Patrick H. White was born in Sligo, Ireland and moved with his parents and siblings to Nova Scotia to escape the Irish famines in the mid-1840's. After his parents moved to Chicago, he worked in a meat-packing plant there. One of things that White also did as a young man was to join an artillery militia group in Chicago. This artillery battery became known as the Chicago Artillery, or First Illinois Light Artillery Battery A, when its militiamen volunteered to be one of the intrepid units to join the Union Army at Lincoln's first call for troops. Since Patrick White's parents had both died, he decided to stay in Chicago to help his sister raise his brothers and sisters.

In August 1861, however, White could not hold back any longer. With his militia comrades already gone, he volunteered for another Chicago battery which was being assembled by Ezra Taylor. While its formal name was the First Illinois Light Artillery Battery B, this artillery unit was unofficially known as Taylor's Battery throughout the rest of the Civil War.

• Shiloh Campaign

• Vicksburg Campaign

• Red River Campaign

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• Prisoners of War

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