[415]
Henry Lyman Patten.
Second Lieutenant 20th Mass. Vols. (Infantry), November 25, 1861; first Lieutenant, October 1, 1862; Captain, May 1, 1863; Major, June 20, 1864; died at Philadelphia, Pa., September 10, 1864, of a wound received at deep Bottom, Va., August 17.Henry Lyman Patten, of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteers, was born in Kingston, New Hampshire, on the 4th of April, 1836. His father, Colcord Patten, and his mother, Maria (Fletcher) Patten, were substantial New England people, whose children (Henry being the youngest) have all become worthy citizens. His early life gave bright promise of distinction. His singularly quick intelligence and love of books caused him, after the usual course of district schools, to be sent to the public Latin School of Boston. Thence, having graduated with high honors and prizes as a medal scholar, he passed into Harvard College in July, 1854. At this time Patten was a fine specimen of the college student. In person he was short, straight, compact, well-knit, vigorous, and elastic. In later years, his shoulders so filled and broadened as to remove the idea of insignificance which his small stature gave. His face, with its regular features, was thoroughly handsome: its frank and open expression was the trustworthy index of his character, and his passport to confidence and love. His cheeks were ruddy with health, his hazel eyes full of light and meaning, his lips mobile and expressive, his forehead broad and shapely. He was almost equally proficient in all the college studies, except the modern languages, but perhaps showed most skill in the classics and metaphysics. Through several college terms he ranked third or fourth scholar in a class of nearly a hundred. Lack of money, however, (an inconvenience which vexed him for many years,) forced him to be absent through part of his course, teaching schools or private pupils. This double pressure slightly lowered his numerical rank, but did not touch his
