14th KY Cavalry Archive

Why John Burns Was A Dandy
By Leon Morris

In the fall of 1862, John Burns and a number of other young men were waiting at Booneville Kentucky to be sworn into the Union Army. The officer who was to swear them in was several days late in getting there to do the job.

The recruits were restless and started a series of wrestling matches to see who was the champion of the group. After the competition was over, John Burns had not been beat and stood out as the clear champion.

The Union Army officer finally arrived to do the swearing in. He must have considered himself to be quite a tough man. When he heard that John Burns was the top wrestler of the group, the officer challenged John to a match.

When their struggle was finished, the officer was badly beaten. As he brushed the dirt from his uniform, he laughingly said, "John, you are a Dandy." From that day on John was called, John Dandy or just, Dandy.

This story of John "Dandy" Burns was told to me in 1986 by another Burns researcher, Tom Walters of Leesburg, Florida. Tom's wife Gail is the great granddaughter of Perry Burns, a brother of John Dandy Burns. The story was handed down through her family. It was said that John never lost a wrestling match. John had a nephew named after him who was called John "Brandy" Burns.

John Dandy Burns Civil War pension file WC 699-473 states that he was 5ft 6in. tall, had a fair complexion with black hair and blue eyes. He enlisted Oct. 2, 1862 at Booneville, Owsley Co. KY as a private in Company I, 14th KY Cavalry Volunteers, commanded by Thomas Amis. John was honorably discharged at Camp Nelson, KY on March 24, 1864. John received a Civil War Pension. His second wife and widow, Margaret, received a widow's pension.

John Dandy Burns' story and military information was kindly shared by
Leon Morris.