(Francis) Bret Harte was born in Albany, New York, August 25, 1839.
The years of his early manhood were passed in California. It was in
San Francisco, while he was the editor of the _Overland_ _Monthly_
that the publication of “The Luck of Roaring Camp” and “The Heathen
Chinee” established his reputation. He has been United States
Consul at Crefeld, Germany, and at Glasgow, Scotland. He resigned
the latter post in 1885, since when he has resided in and near
London.
The following statement, made by a Union officer who served in the
Eleventh Corps at the battle of Gettysburg, is taken from Mr. Francis F.
Browne’s “Bugle Echoes”:--“During the first day’s fight an old man, in a
swallow-tailed coat and battered cylinder hat, came stalking across the
fields from the town, and made his appearance at Colonel Stone’s
position. With a musket in his hand, and ammunition in his pocket, this
venerable citizen asked Colonel Wister’s permission to fight. Wister
directed him to go over to the Iron Brigade, where he would be sheltered
by the woods; but the old man insisted on going forward to the skirmish
line. He was allowed to do so, and continued firing until the
skirmishers retired, when he was the last man to leave. He afterward
fought with the Iron Brigade, where he was three times wounded. This
patriotic and heroic citizen was Constable John Burns, of Gettysburg.”
The battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1, 2, and 3, 1863.
=Line 11.= =Lee.= See “Barbara Frietchie.”
=l. 14.= =Meade= (George Gordon, 1815-1872), the commander of the Union army
at Gettysburg. He served in the Mexican and Seminole Wars, and
distinguished himself at Antietam and Fredericksburg. He was at the head
of various military departments after the war.
=l. 100.= =Navarre.= See Macaulay’s ballad, “Ivry.”