served in the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...

for Juneau County and lived in the town of Kildare, Wisconsin. He also served as Juneau County treasurer. In November 1874, O'Rourke moved to

Plattsmouth, Nebraska Plattsmouth is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 6,620 at the 2020 census. History The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed the mouth of the Platte River, just north of what is now Main St ...

and was the assistant cashier for the First National Bank. He was elected treasurer of the Plattsmouth Board of Trade in Plattsmouth, Nebraska. In April 1881, O'Rourke was elected mayor of Plattsmouth and served until 1882 just before his death. He was involved with the Democratic Party. O'Rourke died in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

Legacy

O'Rourke was the subject of the American Civil War song "

When Johnny Comes Marching Home "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" ( Roud 6673), sometimes "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again", is a song from the American Civil War that expressed people's longing for the return of their friends and relatives who were fighting in the war. ...

." The lyrics were written by

Patrick Gilmore Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore (December 25, 1829 – September 24, 1892) was an Irish-born American composer and military bandmaster who lived and worked in the United States after 1848. While serving in the Union Army during the U.S. Civil War, ...

, the brother of his future wife, Annie Maria Gilmore.

Notes

External links

* 19th-century Irish people 1834 births 1882 deaths Irish emigrants to the United States People from Plattsmouth, Nebraska People from Juneau County, Wisconsin Politicians from Milwaukee People of Illinois in the American Civil War People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War Businesspeople from Nebraska Businesspeople from Wisconsin Nebraska Democrats Mayors of places in Nebraska County officials in Wisconsin 19th-century American businesspeople Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly 19th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature {{Wisconsin-WIAssembly-Democratic-stub