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Thread: Waterloo AND Gettysburg Veteran

  1. #1
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    Default Waterloo AND Gettysburg Veteran

    For several years I lived in Needham, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. The house I lived in dated from 1727 and had a sign on the side indicating it belonged to the Captain of the Needham militia that answered the call at the Battle of Lexington and Concord at the start of the American Revolution. The cemetery in town had veterans of Bunker Hill as well as Lexington and Concord, but the one that really interested me was in the Civil War section of the cemetery. I happened upon this particular gravestone and was quite astonished by what it said. The veteran in question (with a particularly British sounding name that I cannot now remember) was a sergeant in the Union army and was present at the Battle of Gettysburg -- but what took my breath away was that the next line on the tombstone indicated that when this man was a lad he was a drummer boy in the British army and was present at the Battle of Waterloo. What could be the odds of someone being on two different continents for the two greatest land battles of the 19th century ???

  2. #2
    Admiral. R.I.P.
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    Needham certainly sounds a very historic place. That sergeant's career sounds amazing. It is a pity that you did not take a photograph of the tombstone.

  3. #3
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    Now that is indeed impressive Bill.
    It is remarkable that he was over his mid fifties and still took to the colours, although I believe there was an even older man at Gettysburg if I remember correctly.

    Rob.
    The Business of the commander-in-chief is first to bring an enemy fleet to battle on the most advantageous terms to himself, (I mean that of laying his ships close on board the enemy, as expeditiously as possible); and secondly to continue them there until the business is decided.

  4. #4
    Admiral of the Fleet.
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    Here you go. Found him.

    Name:  John_Burns_1.png
Views: 189
Size:  718.2 KB

    John Lawrence Burns (September 5, 1793 – February 4, 1872), veteran of the War of 1812, became a 69-year-old civilian combatant with the Union Army at the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. He was wounded, but survived to become a national celebrity.
    The Business of the commander-in-chief is first to bring an enemy fleet to battle on the most advantageous terms to himself, (I mean that of laying his ships close on board the enemy, as expeditiously as possible); and secondly to continue them there until the business is decided.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Naharaht View Post
    Needham certainly sounds a very historic place. That sergeant's career sounds amazing. It is a pity that you did not take a photograph of the tombstone.
    I actually did take a picture of the tombstone, but this was before the "digital age" and was simply on paper -- and regrettably was lost to a flood while I was living in Needham...

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bligh View Post
    Here you go. Found him.

    Name:  John_Burns_1.png
Views: 189
Size:  718.2 KB

    John Lawrence Burns (September 5, 1793 – February 4, 1872), veteran of the War of 1812, became a 69-year-old civilian combatant with the Union Army at the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. He was wounded, but survived to become a national celebrity.
    Tough old bird he was too -- I have read that he returned to the firing line after being treated for his wound !

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Naharaht View Post
    Needham certainly sounds a very historic place. That sergeant's career sounds amazing. It is a pity that you did not take a photograph of the tombstone.
    It was a very historic place to live -- five men from the Needham militia were killed at Lexington & Concord. Their names were John Bacon, Nathaniel Chamberlain, Amos Mills, Elisha Mills, and Jonathon Parker. During the Civil War 167 village members enlisted and served in the Union army. In looking for the name of the Waterloo/Gettysburg veteran, I found another incident of interest for members of this site (and the Wings site too) involving British airmen killed in Needham during WW2 (from a monument in the village):
    "English Airmen
    On Tuesday April 12, 2005 Veterans Agent John Logan assisted in dedicating a plaque located on the corner of Charles River Street and Grove Street for two English pilots who crashed their plane at that site in 1944. The pilots were Lieutenant Albery J. Dawson and First Class Stanley C. Wells. Both men were buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Everertt, MA."

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