Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-07

that house across the street Commanded
a view OF the room in which Burns was
lying. and they determined TO shoot from
there rather than climb over the wounded
men downstairs. Possibly, too. they did
not like their grewsome work. To 60
into room I'm which a white-haired man
of seventy lies on a bed with two wounds
in his body. with one leg paralyzed from
a bullet wound and with one arm ter
ribly injured. ard TO kill that old man as
he Is there before you Is revolving work.
So they went across the street and from
an upper window they fired at figure
in the bed. The old man knew whai
they were about. and the same love Of
life. the same cunning that led him Ia
strip himself OF cartridges and gun on
the battlefield led him now 10 do a thing
that was almost as perious as to take
chances with two moro bullets Desper-
ately wounded as he was. he rolled him
self out of the bed and crawled into an
adjoining room.
The msrksmen fired, but the bullets did
not find the human target. The men had
10 hurry away. for this was the third
day OF the battle and preparations We're
being made for retreat. They did moi
stop to make sure their bullets reached
home. II mattered little to them one way
or the other. for that was a sad day to
the men of the south. Pickett's brave
men had been torn tn fragments in one
of the most magnificent and useless
charges In the history of war. the high
hopes OF the south had been shattered.
the invasion of the north had failed and
the star OF the south had begun To set.
So what did the life of one poor old
bullet-riddled man signify to them?
Ii was long time before John Burns
left his bed after that day. but when he
did he resumed his old habits. With
new frock coat and a new white fur hat
that some one had sent from the great
city of New York. and with a new badge
he again became the active and positive
representative OF government I'm historic
Gettysburg. People now looked upon him
with great respect. If not generation, and
the old man became proud indeed He
loved TO tell the story OF Gettysburg, at
least that part OF 1t which he knew, but
loved almost as well TO tell OF what
he did at Lundy's Lane and Sackett's
Harbor. Then one day Abraham Lincoln.
President of the United States. visited
Gettysburg. ard the first man he asked
for was john Burns. They sent hur-
riedly for John, but the proud constable
said the President ought to come to him
and not he go to the President But they
prevailed upon the constable 10 call upon
the President, for Lincoln was in Gettys-
burg 10 dedicate the national cemetery
and to deliver short address, short
ton that day, but which will be treasured
as long as man lives upon the earth.
And when the procession was formed OH
that day OF the dedication Of the national
cemetery Abraham Lincoln walked
through the streets to the church. his arm
in the arm OF John Burns
The Congress of the United States
granted pension to the old man. So did
the legislature OF Pennsylvania. For a
few years he was an officer OF the state
senate. 1t paid more. but he did NOT Xix -
it SO well as being constable OF Gettys-
burg. In 1868 his wife died and the old
man was very lonely. Then in 1870 he
had psralytic stroke, and after that an
attendant had to accompany him every
where He died February 2, 1872, and his
bullet-shattered body was laid TO rest
near the field where. CARRIED in his old
frock coat, with his tall white fur hat on
his head and with badge on his breast lie
won undying fame in defense OF the
Union.
Copyright. 1909 by Richard SpiIIaneJ