The following letter was written by Thomas Burns of Co. F, 24th Michigan Infantry while at Lovell Hospital in Portsmouth Grove, Rhode Island, in August 1863. Historians will recall that the 24th Michigan Infantry was a part of the vaunted “Black Hat” or Iron Brigade that played a critical role in the 1st day’s fight at Gettysburg, holding the Union line on Seminary Ridge long enough for the Army of the Potomac to arrive and set up a defensive line on Cemetery Ridge. Burns’ letter is directed to his captain, Albert M. Edwards, who led the regiment at Gettysburg after other senior officers were wounded. For his gallantry, he was later promoted to Major, to Lieutenant-Colonel, and finally to Brevet Colonel of the regiment.

Tracing the identity of Thomas Burns was complicated by the discovery that there were two privates by the name of Thomas Burns of Irish ancestry serving in the 24th Michigan—one in Co. E and one in Co. F. The one in Company E appears to have been several years younger and only served in the last year of the war. The one who had this letter penned on his behalf by another soldier in the hospital was probably born in the mid-1830s and may have been the one who was the son of an Irish emigrant named Patrick Burns (b. 1791) who worked as a carpenter in Detroit in 1850. This Thomas Burns died at a Soldier’s Home in California in 1915. He lies buried in the Los Angeles National Cemetery, Plot 26, C-18.

The letter does not reveal whether Thomas’s thumb wound was received in the Battle of Gettysburg or not. He is not listed among any Gettysburg casualty reports that I could find on-line. My friend Dale Niesen subsequently informed me that the Regimental history reports Thomas Burns of Co. F was wounded at Fitzhugh Crossing on 29 April 1863 at the same time that another man from the company was killed during an exchange of fire across the river.

[Note: This letter is from the Dave Ramsey Collection and was offered for transcription and publication on Spared & Shared by express consent.]

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Portsmouth Grove, Rhode Island
August 17th 1863

Captain Edwards,

Dear sir—I seat myself this morning to write you a few lines to let you know how I am getting along. I am at present getting along well. My thumb is all healed up but is still tender. Captain, I was in Washington at the time you sent my Descriptive List to me but was sent away from there the next week to this place and the doctors has written to Washington for my Descriptive List twice but have failed to get it as yet. The doctor thought I had better send to my company any get it. It was not mine alone that was lost only for there was some of the 20th and 7th Wisconsin also lost. Theirs they sent to their regiments and have got theirs.

I have not been mustered since you mustered me last. Ten to one that the cussed doctors get your Descriptive List whether you ever see them again or not. Captain, I wish you would send me my Descriptive List as soon as you can for I begin to want a little money. If you don’t want to send it to myself, please send it to Doctor [Lewis A.] Edwards in charge of the hospital. There is some two more of the 24th [Michigan] here that were in the Gettysburg fight wounded. There is also some of the 7th & 6th Wisconsin boys here—one of them that is writing this for me.

I was very happy to hear of your brave deeds upon the battlefield and I am glad you come out as well as you did without getting a scratch. We get the Detroit Free Press every week here and yesterday I had the pleasure of reading a great speech made by Col. Morrow made at Detroit.

I was near forgetting [to tell you that] about two weeks ago, there was two ladies and a gentleman visitors [came] to this place, came into my ward, looked at my card, and said you belong to the 24th Michigan, and asked if I knew Captain Edwards. I told them he was my captain. He says, “Indeed! I am well acquainted with him.” At them words the steamboat sounded here for to leave the wharf. He shook hands with me and told me he should be back again in the course of a short time. I had not time to ask him if he was a Michigan man, but one of the nurses told me he was from Philadelphia.

No more at present but remain yours truly, — Thomas Burns

Give my respects to all the boys. Direct to Lovell Hospital, Portsmouth Grove, Rhode Island, Ward 15