Conrad Burns was born in Franklin, Tennessee on January 22, 1821. He was the only surviving child of his parents, who both died when he was eleven years of age. During this time he farmed and later worked as a store clerk in the town of Rogersville until he met and married his wife, Sally Powers.
When the Civil War began in 1861, Burns enlisted in Company I of the Fifth Tennessee Infantry Regiment under the command of Colonel William T. Martin
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Burns served for four years until General Ulysses S. Grant was sent to relieve him at Shiloh. Burns quickly rose through the ranks and eventually became a Colonel during the Battle of Nashville (1862).
After the battle, Burns was promoted to Brigadier-General on April 5th, 1862 and was given command of the forces that General Grant had sent against Vicksburg.
After overcoming some supply problems and some significant resistance from Confederate forces, Burns's army reached Vicksburg on May 22nd, 1863 after an all-night march across country with no food or water. The next day they began an arduous siege on the city held by General Joseph Johnston's Army of Mississippi. On July 4th, 1863, however, during what has come to be called "Burns's Charge," the Union troops were halted by a powerful enemy counterattack led by General Johnston himself.
With his army shattered, Johnston withdrew from Vicksburg and prepared for a long siege of the city.
But disaster struck after General Grant took command of all Union forces in Mississippi on September 23rd, 1863 when Beauregard launched a massive attack against Burn's position at Vicksburg from three sides forcing him from his fortified supply depot at Bolton Hill. In just six days he suffered over 20% casualties including one third of his troops during what came to be known as "The Night The Stars Fell."
General John A. McClernand arrived to relieve him in early December 1863 but it was not enough to save Vicksburg from falling.
The last major battle waged in Mississippi took place at Tupelo on November 30th when a small force led by General James Wilson repulsed a Confederate advance in a hard fought battle that lasted two full days despite numerous casualties to both sides. The fighting ended with Wilson's forces retreating into Vicksburg where they joined up with General Grant's army that had been besieging Johnston in Jackson since July 18th 1902 .
In April 1864 Grant took control of all
