Compiled and written by David R. Schleper, 2021
Patrick Gorham was born May 25, 1840, in County Galway, Ireland. He was the oldest of eight children born to John Gorham (1816-1892) and Anna Nancy Lynden Gorham (1820-1899). Patrick and his family moved from Ireland to America and lived near Spring Lake near Shakopee.
Patrick became a soldier in the Fourth Minnesota Regiment. He was 21 years old and enrolled on September 30, 1861. Patrick mustered out on October 4, 1861.
The Fourth Regiment of Minnesota Infantry witnessed much of the action in the Civil War’s Western Theater, according to Matthew Hutchinson, in an article in MNopedia. They were part of minor skirmishes as well as major battles, expeditions and campaigns. They were fortunate to avoid heavy casualties in some large battles they were in, but they proved themselves good fighters. The officers and men saw Vicksburg surrender.
From May 1862 to September 1863 the Fourth operated mainly in the state of Mississippi. In the fall of 1862, the regiment participated in the battles of Luka on September 19 and Corinth on October 3-4. During the following spring and summer, the Fourth served in General Ulysses S. Grant’s Vicksburg Campaign. The regiment was fortunate to avoid heavy casualties in the several battles fought in early- and mid-May, including Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, and Champion’s Hill. The Union forces attacked the Confederate works surrounding Vicksburg on May 19 and 22. Both attacks failed. During the assault on May 22, the Fourth Minnesota pressed right up to and on the enemy’s works. For their bravery, they suffered 12 men killed and 42 wounded.
Patrick wrote letters home to his sister, Mary Ann Gorham (who later married Dennis Flaherty of the Flaherty and Lies building on the northwest corner of First Avenue and Lewis Street in Shakopee).
The letters describe the movement of Patrick’s unit of the Fourth Regiment Roster of Company A all the way to Vicksburg, Mississippi. Here is one letter, dated July 1862:
Dear Sister:
I received your letter yesterday and was glad to hear from you. I understand that you are all a great trouble about me being shot but there is no such a thing. Those Spring Lake boys that wrote you this story home didn’t know no more about it than you did. They have been in the hospital ever since we came south. I suppose they thought they would write something to excite the folks. I hope you won’t believe no more of those rumors that you hear.
You seem to think that I am sorry for enlisting but you are mistaken. I never felt so well in my life as I do since I enlisted. I have very good health. We have a great many sick in the regiment and a great many dead. We lost two out of our company since we came here. We have about 10 in the hospital and about 20 more not fit for duty. We have about 100 in our company when we left Minnesota, now we have not got but 80 men in the company and about 30 men in the regiment.
Governor Ramsey paid us a visit yesterday. He gave us a speech on dress parade on which we gave him three cheers. Hew said that he had made arrangements for the sick soldiers of Minnesota to go home on sick furlough. William Willson is in the hospital. I think he will be sent home on sick furlough.
We have had several marches in the last month. We have some great times, picking black berries – apples not quite ripe yet, corn is in roasting ears.
We have been expecting a fight here lately. It was rumored a few days ago that there was 40 thousand secesh (secessionist troops) advancing on us but we haven’t seen them yet. If they come we will give them what Paddy gave the drum. We are camped near a little town called Riangi, about 15 miles south of Corinth. I don’t suppose we will stay here long.
No more at present.
From your Brother, Patrick Gorham.
And that was the last letter sent to his sister, Mary Ann.
A letter from his commanding officer announced the death in a battle. According to records, Patrick Gorham died on July 20, 1863, at Milliken’s Bend, Louisiana. He was buried at Fort Snelling Cemetery.
Bibliography
Hutchinson, Matthew W. “Fourth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment.” MNopedia, 19 March 2013. https://www.mnhs.org/mnopedia/search/index/group/fourth-minnesota-volunteer-infantry-regiment.