The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-12
WAR RECORD OF
COLONEL BURNS
While the "TOcsin" Act Was
On lie Never Left the
State.
HEADQUARTERS.

CALL HEADQUARTERS, SACRA-
MENTO, Jan. I.-"When the tocsin of
war was sounded throughout the land he
shouldered his musket and FASTENED to his
country's call. And when a million men
laid down their arms he returned to the
land of his adoption and resumed the
peaceful pursuits of ordinary life"
Assemblyman Cobb of San Francisco,
placing the name of the man from Mexico
before the Assembly as a candidate for
United States Senator, spoke thus beau
tifully of the brilliant war record Of
Colonel Daniel NJ Burns.
Senator Wolfe of San Francisco, pIac-
ing the colonel in nomination before the
joint. convention of the Senate and As
sembly to-day, referred touchingly to the
fact that the colonel had followed in the
ranks with those who responded to the
. call to save the Union"
Assemblyman Cobb's very pretty SEN
tence is somewhat spoiled by the facts
The records in the office Of the adjutant
general Of California do not altogether
bear Mr.. Cobb out in his well rounded
sentence about the 'tocsin of war and
the colonels connection with the said
toosin.
The records of the adjutant generals
office show that Daniel NJ. Burns enlist
ed in Company B, Fourth California In
= fantry, in the city of Sacramento, on
March %, 1864. This was the time at
But here is where Assemblyman Cobb
erred when he said: And when a million
men laid down their arms he returned TO
the land of his adoption and resumed the
peaceful pursuits of ordinary life" This
sounds very nice. The only trouble with
the sentence is that the facts are not
true. 1t was never necessary for the
colonel, when he laid down his musket
to return to the land of his adoption
for the reason that from the time the
'tocsin of war was sounded for him up
tOcSin ceased h q
never left the State of California and he
never took but one trip away from San
Francisco Bay.
The colonel was mustered in at Sacra-
mento and mustered out at Drum bar
racks, San Francisco. 1t was not neces-
sary for him when he quit to make any
back TO 1.-The land of his adoption" for
the reason that he never at any time left
Company B of the Fourth California In
fantry, in which Colonel Burns held the
rank of Corporal was at Drum barracks
San Francisco, from December 1863 to
April, 1865. On the 4th of February 1865
Corporal Burns was transferred from
Company 3 to Company c Of the same
regiment, and that company was sta
toned at Los Angeles Camp Cady from
February, 1866, until the time of the mus
ter-out.
The Fourth California Infantry was or.
gained September q. 1861, at Placervile
and Auburn. The first commander was
Colonel II. NJ. Judah. He was succeeded
Dy COlOnel James +. Curtis The regiment
was first stationed at Auburn and five
companies were sent to Oregon to relieve
the regulars there. In 1862 five compan.
les were stationed at Camp Union, near
Sacramento. In May. 1862 Headquarters
were removed to Camp Latham at Los
Angeles In September of 1862 they were
transferred to Drum barracks at Sar
Francisco, and there the Headquarters OF
the regiment remained during the resi-
of its time of service. Here is where
Corporal Burns put in the time of his
enlistment.
But where did Corporal Burns fall heir
to the title of Colonel, which he wears
with such becoming dignity and grace;
He did not get it when the "tocsin OF
war" was sounding. The Corporal OBJ
tanned that title by sounding the .tocsir
of politics. January 10, 1880, General Johr
T. Sheehan of the Fourth Brigade of the
California National Guard, made hin
Major and paymaster on his staff. Man
25, 1882. General ToZier reappointed him
Then Major Burns dropped out of the ser.
vice for time, for the tocsn had sound.
ed for him. But this time it was a diff.
ferent kind of a tocsin. 1t was the tocsir
of the Grand Jury of Sacramento coun.
" which sounded twelve coupss against
Major Burns for embezzling the funds OF
the people of the State of California
which, as Secretary Of State, he had mis-.
appropriated.
But January 8, 1891, Governor H. H
Markham gave to Major Burns the title
Of Colonel, for he made him Inspector OF
Rife Practice on his staff. After a SER
vice Of two years and half the Colonel
wearied OF military honors, and on July