John Gregory Bourke (June 23, 1846 – June 8, 1896) John G. Bourke was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Irish immigrant parents, Edward Joseph and Anna (Morton) Bourke, who emigrated from western Ireland. His early education was extensive and included Latin, Greek and Gaelic. He attended parochial schools and St. Josephs College, a Jesuit school.
He was a Captain in the United States Army, a prolific diarist, acclaimed author and internationally respected ethnologist. Bourke wrote several books about the American Old West, including ethnologies of its indigenous peoples. As a teenager, he was awarded a Medal of Honor for serving as a cavalryman in the Union army during the American Civil War. Based on his service during the war, his commander nominated him to West Point, where he graduated in 1869, allowing him to become an Army officer until his death in 1896. He is interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
