After a number of successful battles, the valiant O'Rorke, much beloved by his men. led the 140th N.Y. Infantry Regiment in a battle to defend Little Round Top, a strategic aerie. Although O'Rorke was mortally wounded by a bullet to the neck, his men succeeded in defending the position.
O'Rorke is commemorated by a Gettysburg monument that includes a bronze bust of the colonel. His nose has been rubbed shiny, from the many visitors eager for the "luck of the Irish."
