The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-07-08
Last Week at CettySbuTs.

! Ou OtC lOI bttllJil tuul' tI sal y VI
the battle of Gettysburg last
week were much pleased with
what they saw.
One of the most interesting
features of the occasion was the
unveiling of the John Burns Mon
ument, and for the benefit of our
younger people, and all interest
ed in Pennsylvania War History
we give the following sketch of
the Old Hero's life, as given by
the Gettysburg Star and Sentl.
mel.
AT the session of the Legisla.
ture of 1901, Representative John
Y. Harris, of Germantown, Phila-
/ delphia, introduced bill asking
for an appropriation of $500 for
the erection of a marker on the
battlefield of Gettysburg to John
Burns, the only civilian accord.
ing TO historians who took an &C
tive part in the conflict.
Hons. ID. =. Mcpherson and NJ.
a. Garvln, who were representa-
tives in the Legislature aU that
time from this district, used their
influence, and together with Mr..
Harrison, they succeeded in hav-
ing 1t passed. Governor Stone
signed the bill a few days later,
thus making it a law.
Bureau Brothers, of Philadel-
phia, were given the contract for
the manufacture of the statue,
and in the forepart of February,
1902, they with the assistance of
G. VIM. Ziegler, M. A. Miller and
Ira n. Ziegler placed the statue
in position.
The monument stands north of
Reynolds Grove, along Stone
Avenue. The foundation is ks
feet, upon which rests a large
boulder of native granite weigh
ing 9 tons, and on this is fastened
the bronze figure.
The figure, which is an elegant
representation of Mr.. Burns,
holding a musket in his right
hand, is 6 feet 2 inches high and
weighs 900 pounds. On the south
side of the monument, IN bronze,
is the state coat-of-arms, and on
west side, in raised letters on a
handsome bronze plate, Is the fol-
lowing inscription taken from
General Doubleday's Gettysburg
report
"My thanks are especially due
citizen of Gettysburg, named
John Burns, who although over
10 years of age, shouldered his
musket and offered his services
to Col. Wister, 150th Penn'a Vol.
unteers. Col. Wister advised him
to fight in the woods as there was
more shelter there, but he pre-
ferred to join our line of skir-
mishers IN the open field. When
the troopers retired he fought
with the Iron Brigade. He was
wounded in three places.
SKETCH OF THE "HERO."
Mr.. Burns was native of New
Jersey and came to Gettysburg
some years prior TO the battle of
Gettysburg. In his early days
he was Incorporate, but reform
ed and for many years not only
abstalned from the use of intoxi-
eating drinks but was noted for
his hostility to the traffic in every
form.
Patriotic in his impulses, he
prided himself much in his con-
nection with the War of 1912, and
at the outbreak of the Rebellion,
Notwithstanding his advanced age
sought admittance to the military
service. He volunteered under
the first three. months call, in the
company organized by Col. G. II.
Buehler, but was not accepted by
the mustering-in officer on ac-
count of his age. He next tried
to get in the Pennsylvania Re-
serve Corps and went to West
Chester with the Company organ
lied by Hon. Edward Mcpherson
but was again rejected, Nothing
daunted, he went to Washington
and got into the wagon service
for o time.