Charles Burns, ex-United States Jailer, was born in County Fermanah, Ireland, in 1833. His father, Patrick Burns, was born in Scotland, on the River Clyde, and is a descendant of the poet, Robert Burns. He was a member of the Church of England, and was married to Rose McManns, who was born in County Fermanah, Ireland, and a member of the Catholic Church.

In 1845 Charles Burns came to North America with his mother and brother (his father having died in Cork, Ireland, shortly before embarking for the New World, and is now reposing in Father Matthew's cemetery in Ireland), and located in Toronto, Canada, where the mother was taken ill a few months later and died.

Charles Burns came to the United States in 1848, and began learning the saddler's trade, but at the end of a few months ran away and enlisted in the United States army, serving for twenty-three years. He was one of the soldiers who was sent to quell the Indians, and has traveled all over the Western States and Territories. He was appointed ordnance sergeant at Annapolis, Md., but resigned the position owing to ill health, and soon after located in Fort Smith, where he was appointed United States Jailer, and held the position fourteen years, but resigned when Cleveland was elected president.

He was married in Fort Gibson to Catherine Lawrence, by whom he became the father of thirteen children, nine of whom are living: Charles, Mollie, Catherine, Willie, Francis, Henry, Thomas and Leo. Annie died at the age of eleven years; John died in Maryland when a small boy; Eddie, who was accidentally shot by a school-mate, died at the age of twenty-five years, and Joseph died when seventeen years of age, in Fort Smith. The family are members of the Catholic Church.