Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-09-29
Ruffin Fired First Shot.

American revolution. and was the
property of Edmund Ruttiin.
Captain Preston will never forget
the day that his servant Aaron hand
I'd him the book, for with 1t came q
handsome pair of heavy blankets.
Preston, with his comrades Of the
Tenth New York cavalry. was near
the James river in May. 1864. when
n night Aaron woke his master up
by throwing the heavy blankets on
lin. Aaron had been out with a par
ty on a f%oraging trip. But he never
told where he got the articles.
AS Captain Preston never allowed
his men to enter a house except to
get eatables, he took the negro boy
sharply to task. But when the cap
tain looked at the blankets he no
ticed the initials ~. s." We'll, who
ever had these blankets stole them,
so you're all right. Aaron" he re-
marked.
The history has since been in the
relic chest at Captain Preston's home,
and he didn't take it out until a few
days ago, when General Pryor an
nounced that he had been first dele
gated to fire hat first shot. The cap
tain pasted this recent newspaper
clipping in the back of the book be-
side an old, yellow clipping, which
chronicIed the suicide of Rufin.
The first clipping on the back COW
er reads as follows:
"Old Edmund Ruffin, who fred the
first gun IN Fort Sumter, committed
cuipiIn IN Saturday Iact naar Dan
vile, Va, by blowing his brains out
with a masket. He had become very
low spirited since the capture Of
Richmond, and did not wish to live
under Yankee rule. He left "a note
saying: I cannot survive the loss of
the liberties of my country"
Then, after As years, another clip
ping throws a different light on the
firing Of the first shot. 1t is this
statement Of General Roger Atkinson
Pryor, the soldier, editor and lawyer.
1t reads as follows:
The first shot on Fort Sumter
freed the slaves, but that was not my
intention when l viewed the lannon's
fuse, prepared to touch it off.
81 was then a lawyer of 33 from
Virginia. and had made a speech in
Charleston just a few days before the
18th of April, 1861, in which | said:
Strike Il blow and Virginia will Sc
cede in an hour by the Shrewsbury
clock 1t was in compliment for this
speech that General Beauregard be-
slowed upon me the honor of firing
the first shot. Rufin had a paper, of
which he had been editor for many
years. He was the first advocate of
secession as distinct from Calhoun's
doctrine of notification. Virginia did
not favor Ruffn's notion strongly.
That is why Rufiin went to South
Carolina to PROFOUND his doctrine.
He went to Charleston in April.
Charleston was beleaguered with
5000 to 1000 young southern gentle
men, all in fighting trim. With these
boys Ruffin enlisted. He was present
when General Beauregard asked me
to fire the first shot. introduced
him to the general and told the gen
eral what Rufin had done to further
the cause of the south, n persuaded
him to allow Rufip TO fire it. The
general was persuaded. Ruf1n fred
the first shot. Virginia thereupon Sc
ceded, uniting the entire south"
The taking Of the old book from
his chest has brought back old memo
ries to Captain Preston, and once
again he wonders what became Of his
faithful boy Aaron.
Aaron, If he is still living, IL the
only one that can explain whore Ruf.
dn's book came from.