Patrick C. Kane was born around 1843 in Rochester, New York. He enlisted in the Union army on September 1, 1861, and he mustered in as a private in Company G of the 50th New York Engineers five days later. According to his service records, he was 5 feet, 5 inches tall, with black hair and black eyes. The regiment took part in the Seven Days’ Battles, the Battle of Fredericksburg, the Battle of Chancellorsville, the Battle of Gettysburg, the Overland Campaign, the siege of Petersburg, and the Appomattox campaign. He was promoted to corporal on October 19, 1864, and he mustered out on June 13, 1865. He died sometime after the war.