Conn., manufacturers of brass goods, and two years later with other parties established branch houses in New York and Boston. These were continued until 1863 and 1867 respectively, when, on the dis- solution of the partnership, Mr. Burnham found himself the possessor of a large fortune. Mean- while he had become interested in many of the manufactures of Waterbury, and successively be- came president of the Waterbui'y Clock Co., the Waterbury Watch Co., the Waterbury Brass Co., and the American Pin Co. Mr. Burnham made liberal use of his money for the public good, and gave freely to the support of i-eligion. He was an ardent admirer of Daniel Webster, whom he re- garded as the greatest of American statesmen, and, as a testimonial of this sentiment, in 1876 he pre- sented to New York city a heroic bronze statue of Webster by Thomas Ball, which was erected in Central park. Mr. Burnham married a daughter of Bishop Brownell, of Connecticut, to whom he erected a bronze statue in Hartford. His own monument in Greenwood, built some years prior to his death, is one of the finest in the cemetery.
BURNHAM, Hiram, soldier, b. in Maine;
killed in battle at Chapin's Farm, 29 Sept., 1864.
He entered the service as colonel of the 6th Maine
volunteers, leading them with skill and gallantry
through the peninsular campaign, at Antietam,
and in subsequent engagements. At the second
battle of Fredericksburg he distinguished himself
for bravery and courage, and again at Gettysburg.
In April, 1864, he was made brigadier-general,
and during the campaign from the Wilderness to
Petersburg he bore a conspicuous part. A few
weeks previous to his death he was assigned to a
brigade in Stannard's division, 18th corps.
BURNHAM, James C., soldier, b. in New York
about 1820 ; d. there, 2 Sept., 1866. He was ap-
pointed major in the 2d New York infantry, 3
Dec, 1846, and served with the command in that
capacity from Vera Cruz to Churubusco. After
the fall of Col. Baxter he commanded the regiment
at the storming of Chapultepec, was promoted to
be lieutenant-colonel, 27 Sept., 1847, and led the
regiment through the several battles around the
city of Mexico, distinguishing himself in the attack
on the Belen gate. After the war Col. Burnham
was city marshal of New York under Mayor Wood,
and was a prominent politician for several years.
BURNHAM, Samuel, author, b. in Kindge, N.
H., in 1833 ; d. in Boston, Mass., 22 June, 1873.
He was graduated at Williams in 1855, and as-
sumed charge of the academy at Amherst, N. H.
Subsequently he removed to Boston and entered
upon a literary career. He wrote the history of
East Boston, several small volumes for the Ameri-
can tract society on natural history, was one of the
editors of the " Congregationalist," literary editor
of the " Watchman and Reflector," a correspondent
for periodicals, edited Charles Sumner's works, and
at the time of his death had nearly completed a
history of the Old South church of Boston.
BURNS, Alexander, Canadian educator, b. in
Castlewellan, county Down, Ireland, 12 Aug., 1834.
He emigrated to Canada in 1847 with his parents,
who, after residing for three years in Quebec, re-
moved to Toronto. He had been reared a Presbyte-
rian, but became a convert to Methodism, and en-
tered Victoria college with the intention of ultimate-
ly becoming a minister of that denomination. He
was graduated there with honors in 1861, and, after
remaining in the college for a year as a classical
teacher, passed the next three years in preaching.
In 1865 he accepted the chair of mathematics in
Iowa Wesleyan university at Mount Pleasant, and
in 1868 became president of Simpson centenary
college, which he retained until 1878, when he ac-
cepted the presidency of the Wesleyan ladies' col-
lege, Hamilton, Ontario. In 1870 the University
of Indiana conferred on him the degree of S. T. D.,
and in 1878 his alma mater gave him the degree of
LL. D. In 1882 Dr. Burns was tried before the
London, Ontario, conference for holding views con-
traiy to the tenets of the Methodist church, the
charge being based upon statements contained in a
letter of sympathy which he had written to the
Rev. Dr. Thomas, of Chicago. The trial resulted
in his acquittal.
BURNS, Anthony, fugitive slave, b. in Virginia about 1830; d. in St. Catharines, Canada, 27 July, 1862. He effected his escape from slavery in Virginia, and was at work in Boston in the winter of 1853-'4. On 23 May, 1854, the U. S. house of representatives passed the Kansas-Nebraska bill repealing the Missouri compromise, and permitting the extension of negro slavery, which had been restricted since 1820. The news caused great indignation throughout the free states, especially in Boston, where the anti-slavery party had its headquarters. Just at this crisis Burns was arrested by U. S. Marshal Watson Freeman, under the provisions of the fugitive-slave act, on a warrant sworn out by Charles F. Suttle. He was confined in the Boston court-house under a strong guard, and on 25 May was taken before U. S. Commissioner Loring for examination. Through the efforts of Wendell Phillips and Theodore Parker, an adjournment was secured to 27 May, and in the mean time a mass-meeting was called at Faneuil hall, and the U. S. marshal summoned a large posse of extra deputies, who were armed and stationed in and about the court-house to guard against an expected attempt at the rescue of Burns. The meeting at Faneuil hall was addressed by the most prominent men of Boston, and could hardly be restrained from adjourning in a body to storm the court-house. While this assembly was in session, a premature attempt to rescue Burns was made under the leadership of Thomas W. Higginson. A door of the court-house was battered in, one of the deputies was killed in the fight, and Col. Higginson and others of the assailants were wounded. A call for re-enforcements was sent to Faneuil hall, but in the confusion it never reached the chairman. On the next day the examination was held before Commissioner Loring, Richard H. Dana and Charles M. Ellis appearing for the prisoner. The evidence showed that Burns was amenable under the law, and his surrender to his master was ordered. When the decision was made known, many houses were draped in black, and the state of popular feeling was such that the government directed that the prisoner be sent to Virginia on board the revenue cutter “Morris.” He was escorted to the wharf by a strong guard, through streets packed with excited crowds. At the wharf the tumult seemed about to culminate in riot, when the Rev. Daniel Foster (who was killed in action early in the civil war) exclaimed, “Let us pray!” and silence fell upon the multitude, who stood with uncovered heads, while Burns was hurried on board the cutter. A more impressively dramatic ending, or one more characteristic of an excited but law-abiding and God-fearing New England community, could hardly be conceived for this famous case. Burns afterward studied at Oberlin college, and eventually became a Baptist minister, and settled in Canada, where, during the closing years of his life, he presided over a congregation of his own color. See “Anthony Burns, A History,” by C. E. Stevens (Boston, 1854).
