Marcellus Ephraim Jones (June 5, 1830 – October 9, 1900) is reported as being the soldier who fired the first shot at the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

(1863).

Early life

Jones was born in Poultney, Vermont, a son of Ephraim and Sophia (Page) Jones. In 1858, Jones moved to

DuPage County, Illinois DuPage County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Illinois, and one of the collar counties of the Chicago metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 932,877, making it List of ...

. He lived in Danby (now Glen Ellyn), until the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

when

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

called for volunteers.

Civil War

Jones enlisted in Company E of the 8th Illinois Cavalry on August 5, 1861. He was commissioned a second lieutenant on December 5, 1862, first lieutenant July 4, 1864, and captain on October 10, 1864. All three commissions were signed by Illinois Governor Richard Yates. On July 1, 1863, at Gettysburg, Jones commanded one of the regiment's sentry posts on the Chambersburg Pike, the road

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a general officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War, who was appointed the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate ...

's Confederate army used to march from Cashtown to Gettysburg. About 7:30 a.m., Jones noticed a cloud of dust on the road to the west, indicating that the Confederates were approaching. At that point, Jones borrowed Corporal Levi S. Shafer's carbine, aimed it with the assistance of a fence rail, and fired a shot at "an officer on a white or light gray horse."

Post-war life and death

Jones settled in

Wheaton, Illinois Wheaton is a city in and the county seat of DuPage County, Illinois, United States. It is located in Milton and Winfield Townships, approximately west of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, Wheaton's population was 53,970, making it the 27th-mos ...

, after the war and was active in local politics, including serving as DuPage County sheriff and Wheaton

postmaster A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...

. His home, which originally stood at 504 Naperville Road, was moved a few blocks away in 1977 and still stands today at 221 East Illinois, where it serves as offices for a law firm. Jones was also active in erecting a memorial at the location where he fired the first shot of the

. He was present in Gettysburg in 1886 for the dedication of the memorial, which is composed of DuPage County limestone and still stands today on the north side of U.S. Route 30 (Chambersburg Pike) at its intersection with Knoxlyn Road. Jones died in Wheaton on October 9, 1900, and was buried at Wheaton Cemetery. His gravesite was left unmarked after he died, as his wife did not have enough money for a headstone. On April 11, 1976, the Civil War Round Table of Chicago installed a headstone at his grave.

References

External links

The Battle of Gettysburg: Who Fired the First Shot?Biography of Marcellus E. Jones
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Marcellus 1830 births 1900 deaths Union army officers People of Vermont in the American Civil War People from Poultney (town), Vermont People from Glen Ellyn, Illinois Military personnel from Illinois