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[Gettysburg] John L. Burns, the Only Civilian [Gettysburg] John L. Burns, the Only Civilian to Fight

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:800.00 - 1,200.00 USD
[Gettysburg] John L. Burns, the Only Civilian [Gettysburg] John L. Burns, the Only Civilian to Fight
<B>[Gettysburg] John L. Burns, the Only Civilian to Fight at Gettysburg - His Autograph and Photo.</B></I> Carte-de-Visite, in excellent condition, affixed to a 5" by 7" leaf on which is pasted below Burn's signature, as follows: "John L. Burns of Gettysburg." Rare. We'll let "Liz" of the July 10, 1863 issue of the <I>Gettysburg Gazette</B></I> tell the tale. "<I>One week ago, seventy-two year old John L. Burns dropped everything to fight for his country in the battle of Gettysburg. From his house, Burns could see the armies of the Union and the Confederacy locked in battle at Gettysburg. At first he stopped what he was doing and just watched. Then he grabbed his rifle and ran to fight when the 150th Pennsylvania came to reinforce the Union forces at the end of the first day. Burns fought successfully on the second day, but he was wounded on the third, probably as he was defending the ridge against Pickett's charge. Even though wounded, he kept fighting until the battle was over. Since he was not a regular soldier, he simply went home at the battle's end and resumed his normal life.</B></I>" From the Henry E. Luhrs Collection. Accompanied by LOA from PSA/DNA.