The first day of the Battle of Gettysburg was July 1st, 1863. At 5:00 am CSA Major General Henry Heth put his division on one of the many roads leading to Gettysburg. Many others followed his lead. Lieutenant Marcellus Jones, a man from the 8th Illinois, fired the first shot at 5:30 AM. He was on picket duty for John Buford’s Calvary when he saw the Confederate infantry marching up and fired a shot from fear and ran away. This has been debated, for some say that someone in the 9th New York Calvary fired first. When visiting Gettysburg, there is a small marker where Jones is credited as having fired, which many people often miss seeing.
When Gen. Buford heard about the Confederates he sent word to Major General John Fulton Reynolds, whose men began to march quickly. Gen. Heth’s men came to the battle scene. More troops came, and unfortunately Gen. Reynolds was killed. His command was passed to Major General Abner Doubleday. He was the man who invented baseball. At about 11:30 am the Union line strengthened, and more battles happened on Oak Ridge and Foley’s Field, besides the railroad cut.
The Railroad Cut
In the 1860’s they were building railroad tracks, and they had begun to dig the ditches. Meanwhile CSA men went in for cover and some New York men captured them. As they were leading the men away, hidden Confederate men captured the N.Y. men at a point called “the gauntlet.’’
Anyhow, back at the battle, the Confederates were striking back. Finally the Union men were forced to retreat up to Cemetery Hill. Still, this was to the Union’s advantage because they had gained the higher ground, while the Confederates had hold of the town of Gettysburg and Seminary Ridge.
