John Burns

Monument located on Meredith Avenue. See map >

From the monument: "My thanks are specially due to a citizen of Gettysburg named John Burns who although over seventy years of age shouldered his musket and offered his services to Colonel Wister One Hundred and Fiftieth Pennsylvania Volunteers. Colonel Wister advised him to fight in the woods as there was more shelter there but he preferred to join our line of skirmishers in the open fields when the troops retired he fought with the Iron Brigade. He was wounded in three places." -Gettysburg report of Maj.-Gen. Doubleday."

The monument was created by sculptor Albert G. Bureau and was dedicated on July 1, 1903.

John Burns was in his seventies when the rebels came to Gettysburg. A veteran of the War of 1812, he grabbed his flintlock musket, told his wife "I am going out to see what is going on," and offered his services to the nearest Union regiment. His ancient musket was replaced with a modern rifle, and he fought with the iron Brigade, suffering three wounds.

With his wounds he had to be left behind when Union forces retreated through town, and he was closely question by the Confederates as to how he came to be in civilian clothes and wounded on the battlefield. His answers apparently satisfied them and he was allowed to return home.

Burns became a celebrity after the battle, being photographed by Matthew Brady and meeting Lincoln, who sought Burns out when he came to the dedication of the National Cemetery. He died in 1872 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery.

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