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is another hard to find and desirable badge that was issued by the Monroe County Veterans Association in July 1913 with the image of Patrick Henry O'Rorke, This would have been for the 50 th anniversary reunion held at Gettysburg on July 1 st through the 4 th in 1913. As you can see from the scans, the badge has some oxidation on the front and back. I took a couple of pictures so you could get a better idea of the condition from the flash. The only medal for sale in this auction is the 1 st from the right. I'm not sure if Monroe County refers to New York or Michigan or possibly another state. I welcome input from someone more knowledgeable on this than I. Overall, this is still a difficult medal to find, but I've started the bid at a lower price because of the condition. It can still enhance any GAR or Gettysburg-related badge collection.

Information regarding O'Rorke

Patrick Henry O'Rorke, (or O'Rourke) a hero for the Union forces at the Battle of Gettysburg, was born in Drumbess, Cornafean on March 25, 1837. He became a highly decorated soldier of the Union Army in the American Civil War. In his infancy, his parents emigrated to America and settled in the upstate New York city of Rochester . Their house, at 19 Emmitt St. was located in an Irish section of the city called ' Dublin '. Patrick excelled in his education, and graduated from Rochester 's public schools in the mid-1850s, and was universally acclaimed as the city's finest student.

He was offered a scholarship to the University of Rochester , but instead accepted an apprenticeship as a marble cutter and mason at the Hibbard Marble Works. He soon was regarded as the best mason in Rochester but he abandoned this career at the age of 20, when he was accepted as a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point . He was the only member of his class born outside of the United States .

In June 1861, he graduated first in his class. Interestingly, General George A. Custer, later remembered for his role in the Battle of the Little Big Horn, was one of O'Rorke's classmates. On his graduation, O'Rorke was a ssigned to the elite Corps of Engineers, and became immediately involved in the Civil War. He was a staff officer at the first battle of the war, Bull Run , w the horse he was riding was killed.

He then took part in several key assignments, designing and building the defenses for several cities, and was selected to accept the Confederate surrender at Fort Pulaski , Georgia in April 1862. That summer, he took leave and returned to Rochester to marry his childhood sweetheart on July 9th. Shortly after his wedding, he was promoted to Colonel and given command of the newly formed 140th N.Y. Infantry Regiment.

He led the 140th at the Battle of Fredericksburg and the later Battle of Chancellorsville, he was in charge of the brigade in which the 140th served. O'Rorke was temporarily promoted to brigade command from Jan. 1863 to June 1863. However, his life was to end tragically on July 2, 1863 at the famed Battle of Gettysburg. In an effort to defend the strategic Little Round Top, which if lost would had jeopardized the entire battle, O'Rorke led his 500 men in a charge over the crest of the hill and was killed after sustaining a bullet wound in the neck. He was 27 years old.

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