Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1865-11-15

| ne sent his wife away, telling her that hS
would take care of the house. The firing
vas near by, over Seminery Ridge. Soon
: wounded soldier came into the town
md stopped ct an old house on the op~
posite corner. Burns saw the poor fellow
! lay down his musket, and the Inspiration
20 90 into the battle seems then first To-
have seized him. He went over and de-
manded the gun.
What are you going to do with itg~
| asked TIE soldier
I'm going to shoot some Of the rebels
| eplied John"
''Having obtained the gun. be pushed
out on the Chambersburg pike. and was
soon in the thick of the skirmish
81 wore high crowned hat, and long
allied blue; and was seventy wears old.
The sight of so old a man, in such
costume, rushing fearlessly forward to
,et shot in the very frsnt of the battle,
# course attracted attention. He foughs
With the Seventh Wisconsin regimene,
he colonel of which ordered him back,
nd questioned him. and finally, seeing
ne old mans patriotic determinations,
ave him a good rife in place of the mus
let he had brought with him.
''Are you a good shoi?"
"Tolerable good said John, who ia an
I'd fox hunter"
DO YOU see that rebel riding yOnderr'
s. do
Can vou fetch him ?
- Can try
"a The old man took deliberate aim andS
ired. He does not say he killed the reb-
| 4, but simply that his shot was cheered
| oy the Wisconsin boys. and that after
cards the horse the rebel rode was seen
,ailoping with an empty saddle. that's
Ill know about it,
He fought until our fcrees were driT-
an back in the afternoon. He had already
| received two slight wounds, and a third
me through the arm, TO which Ie paid lit
Jle attention /; only the blood running
/ iOwn my hand bothered me q heaD.'
Then, as he was slowly falling back with
the rest, be received fina! shot through
| tbe leg. Down | went, ard the whole
! rebel army ran over ms Helpless, near
| iy bleeding 10 death from his wounds, he
lay upon the field all night. About sun
ub, next morning, | crawled to a neigh
boIs house. and found it full of wounded
rebels The neighbOr afterwards took
uim to his own house, which had also
been turned into a rebel hospital A
rebel surgeon dressed his wounds and
ne says he received decent treatment at
the hands of the enemy. until a copper
head woman living opposite told or him:
That's the old man who said he was
going out to shoot some of the rebels.'
.SOme officers came and questioned
him, endeavoring to conyict him of bush
whacking;' but the old man gave them
little satisfaction. This was on FRIDAY.
the third day of the battle; and ne was
alone with his wife in the upper part Of
the house. The rebels left and soon at
ter two shots were fired. One bullet en-
tered the window, passed over Burns
head, and struck the wall behind the
lounge on which he was lying The 9TH
el shot fell lower, passing through door
Burns is c-rtsin that the design was to
assassiuate him. That the shots was fred
by the rebels there can be no doubt: and
as they were fred from their own side,
towards the town, of which they held
possession a5 the time, Johns theory is
Olainly the true one. The hole in the
window and the bullet-marks in the door
and z-5ll remain.
"Bcrns went with ne over the ground
where the fist days fight took place
d. showed me the scene Of this Lo, days
work-pOiuted out two trees behind
when be ami one of the Wisconsin BOYS
sfood and picked off every rebel that
showed his head and the spot where he
f-'l and lay all night under the stars and
dew.
This act Of daring on the part Of so
agld a citizen aud bis subsequent suffer
IA IS from wounds, naturally ,alied out
great deal of ~ mpathy. and caused bim
to be looked upon as hero. Bu5 4 hero,
like a prophet, has not all honor In his
own country. There's wide spread. Vi
olent prejudice against Burns among that
class of the towns people termed cop
perheads.' The young men, espe eciaily,
who did not take their guns and 90 into
tine fight as this old man did. but who
ran, when running was possible, III the
opposite direction, dislike Burns Some
aveEthst he did not have a gun IL his
hand that day, and that he was wounded
by accident, happening 10 get between
the two lines. Others admit the fact Of
his carrying a gun into the fight, but tell
you. with 8 sardOnic smile, that his mo-
tives wers questionable Some who are
eager enough 10 make money on his pic
ture, sold against his will, and without
profit to him, will tell you in confidence,
after you have purchased it, that Burns
is a perfect humbug,'
after studying the old mans cnaFac-
ter, cnnversing both with his friends and
enemies. and sitting evidence. during
fur DAYS spent in Gettysburg | formed
nv conclusions OF his going into the
d iyht and fighting. there is no doubt what
ever Of his bravery, amounting even
to rashness, there can he no reasonable
question He Is patriot of the most
jealous sort; h0;, impIlsive man, who
meant what he said when hestarted wi b
the gun to 90 and shoot some of the reb-
els. qualified with the strong ajectVe. A
thoroughly honest man, too, think; al
though some of his remarks are to be ts-
ken with considerable allowance His
temper causes him to form immOderate
opinions and to make strong statements.
H aioays goes bsyaqt,' said my landlord,
p firm friend of his, speaking of this ten
dency to overstep the bounds of calm
judgment"