Dennis Murphy

Who was Dennis Murphy?

Dennis John Francis Murphy served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Second Battle of Corinth, where he continued carrying his regiment's colors despite being wounded three times.

Murphy was a member of the 14th Wisconsin Infantry, coming from a unit known as "the De Pere Rifles." He and his wife owned a family farm in Glenmore, and moved into Green Bay after the war—his injuries making it no longer possible to continue farming. His full name was Denis John Francis Murphy, and his wife was Bridget Murphy.

Murphy had also seen action and been wounded earlier at Shiloh. He was awarded a ceremonial saber with the inscription "for valor at the Battles of Shiloh and Corinth." This saber was kept and handed down by his descendants until it myseriously disappeared into the hands of a thus-far anonymous collector in the mid-1990s.

Murphy was born in County Cork, Ireland. He joined the Army from Green Bay, Wisconsin in September 1861, and was discharged due to disability in November 1862. He is buried in the Murphy Family Plot