A28 BATTLE OF NEW MARKET MEDAL OF HONOR WAR MEMORIAL MARKER

” William Elijah Harrison The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Sergeant James Madison Burns, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 15 May 1864, while serving with Company B, 1st West Virginia Infantry, in action at New Market, Virginia. Under a heavy fire of musketry, Sergeant James Burns rallied a few men to the support of the colors, in danger of capture and bore them to a place of safety. One of his comrades having been severely wounded in the effort, Sergeant James Burns went back a hundred yards in the face of the enemy’s fire and carried the wounded man from the field.”