How Robert J. Patterson Saved the 10th New York at Petersburg

Dec 11 , 2025

How Robert J. Patterson Saved the 10th New York at Petersburg

Robert J. Patterson’s hands shook, the roar of cannonade shaking the earth beneath his feet. The sky above Petersburg, Virginia, was choked with smoke and blood-red fire. Around him, men of the 10th New York Infantry fell screaming, torn by lead and shrapnel. The regimental colors wavered, nearly lost in the chaos. Then Patterson sprinted forward — a white flame in the black storm that saved his regiment from collapse.

From Humble Roots to Hardened Resolve

Born in 1838 in New York, Robert J. Patterson grew up framed by faith and hard labor. His family, farmers of simple means, instilled a fierce sense of duty and honor. Faith was no mere Sunday formality—it was the lens through which he saw every breath and heartbeat. By the time war tore the nation apart, Patterson carried a code, silent and heavy like his grandfather’s old rifle: protect your brothers, hold the line, never flinch.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid… for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

The man who marched into battle was not just a soldier; he was a living testament to that promise.

Petersburg: The Firestorm of Defiance

The summer of 1864 had turned Petersburg into hell’s antechamber. Confederate earthworks reached like jagged teeth, Union forces gnashing at the gates. Patterson’s 10th New York stood in the fray during one of the deadliest assaults.

Under relentless enemy artillery, the regiment faltered—wounds and death fracturing their lines. The colors dipped, chaos threatening to swallow them whole. Seeing this, Patterson didn’t hesitate. He ripped the banner free, gripping it like a lodestar.

With searing courage, Patterson charged forward, rallying his men through the deafening scream of musket and cannon. His voice cut across the powder smoke: a beacon of steel and will.

According to official Medal of Honor reports, on July 30, 1864, during the Battle of the Crater, Patterson’s decisive act “inspired the men to rally and mount a successful counterattack, saving the integrity of the regiment.” His bravery under fire shielded countless lives that day[1].

The Medal of Honor – A Badge of Sacrifice

On May 10, 1865, Patterson received the Medal of Honor— the nation’s highest accolade for valor. The citation spoke plainly:

“For extraordinary heroism on 30 July 1864, at the Battle of the Crater, Petersburg, Virginia, in grasping the regimental colors and leading the assault under heavy fire, thereby rallying and saving his regiment.”

His commanding officer, Colonel James Miller, later told the New York Times,

“Patterson’s actions were not of a man seeking glory but of a brother refusing to let his kin fall. His courage was the spine the regiment leaned upon in our darkest hour.”

Returns from that hell were not measured in medals alone. They were carved into the bones and souls of men like Patterson.

Enduring Lessons from the Mud and Blood

Robert J. Patterson’s story is etched in every scar of the 10th New York survivors. War stripped their youth, but it forged resolve and sacrifice that transcended the battlefield.

Redemption was never about the medal, Patterson once wrote in a letter home — it was finding hope in the horror, and brotherhood in the chaos.

His legacy is raw and unpolished: leadership means standing in the fire when others fall back. Courage means facing death to save the fragile flicker of life beside you. And faith means holding onto something greater than the gunshots ringing in your ears.

The smoke has long cleared from Petersburg. Yet the heart-stamping courage of men like Patterson calls us still: to stand in dark moments, to carry the colors when the weight crushes, and to remember that every act of bravery echoes beyond the battlefield.

“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.” — Psalm 91:4

We cannot forget what these warriors bore. Their scars are our inheritance. Their sacrifice, our eternal charge.

Sources

[1] Medal of Honor Citation Archives, Congressional Medal of Honor Society – Robert J. Patterson [2] New York Times, May 1865, "Heroes of the Crater: The 10th New York Infantry" [3] Civil War Trust, "Battle of the Crater Historic Overview"