Class of 1847

William Wallace Burns: Born Sep. 3, 1825, Coshocton, OH.

Military History. — Cadet at the Military Academy, July 1, 1842, to July 1, 1847, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to

Bvt. Second Lieut., 3d Infantry, July 1, 1847.

Served: in the War with Mexico, 1847‑48; on Recruiting service,

(Second Lieut., 5th Infantry, Sep. 8, 1847)

1848; in garrison at East Pascagoula, Mis., 1848; on frontier duty, at Ft. Smith, Ark., 1849‑50, — Ft. Gibson, I. T., 1850‑51, — March to Phantom

(First Lieut., 5th Infantry, Aug. 12, 1850)

Hill, Tex., 1851, — Clear Fork of the Brazos River, 1851‑54, — San Antonio, Tex., 1854, — and Scouting, 1854; on Recruiting service, 1854‑56; as Quartermaster, 5th Infantry, Nov. 1, 1856, to Aug. 18, 1858; in Florida Hostilities against the Seminole Indians, 1856‑57; in the Utah Campaign against Mormons, on Commissary and Quartermaster's

(Captain, Staff — Com. of Subsistence, Nov. 3, 1858)

duty, 1857‑58; and on Commissary duty, at Ft. Smith, Ark., for Fts. Washita, Arbuckle, and Cobb, 1858‑61.

Served during the Rebellion of the Seceding States, 1861‑66: as Chief Commissary of Subsistence of the Department of the Ohio, Mar. 24

(Major, Staff — Commissary of Subsistence, Aug. 3, 1861)

to Oct. 30, 1861, being engaged in Major-General McClellan's Campaign in Western Virginia, June to July, 1861; in Operations on Upper Potomac

(Brig.‑General, U. S. Volunteers, Sep. 28, 1861)

and in Shenandoah Valley, and on Boards and Courts Martial, Nov., 1861, to Mar., 1862; in the Virginia Peninsular Campaign (Army of the Potomac), Mar. to July, 1862, being engaged in the Siege of Yorktown, Apr. 5 to May 4, 1862, and Reconnoissance to Lee's Mills, Apr. 6, 1862, — Action at West Point, May 7, 1862, — Battle of Fair Oaks, May 31 to June 1, 1862, — Skirmishing for possession of rifle trenches, near  p337 Garnett's Farm, June 7‑29, 1862, — Battle of Peach Orchard, and Savage Station, where he was wounded, June 29, 1862, — Battle of Glendale,

(Bvt. Lieut.‑Colonel, June 29, 1862,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services at the Battle of Savage Station, Va.)

June 30, 1862, — Battle of Malvern Hill, July 1, 1862, — and Skirmish

(Bvt. Colonel, June 30, 1862,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services at the Battle of Glendale, Va.)

at Harrison's Landing, July 2, 1862; on sick leave of absence, July 10 to Oct. 8, 1862; on March to Falmouth, Va., Oct. to Nov., 1862, being engaged in the Skirmish at Snicker's Gap, Nov. 2, 1862; in the Rappahannock

(Major-General, U. S. Volunteers, Nov. 29, 1862, to Mar. 4, 1863)

Campaign (Army of the Potomac), Dec., 1862, to Jan., 1863, being engaged in the Battle of Fredericksburg, Dec. 13, 1862; and as Chief

(Resigned Volunteer Commission, Mar. 20, 1863)

Commissary of the Department of the Northwest, Sep., 1863, to Oct., 1865, being President of Examining Board of Commissaries of Subsistence for 3d District, Nov. 2, 1864, to July 1, 1865.

Bvt. Brig.‑General, U. S. Army, Mar. 13, 1865,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services during the Rebellion.

Served: as Chief Commissary of the Department of South Carolina, and Supervising Commissary of Georgia and Florida, Oct. 10, 1865, to June 2, 1866, — of the Department of the Carolinas, June 2 to Aug. 17, 1866, — of the Department of the South, Aug. 17, 1866, to Apr., 1867, — and of the Second Military District, to July, 1868; under orders, to Sep., 1868; as Purchasing Commissary of Subsistence, New York city, Oct., 1868, to Nov., 1873; as Chief of Commissariat, Department of the East, Feb. 6, 1870, to Nov., 1873, — and of the Division of the Pacific, Nov. 24,

(Lieut.‑Colonel, Staff — Asst. Commissary-Gen. of Subsistence, June 23, 1874)

1873, to Nov. 16, 1879; as Depot and Purchasing Commissary of Subsistence at Baltimore, Md., Jan. 1, 1880, to Sep. 19, 1884; and Chief Commissary of Subsistence of the Division of the Atlantic and Department of the East, Sep. 30, 1884, to Sep. 3, 1889.

Colonel, Staff — Asst. Commissary-General of Subsistence, Nov. 9, 1884.

Retired from Active Service, Sep. 3, 1889, he being 64 Years of Age.