This Historic grouping consist of the following items

#1. His battle saber and scabbard. The sword appears to be a French Cavalry officers saber with an etched blade. The sharkskin grips show use since Major Burns saw heavy action throughout the war. The ring mounts are heavily worn showing this was the sword he carried through his extensive service. The guard has a slight crack that may have occurred when his horse was shot out from under him as described in his letters now in the Michigan State archives.

#2. One CDV and one Cabinet card of him. The cabinet card shows him posing with his saber. A CDV of his wife.

#3. All five of his signed war date manuals. Which consists of his three volumes of cavalry tactics and two volumes of Hardee's tactics.

#4. His military dictionary that he signed early in the war as a Lieutenant.

#5. His post war diary which lists his military ranks throughout the war, the 60 battles he fought in, his military exploits, and his family's history. It includes many photos of Union officers, his home (which shows this saber hanging up on the wall with the Confederate Thomas Griswold saber he captured at the Battle of Selma), and drawings.

#6. Three scrapbooks full of newspaper clippings of his and his brother's war exploits along with other events including his grandson eyewitness accounts of serving in the artillery during World War 1.

#7. Copies of all of his muster rolls.

#8. Copies of all of his war date letters. The University of Michigan have the original letters that you can view on line with their transcription. His letters describe him "unhorsing two butternuts of General John Hunt Morgan's command with his saber at Lebanon, Tennessee". Another letter describes "how he felt his saber cut into the head of a rebel at Love Joy Station". One of the other letter contains a map he drew "when he was ordered to lead the charge into the Confederate fortress at Selma, Alabama". Due to his heroics leading the charge and capture of Selma, Alabama he was breveted Lieutenant Colonel.

#9. An actual hand written letter from the Adjutant General of Michigan highlighting Major Burns's war time exploits.

#10. All three leather volumes and their slip case that advertised this archive of Major Burns and more for the 2010 auction that it was originally in. Major Burns archive is described in detail including the aforementioned artifacts in volume two of the three volume set as shown in the attached photos. This documentation will provide the buyer with 100% lock tight provenance from the auction catalog that all of the above belonged to Major Burns.

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