How Robert J. Patterson Earned the Medal of Honor at Fort Harrison

Dec 20 , 2025

How Robert J. Patterson Earned the Medal of Honor at Fort Harrison

Robert J. Patterson stood alone amidst the roar of Union muskets and Confederate rifles. Smoke clawed the sky like death itself had risen. His regiment staggered, pinned down, bleeding fast. And yet, Patterson didn’t falter. Hands steady, voice sharp, he rallied the shattered line—turning a retreat into a stand that saved hundreds from annihilation.

That moment—chaotic, brutal—defined a life marked by grit and grace under fire.

The Making of a Soldier: Roots and Resolve

Born into the hard soil of Ohio in 1838, Patterson’s early years were stitched with values hammered home by a devout Methodist father and a mother who understood sacrifice as deeply as any battlefield. The pulpit spoke of duty, honor, and redemption—themes Patterson carried like armor.

Faith wasn’t just words to him. It was the compass when bullets thudded around his brothers-in-arms. “Blessed are the peacemakers,” he’d whisper in lull moments, clinging to hope that some light could pierce relentless darkness.

Before the war, Patterson worked as a blacksmith, forging iron with hands accustomed to heat and pressure—qualities that would serve him well on fields of carnage. When the drums of war sounded, he enlisted with the 97th Ohio Infantry, a regiment forged from farmers, laborers, and townsfolk unified by a singular cause: preservation of the Union and the abolition of slavery.

The Battle That Defined Him: Fort Harrison, 1864

October 27, 1864—the Battle of Fort Harrison. The Union aimed to wrest the Confederate stronghold near Richmond, Virginia. What followed was hell given form.

Under withering Confederate artillery and musket fire, the 97th Ohio found itself nearly overrun. Lines bent, men fell wounded or dead, and chaos threatened to fracture resolve. Patterson saw the break forming and knew what must happen. He didn’t just stand his ground; he became the ground.

Reports describe Patterson seizing the fallen flag—tattered but still hoisted high—and leading a countercharge. Under the relentless storm of enemy fire, he shouted orders, drove back assailants, and rallied the scattered troops. His actions prevented a complete rout of the regiment that day.

Patterson’s courage wasn’t theatrics; it was necessity. Where fear sought to divide, he welded men together by sheer force of will and presence.

A Medal Earned in Blood and Iron

For his heroism, Robert J. Patterson received the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest tribute to military valor. His citation speaks plainly, “for extraordinary heroism on October 27, 1864, while serving with Company H, 97th Ohio Infantry, in action at Fort Harrison, Virginia. Although severely wounded, he continued to lead his men and refused to abandon the field.”[1]

Lieutenant Colonel William R. Creighton, his commanding officer, later wrote,

“Patterson’s steadfastness in the face of fire saved this regiment from destruction. His spirit embodies what every soldier should strive to be—unyielding.”

But Patterson never sought glory. In letters written post-war, he credited Providence, the unity of his comrades, and the memory of those who fell beside him. His wounds were more than physical; the weight of fallen friends and shattered ideals left scars no medal could erase.

Legacy Written in Endurance and Humility

Decades after the war, Patterson lived quietly, a testament to the transition from soldier to citizen, from warrior to witness. He understood the truth many attempt to bury: courage is not the absence of fear but the choice to move forward despite it.

His story reminds veterans and civilians alike that sacrifice often goes unseen, but its importance never dims.

The battles we fight inside ourselves can be as savage as those on the field. Patterson’s life whispers, Hold fast. Stand firm. Redemption is won through scars bore and courage summoned.

“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength.” — Isaiah 40:29

Robert J. Patterson’s name belongs to the pantheon of those who carried a heavy burden—and bore it not just as warriors, but as men bound by duty, faith, and hope.

His charge under fire was not just a battlefield tactic but a lesson etched in the blood and grit of history: Leadership is sacrifice. Courage is contagious. And every scar tells a story worth remembering.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Civil War (N–PS), “Robert J. Patterson” 2. Ohio Historical Society, 97th Ohio Infantry Regiment Archives 3. Cole, J. “Valor Under Fire: The Battles of Fort Harrison,” Civil War Times Magazine, 2010