Awards Medal of Honor Role Medal of Honor | Name James Burns Rank Lieutenant colonel | |
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Born August 9, 1845
Wells Township, Ohio ( 1845-08-09 ) Place of burial Lebanon Cemetery, Lebanon, Ohio Battles/wars American Civil War
• Battle of New Market
Indian Wars
Spanish–American War Died October 30, 1910, Ohio, United States Unit 1st West Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment Battles and wars American Civil War, Battle of New Market, American Indian Wars, Spanish–American War Service/branch United States Army, Union Army | ||
Years of service 1861–1865, 1867–1899 Allegiance United States of America | ||
James Madison Burns (August 9, 1845 – October 30, 1910) was a Union Army soldier and officer during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the Battle of New Market Virginia on May 15, 1864.
Following the war, Burns was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the US Army, eventually reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel. He also served in the Indian Wars and the Spanish–American War, until retiring due to disability in 1899.
Medal of Honor citation
"The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Sergeant James Madison Burns, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 15 May 1864, while serving with Company B, 1st West Virginia Infantry, in action at New Market, Virginia. Under a heavy fire of musketry, Sergeant Burns rallied a few men to the support of the colors, in danger of capture and bore them to a place of safety. One of his comrades having been severely wounded in the effort, Sergeant Burns went back a hundred yards in the face of the enemy's fire and carried the wounded man from the field."