Frederick Russell Burnham
Frederick Russell Burnham DSO (May 11, 1861 – September 1, 1947) was an American scout. He travelled the world and had many adventures. He served to the British Army in colonial Africa and for taught scouting to Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the boy scouts.
| Frederick Russell Burnham | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nickname | The King of Scouts;[1] He-who-sees-in-the-dark;[2] Fred |
| Allegiance | Scout for the British Army in Southern Africa; U.S. citizen. |
| Years of service | 1893–1897, 1900–1901 |
| Rank | Major |
| Commands held | Chief of Scouts under Lord Roberts |
| Battles/wars | Pleasant Valley War Indian Wars: — Apache Wars — Cheyenne War — Geronimo campaign First Matabele War: — Shangani Patrol Second Matabele War: — Assassination of Mlimo Second Boer War: — Battle of Paardeberg — Driefontein (March 10, 1900) — Johannesburg (May 31, 1900) — March on Pretoria (June 2–5, 1900) |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Order Queen's South Africa Medal British South Africa Company Medal Victoria Cross (declined) Boy Scouts Silver Buffalo Award Mount Burnham (California). |
| Other work | messenger, Indian tracker, gold miner, rich oil man, American spy. Father of the international Scouting movement and a close friend of Robert Baden-Powell. |
Burnham attended high school but never graduated. When he was 14 he began his working as a scout and tracker for the U.S. Army. As an adult Burnham went to Africa where this background proved useful. He soon became an officer in the British Army and fought in several battles there. During this time Burnham became friends with Baden-Powell and taught him both his outdoor skills and his spirit for what became known as Scouting.
Burnham eventually became involved in espionage, oil, conservation, writing and business. His descendants are still active in Scouting.
Frederick Russell Burnham Media
Burnham in Arizona Territory in 1881
The six-shooter Burnham purchased as a teenager in Prescott, Arizona, which he kept all his life and later used in Rhodesia, East Africa and Mexico
An 1895 sketch, portraying a scene from the Shangani Patrol episode. Burnham (left, on horse) kills a Matabele warrior.
Burnham and Armstrong ride for Bulawayo after killing Mlimo, pursued by Matabele warriors.
Burnham after his investiture with the cross of the Distinguished Service Order by King Edward VII. The black armband was worn in mourning for the recent death of Queen Victoria. London, 1901.[3][4]
Burnham (standing) and Baden-Powell (right) at a Boy Scout event, ca. 1910
U.S. Geological Survey topographical map of the Boy Scout park service trail in California that connects Throop Peak, Mount Burnham, and Mount Baden-Powell
The mysterious Esperanza Stone. Found by Burnham in Mexico in 1909
Fred and Rod Burnham, ca. 1930
References
- ↑ Davis, Richard Harding (1906). . New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. ISBN 0873642392.
- ↑ West, James E.; Peter O. Lamb, and illustrated by Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell (1932). He-who-sees-in-the-dark; the boys' story of Frederick Burnham, the American scout. Brewer, Warren and Putnam.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ Davis 1906, p. 228.
- ↑ Lott 1981, p. 76.
Other websites
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- Major Burnham on Pine Tree Web scouting site Archived 2006-05-09 at the Wayback Machine.
- Frederick Howard Russell Burnham (great grand nephew)
- "The Canadian Anglo Boer War Museum". December 2003. Archived from the original on January 2007.
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