The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-26
DAUGHTERS OF THE
 AMERICAN REVOL U7ION

city. died possessed of little, or no wealth, having gone through" with the large sums paid him for his lands. He lived and died in the little cot tage on the Potomac immediately ad toiping the splendid mansion built by his son-in-law, Geenral John P. Van Ness. who married the beautiful daugh- ter, Marcia. Writers claim that David Burnes tarried long at the wine cup and kept in mellowed condition un- der frequent libations of good Scotcr whiskey: that he spent the major por- tion ~ his time at Suter's Tavern, in Georgetown, and in the public houses of Alexandria-then Beilhaven. AL though he was crusty and at tirnex dtsagreeabIe, the "Burnes Mansion" as his home was called. was visited by. many of the leading men of the day Washington, Jefferson. Lee. Hami1- ton. the Carrolls. the Duddingtons, Aaron Burr. and others.
 It has been stated. too. that David Burnes entertained Tom Moore in 1894. during his visit to this country, and when he took occasion to say and write so many unpleasant things about us. If the old Scotchman did enter tain the poet at that time he must have come back in ghost or spirit form. for the old man had gone to his last sleep on the sth of May, 1900, four years prior to Moore's visit. Pa tient and persistent investigation au- thorizes the assertion that David Burnes was first inferred in the Pierce Graveyard. now Lafayette Square. or near the corner of H and ' Eisvsnsh sSssssS streets. and upon which General Van Ness had erected a costly marble msusel.qm mss Ole, a; and which was removed to Burnes's lands included both theee graveyards. and it is pretty certain that his son; John. who died in i7sz was buried fin the H street site. and 1t is reasonable to suppose that the father was buried there.
 Not Reinterred in Oak HiII.
 When the mausoleum was removed to Oak Hill Cemetery and the bodies removed Mfr. and Mrs. Burnes were given as being among the number. but that these two bodies were not rein tered in Oak Hill is certain, for the next authentic account of the remains or graves of Mir Burnes Mrs. Burnes and the son. John, is the discovery of graves in the dense forest of the tract known as Brooks Station, on the Metropolitan Branch of the Ba1tinore and Ohio Railroad. and which is now the beautiful little suburban city of Brookland. When the syndicate bought that section in the 'eo's and large forces of men were set to work nak-
 
 the crumbling ramparts of old Fort Bunker Hill, three graves were discov- cred under a cluster of tall pines in the most lonesome part of the forest and at what is now the corner Of Lansing and Twelfth streets. There were no other graves save these three. ana these. were in a most daplorable condition. the place having been a hang out for the soldiers when en- camped at the fort. Dr. J H. Brooks son. of Colonel Daniel Brooks. whose splendid old mansion stiI1 stands near Lne station ana who owned all that said: sa'
 My father wrote the Van Nessea tn New York about the condition of the graves of the Burneses, but the reris, was In the nature of letter that tfev had nothing whatever to do with tf,e graves and didn't care anything abouf them. I remember that this nettled my father. and his answer to the iet- ter was rather severe How came fhn bodies buried away out here7 I can- not answer that, save to say that fha Burnes were great friends of fha Queens, who lived near the point where the graves were, and 1t may be that the bodies were brought there from some other place. do not know. nor do know who removed the bodies
 
 to the syndicate and the streets mads and lots laid out. I understand they were reinterred at Rock Creek. but by whom I do not know"
 In endeavoring to locate the last reat- ing place of David Burnes, Mrs Burnaa. and their son John, efforts were made to ascertain from the health officer the name of the person or persons to whom the disinterment permit or par RrNt tt0 Tna ed that no systematic record of diain- torment permits were Kept by the health department at the time the re- mains were removed, and that 1t would involve a considerable amount of labor to search the records. The authorities at Rock Creek were appealed to, and it was learned that on April 2s, 1888, MT. Eugene Van Ness purchased three sites. Nos. 1, 3 and 3. in reser- vation adjoining No. 1sl. section e. The name of the undertaken could not be found, and no other record save that of the sale of the lots.
 With these facts it was not dificult to locate the graves at a point near the beautiful pond at the lower end of the slope in the northwestern sec ton of the cemetery, and not far re- moved from the portion set apart for the interment of children. called Baby Heaven" Here in the stiffness of the city of the dead, and overshadowed by two large cedars, and hedged in with Japonica bushes. repose the bodies of David Burnes. his wife. and son. The graves are even with the ground ana stones of regular and symmetrical shape cover the graves. These stones are a little more than seven feet in length and three and one-half in width. and with a thickness of nearly three inches. slightly raised molding ana scroll work hem in the inscriptions. the lettering being in the old style work manship. and notwithstanding the fact that the stones have been exposed to the elements for a century. the word- ing is very clear and not difficult to de- cipher. Reading from the stone nearest the pond:
 MIR JOHN BURNEs.
 son of
 DAVID RIJRNES Esq