St. Michael’s “Resting Place” Traditional Cache

This cache will bring you to the St. Michael’s " Final Resting Place". This is one of the most prestigious well-kept small cemeteries, I have even seen. Please respect the cemetery with no night caching and respect others that maybe there as this is an active old cemetery.  The cache is located in the cemetery which holds some interesting history and Veterans of the Civil War.

This cache is dedicated to one of those Veterans with an amazing life and story, be sure to look up his grave site and pay your respects to this Kansas frontier pioneer. Behind every headstone is a story and here is the story of Mr. Patrick Gorman ..

Patrick Gorman, son of Thomas and Catherine Gleason Gorman, was born in the Parish of Oahir, Conlisch County, Limerick, Ireland, May 12, 1837.  Times were rough in Ireland during this period as, the Great “Potato” Famine (Irish: an Gorta Mór) was a period of mass starvation, disease and emigration between 1845 and 1852. Patrick and his young sister managed to survive and immigrated to the United States in 1856 at age 16 with little to no money and big dreams. Patrick  made his way to Springfield, Ill were he went to work making .50 per day and within a few years became a citizen of the United States in the very court house Abraham Lincoln practiced law. He always took pride in this fact. The California Gold rush was too tempting to resist for a poor boy from Ireland, so in 1858 he headed west to make his fortune.  He only reached Westport Landing, Kansas City and ran out of funds. He then walked to Leavenworth but not finding anything worthwhile, so headed to Fort Scott, arriving there after a very long journey. Patrick put in a land claim near the Moore’s Branch Creek for 160 acers and worked hard and long turning the farm from nothing into something, but times were once again very rough, it wasn’t long before the “Call to Arms” came in 1861 and Patrick, volunteered for the Grand Old Army (GAR) Company A, Sixth Kansas Calvary out of Fort Scott.  While serving in Fort Scott he met his wife Miss Margaret Devereaux and married in October 1864 only days before the Confederate Army of Major General Sterling Price moved into southeast Kansas and engaged in the Battle of Marais des Cygnes, Mine Creek and the Battle of Marmiton River.  Patrick became trapped was taken Prisoner of War and remained a captive until 1865, when he was released and returned to his wife in Fort Scott.   Patrick and his wife settled on a small farm just a few miles from their final resting place in the St. Michael’s Cemetery.   He died on May 30, 1920 at the age of 86 with a farm that had grown to 1,520 acers. Mr. Patrick Gorman is a true survivor of many obstacles in his life and a testimony of dreams do come true with hard word, and perseverance. A lesson for us all ….