Career
Born in 1837 in Canada, Fitzpatrick, joined the United States Navy from Taunton, Massachusetts in December 1861. He served during the Civil War as a coxswain on Admiral David Farragut"s flagship, the United States Ship Hartford. Acting as a gun captain at the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864, Fitzpatrick was wounded in the face by splinters and his artillery piece was disabled by hostile fire.
Within minutes, he returned the gun to operation by making necessary repairs and clearing away the dead and wounded.
Fitzpatrick had been discharged earlier that same month. As captain of the Number.
1 gun on board the flagship United States.S. Hartford, during action against rebel gunboats, the ram Tennessee and Fort Morgan in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Although struck several times in the face by splinters, and with his gun disabled when a shell burst between the 2 forward 9-inch guns, killing and wounding 15 men, Fitzpatrick, within a few minutes, had the gun in working order again with new track, breeching and side tackle, had sent the wounded below, cleared the area of other casualties, and was fighting his gun as before.