Daniel Webster Burke

(1841 - 1911)
Home State: Connecticut
Command Billet: Soldier
Branch of Service: Infantry
Unit: 2nd and 10th United States Infantry

Before the Antietam Campaign:
He enlisted as Private, Company E, in the 2nd US Infantry in June 1858 and was 1st Sergeant, Company B by the Maryland Campaign of 1862. He was wounded in action at Wilson's Creek in August 1861.

In the Antietam Campaign:
He was cited at Antietam among "those who most distinguished themselves for excellent behavior" by Lt Poland in his official report, and was later awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at Shepherdstown on 20 September.

The remainder of the War:
He was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant, Co. K, 2nd US in November 1862 (to date from 18 July), and 1st Lieutenant on 2 July 1863.

After the War:
He continued in Regular Army service and was commissioned Captain in the 45th US Infantry in January 1867 and transferred to the 14th in 1869. In 1877 "after Crazy Horse's death, Black Fox led the 'stampede' back to Spotted Tail Agency, where he threatened to kill Camp Sheridan [Nebraska] commander Captain Daniel W. Burke for his role in Crazy Horse's arrest."1

He was made Major of the 23rd US in August 1894, Lieutenant Colonel of the 11th in December 1897, and Colonel of the 17th Infantry in September 1899. He was appointed Brigadier General USA on 20 October 1899 and retired from the Service the next day. He then made his residence in Portland, Oregon.

References, Sources, and other notes:
Basic bio information from Patterson,2 service data from Heitmann.3

Birth Date: 04/22/1841 Place of Birth: New Haven, CT
Death Date: 05/29/1911 Burial Place: Arlington National Cemetery, VA

Notes

1 From article citing a letter from Captain Daniel W. Burke to Colonel Luther P. Bradley, September 7, 1877; box 1, Luther P. Bradley Papers, United States Army Military History Institute, West Point, NY
Bray, Kingsley M., We Belong to the North: The Flights of the Northern Indians from the White River Agencies, 1877-1878, Montana: The Magazine of Western History, 2005-06-01 [AotW citation 278]

2 Patterson, Michael Robert, Burials In Arlington National Cemetery, Published 1996-, first accessed 01 January 2001, <http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/>, Source page: /dwburke.htm [AotW citation 279]

3 Heitman, Francis Bernard, Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army 1789-1903, 2 volumes, Washington DC: US Government Printing Office, 1903, pg. 263 [AotW citation 280]

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