Exceptional Full-Length Signed CDV of Gettysburg Hero John L. Burns

Exceptional Full-Length Signed CDV of Gettysburg Hero John L. Burns
 
This outstanding full-length albumen carte de visite depicts the legendary “Hero of Gettysburg,” John L. Burns (1793–1872), proudly posing in his civilian attire while holding his famous flintlock musket. Published by R.A. Lewis of New York, the image retains the photographer’s imprint on the mount verso and is boldly signed in Burns’s own hand: “John L. Burns / Gettysburg.”
 
A veteran of the War of 1812, Burns was already seventy years old when the Civil War began. Turned away from formal enlistment due to his age, he nonetheless became one of the most celebrated civilian participants in the Battle of Gettysburg. On July 1, 1863, as Confederate forces advanced, Burns left his home, joined the fighting, and actively engaged the enemy—first with his flintlock and later with a modern rifle taken from a fallen Union soldier. He fought alongside the 150th Pennsylvania Infantry (Bucktail Brigade), then with the 7th Wisconsin and the 24th Michigan of the famed Iron Brigade, serving effectively as a sharpshooter.
 
This rare, boldly signed portrait captures one of the most iconic and inspirational figures of the Battle of Gettysburg. The combination of a full-length view showing Burns with his historic musket, the prominent New York studio imprint, and the personal autograph makes this an extraordinary and highly desirable artifact for any Civil War, Gettysburg, or American hero collection.