It would seem impossible to know, since the Battle of Gettysburg was the battle that no one planned, who fired the first shot of that fight. Still, history has recorded, and accorded, the first shot of the battle to Captain Marcellus Jones of the 8th Illinois Cavalry, one of General John Buford’s soldiers.
According to battle reports, General Buford and most of his division arrived in Gettysburg on Tuesday, June 30, 1863. Because Buford knew just where Lee’s army was located, he realized that both armies were going to run into one another at the historic crossroads town. Understanding, too, the lay of the land, Buford saw that whoever reached Gettysburg first could entrench themselves well, and likely win the battle. Before 11 p.m. that night, Buford and his cavalry had correctly assessed the situation. Alerting General Meade, the new commander of the Army of the Potomac, Buford knew the Confederates would also see the importance of Gettysburg – a town just 70 miles from Washington – and fight for it well.
Determined to hold Gettysburg by themselves until infantry reinforcements arrived, Buford’s two brigades decided to deploy west of town – hoping to keep the town safe as well as their position.
Just after 7 a.m., the Confederates were spotted moving down the Chambersburg Pike near Marsh Creek, a few miles away from Gettysburg. Not expecting any Union soldiers to hedge their way, the Confederates, led by Archer’s Brigade, did not deploy skirmishers to test for enemy presence. They were merely making a pit stop at Gettysburg, en route to their plan of causing problems in Pennsylvania’s state capital, Harrisburg, and drawing the Union army away from Washington, D.C.
Marcellus Jones was the lieutenant in charge of those holding watch, and one of his pickets alerted him that the long gray line was approaching. Jones galloped out to join his vedettes, and noticed an officer mounted on a gray horse about 700 yards from where they stood. One of his pickets raised his carbine to fire, but Jones said he wanted the honor of “opening this ball.” Borrowing a rifle from one of the cavalrymen, Jones, steadied the carbine on a fence rail and shot at the officer. The time was about 7:30 a.m.
The shot alerted the Confederates that trouble was in store. They replied with deployed skirmishers – and the battle had begun.
Today a monument marks the spot where an Illinois soldier borrowed a carbine and began the deadliest battle of American participation. To get there, follow Route 30 westward toward Chambersburg. The monument is located on the right side of the road, at the intersection of Route 30 and Knoxlyn Road, about a mile past Herr’s Ridge.
--Information from Official Report 27, GNMP and Harry Pfanz, Gettysburg: The First Day.
