The Hartford republican., 1911-11-10
fired THE
FIRST SHOT
At Opening of the Civil
War.
Edmund Ruffin, Soldier, Who
Touched off First Gun, Later
Killed Himself.

There is always fascination about
the first, whather it's babya pair
OF trousers, a high hat or the dlscov-
kerar of the Ncr.h Pole.
\ And so it is that, with fllle fiftid5h
anniversary of dhe Civil war, there
Is particular intrest attaching 10
I this man who finsd the frs shot.
There has ibs.n some dispute aIbout
it, but the oenSus of opinion has set
tied upon Edmund RuGfin as the ons
who fired the shot that freed the
slaves" Certain lit is, that he suf-
fer5d the ill fortune that pursues so
many benafaotors of the human race.
because he ended career of misi iyuy
by firing a final shot that gave him
entrance to "that bOumefrom which
no travaler eiar rdturns."
Wi;hal, he was an uuHtilling bens-
factor, because he WAS such an ardsDt
ssccessiondst that wh.m he saw tho
blue would win he andad his life ra.Ih
or than enduns Yankee rule''.
A book that the passing OF years
has made interesting is in the pos
session of Capt. Noble D. Plles.on, of
Philadelphia 1t is history of the
American Revolution, and was tho pro
/ p Tby of Edmund Ruffin.
Capt. Preston will nevor forgat the
day that his servant Aaron handed
him the book, for with it came a
handsome pair of heavy blankets.
PrestOnJwi:h his comrades of the
Tenth New York Cavalry, was near
ths Jamas river in May, 1864, when
one night Aaron woke his masta. up
by throwing the heavy blankets on
him. Aaron had baen cut with a
party on foraging trip But hs
nwer tod where he go1 the ana.clls.
AS Capt. Prss.Nn nevyr allowed his
men to entor a houss except 10 gat
eAtables, he took the raglno boy sharp
! ly 20 task. But when THE Captain
| looked ut the blankets h5 noticed the
initials "U. S." well, whoever had
thase blankets stole them, so you're al
night, Aaron he remarked.
The history has since been in the
relic chast at Capt. Praston's home,
and he didn't take it Gut until f4w
days ago, whtn Glen Pryor ann0unc-
cd that he had bean first dI sgated
to fire that first shot. The Captain
pasted his recent ulsspaTer chipping
in the back of the book beside an old
yellow cliTpink which chroniclad the
suicide of RulGin.
The book is the first volume Of a
history written by David Ramsey, NJ
D., and was published by r, Altkin &
Son i'm Philadelphia. Besides tha sig
nature and bookmark OF Ruffin there
ane two other signatures on the front
covers. One is Alexander Mitchelson
London" and THE other "W. Harrison,
january IL. 1904"
The first Clipping on the back cover
reads as follows
"Old Edmund Ruffin, who fired THE
first gun at FIT. Sumptsr, committed
suicide ON Saturday last, near Dam
willie. Va, by blowing his brains out
with a musket.. He had become Very
-spirited sine tho capture of
Richmond and did not wish to live un-
DIR Yankee rule. He Ieft note say
ing. i cannot survive the loss vi
the libraries of my counhry.'"
Then after forty-six years, another
clipping throws a dlffenent light ON thS
filming the first shot. 1t is this state
mamt OF Gsn. Roger Atkinson Pryor,
the soldier, editor and lawyer. It
reads as follows:
"Ths first shot on Ft. Sumter freed
the slaves. but that Mas not my i'm
tantion when | viewed the oannon's
fuse. prepared to touch dit OBI.
II was thln a lawyer OF thirty -thnas
from Virginia. and had made spocch
In Charleston just a few days before
the 12th of April, 1S6ldn which said
'Strike one blow and Virginia will So
osde In am hour by the Shrewsbury
clock, 1t was in compliment for this
speach that Gen. Baauregand beatow-
ed upon mo hhs honor OF fhring thk
first shot Ruffin had a paper.o OF which
he had been editor Tor many years
He was tho first, advocate of seoes'
sion as distinct from Calhoun's doctIdns
of nullinication- Virginia did not IA
vor Ruffin's notion strongly 1lhat
is why Ruffin weut 70 South canohnI