According to the Wikipedia and other sources, Otway Burns (c. 1775 Queen's Creek, near Swansboro, North Carolina – 25 August 1850 Portsmouth, N.C., buried at Beaufort, N.C.) was an American privateer along the coast of The Carolinas during the War of 1812 and later, a North Carolina State Senator.He became a seaman after learning the trade at the ports in Swansboro and Beaufort. After acquiring the skills needed to become a merchant captain, Burns sailed on the 147-ton schooner (Baltimore Clipper), named the Zephyr and rechristened the Snap Dragon, along the East Coast of the United States, all the way north up to Maine. He legally destroyed and captured not less than thirty-five vessels, millions of dollars worth of British shipping and had a $50,000 price set on his head by the British. He became one of the most famous naval heroes of the War of 1812.
In April 1815, Burns purchased a property in Beaufort, on which he built a house that would be his family's residence for the next 20 years. He married twice and had one son, Owen, born 1810.
After the war he engaged in shipbuilding at Beaufort, North Carolina. In 1818, he built the Prometheus, the first steamboat built in North Carolina, which ran on the Cape Fear River. In 1823, he built the Warrior in Beaufort, followed by the brig Henry, eight years later in 1831. He built himself another vessel and also named it Snap Dragon. This ship was sleek and known to have been very fast.
He spent almost 13 years in the General Assembly of North Carolina, at times in the North Carolina Senate and at times in the House of Representatives.
In 1835 President Andrew Jackson appointed him keeper of the Brant Island Shoal Light-House at Portsmouth, a position he held until his death.
Two destroyers have been named in his honor: the USS Burns (DD-171) and the USS Burns (DD-588), in service during World War I and II, respectively.
In 1834, Burnsville, North Carolina was founded and named in his honor. A statue of Burns facing west was placed in the town square in 1909. Another one was placed at Swansboro in sight of the sea.
This Waymark was created in collaboration with my friend, Richard Naylor.
Instructions for logging waymark: A photograph is required of you (or your GPS receiver, if you are waymarking solo) and the statue.