First Shot Monument

This memorial at the Ephraim Wisler House in the Gettysburg National Military Park commemorates the first shot of the Battle of Gettysburg, fired on this location about 7:30 am on 1 July 1863 by Lt. Marcellus Jones of the 8th Illinois Cavalry.
The Battle of Gettysburg was fought from 1 to 3 July 1863 by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. The battle involved the largest armies (104,000 Union soldiers and 71,000 Confederate soldiers) of the entire war and is often described as the war's turning point. The battle resulted in a Union victory, ending the Confederate attempt to invade the North.
The battle involved the largest number of casualties of the entire war: in total over 6,600 men were killed, 33,000 wounded and 12,000 missing of captured. The losses were about equal on both sides.

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Source

• Text: Fedor de Vries
• Photos: Wikimedia Commons