The First Shot

At the Ephraim Wisler House, troopers of the 8th Illinois Cavalry established an advance picket post to guard the Chambersburg Pike and alert Union Gen. John Buford’s cavalry division, one mile behind, of any enemy movement toward Gettysburg. At 7:30 am, advancing Confederates were sighted crossing Marsh Creek one-half mile ahead. Union Lt. Marcellus Jones rested a carbine on a nearby fence post and pulled the trigger. His shot was likely the first fired during the Battle of Gettysburg. Over the next two days, an estimated 7 million bullets were fired, causing more than 51,000 casualties and forever changing the nation.

Pennsylvania · United States