. History of the Twenty-fourth Michigan of the Iron brigade, known as the Detroit and Wayne county regiment .. . theirCompany. Within an hour every one of the four lay on the field witha bullet in his body. Rider lost an arm and died of his devotion to duty is worthy of record. OLD JOHN BURNS. On the first day of the battle, Constable John L. Burns ofGettysburg, over seventy years of age, upon hearing the firing, seizedhis old-fashioned rifle, ran across the field and offered his services toColonel Wister of the One Hundred and Fiftieth he went over to the S
. History of the Twenty-fourth Michigan of the Iron brigade, known as the Detroit and Wayne county regiment .. . theirCompany. Within an hour every one of the four lay on the field witha bullet in his body. Rider lost an arm and died of his devotion to duty is worthy of record. OLD JOHN BURNS. On the first day of the battle, Constable John L. Burns ofGettysburg, over seventy years of age, upon hearing the firing, seizedhis old-fashioned rifle, ran across the field and offered his services toColonel Wister of the One Hundred and Fiftieth he went over to the Second Wisconsin on the right of theIron Brigade. He wore an old banged-up, bell-crowned hat, andswallow-tailed coat. His unique dress and temerity in venturing intoso dangerous a place without occasion, seemed the act of an insanezealot, and invited the jibes of the men. Thence he passed on to the BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG. 183 Seventh Wisconsin where he remained awhile. Next he passed overto the Twenty-fourth Michigan and was with the latter regiment inthe east edge of McPhersons woods, when he was wounded. He. JOHN BURNS OF GETTYSBURG— FROM A PHOTOGRAPH SOLDBY HIMSELF AFTER THE BATTLE fought till three bullets were lodged in his body. His wounds weredressed by Assistant-Surgeon Collar of the Twenty-fourth July 15, 1863, Chaplain W. C. Way wrote of him thus: We called upon the old patriot, Mr. Burns, the other day and found him quitecomfortable. He is the man, though past seventy, who shouldered his musket andwent to the field and fought with the Iron Brigade. He is made of the right kind ofstuff. Let his name be recorded in history as an example of mature patriotism. General Doubleday commended his conduct and the old mansfame has found a place in the school literature of the land. Many ayouth has declaimed the poets lines on his patriotic conduct. Helived to be over eighty years old and lies buried by his wife atGettysburg. 184 HISTORY OF THE TWENTY-FOURTH MICHIGAN.
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