This time John Burns was not turned away. The commanders of the 150th Pennsylvania sent Burns to Herbst Woods, figuring that would be away from where the main fighting would take place. They were wrong.
Herbst Woods was the site of the first Confederate offensive of the Battle of Gettysburg. Burns, sharpshoting for the Iron Brigade, helped blunt this offensive.
John Burns was mocked by the other Union troops for showing up for the battle with an antiquated weapon and "swallowtail coat with brass buttons, yellow buttons and tall hat." But when the bullets started to fly, he calmly took cover behind a tree and started to shoot back with his more modern weapon.
He fought beside the 7th Wisconsin and later moved over to the 24th Michigan.
He was wounded in the arm, legs and chest and was left on the field when the Union forces fell back.
--Brock-Perry
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