Identity area
Type of entity
Person
Authorized form of name
Burns, William Wallace, 1825-1892
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1825-1892
History
William Wallace Burns (1825-1892) was born at Coshocton, Ohio September 3, 1825. At age 17 he was appointed to the United States Military Academy from which he graduated in 1847. He was posted to the United States Army Infantry and served during the Mexican American War (1846-1848) on recruiting duty, then spent several years at various Indian posts in the West and Southwest. In 1858, he accepted a staff commission as Commissary of Subsistence with the rank of Captain.
Remaining with the U. S. Army, Burns served with the Army of the Potomac in the first months of the Civil War as General George B. McClellan's Chief Commissary in the West Virginia Campaign. Burns was appointed Brigadier General of Volunteers September 28, 1861, and beginning the following Spring in the Peninsular Campaign (March-August 1862), commanded a Brigade of General John Sedwick's 2nd Division 2nd Corps, during which Burns was wounded and favorably mentioned by McClellan. On sick leave for some months, Burns subsequently commanded the 1st Division, 9th Corps at the Battle of Fredericksburg (December 11-13, 1862).
On March 20, 1863, Burns resigned his Volunteer commission and reverted to his staff rank of Major and Commissary. He served as Chief Commissary in the Department of the Northwest until the close of the Civil War and later discharged with distinction the same duties in various Southern departments.
Following the Civil War, Burns was promoted in the Commissary service, first to Lieutenant Colonel (1874), then to Colonel (1884). In the meantime, he had been breveted Brigadier General March 13, 1865, for gallant and meritorious services in the Civil War. William Wallace Burns retired on September 3, 1889, and died April 19, 1892, at Beaufort, South Carolina. He was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery.
Bibliography
"William Wallace Burns, Brigadier General, United States Army." Arlington National Cemetery Website. [Viewed 10/15/02:12: 22 PM at: ]