Show 1 ci OPENING OF THE CIVIL WAR I Edmund Ruffin Ruffin of Virginia Fired First I Shot at It Fort Sumter Story Sumter-Story Story Told by Judge Pryor The Tue first shot fired In the Civil war said Judge Roger A. A Pryor the theather theother theother other ather da day according to the New York Herald was fired by the hand of Mr 11 Edmund Ruffin of Virginia It ma mabe may maybe maybe be recalled d that Virginia stood out long against se secession At the Virginia Vir ginia convention a majority opposed taking the state out of the union and the secessionists knew that without I the bord border r states of which Virginia was the leader the cotton states stateR would speedily be crushed W We Wp all felt I In particular that the one way to w get Virginia to te unite anite with her southern neighbors was to strike a ablow ablow ablow blow against the trIe Un Union Unfair fan After consultation with Mr 1 Jefferson Jeffer leffer son Davis Davig and others of the secession ron lead leaders rs I w went nt down to Charleston and from the porch of the MUlti MilTs hotel delivered a sp speech ech to practically the tire entire population on of Char ston In fri that speech I urged the southern troops to strike tl the tho e first blow biow and as assured them that once the conflict Ws W's on Virginia would secede within an hour bout by Shrewsbury clock The next meeting I was deputed by General G Beauregard to demand the surrender surrender of Fort S Sumter We knew lenew of course that surrender was sible sibie but I r was instructed after stir sin render lad had been refused to go at once to the nearest battery and order older tile the commandant to open fire When I got to n Battery Johnson and was met by Uy the young pung captain in charge I presented my order and he with much emotion embraced me monad and said that it was my impassioned speech of the previous evening that Had bind made war possible l and he of offered bred me rue the chance of fame by lug ill the tile first gun at F Fort rt S Sumter It was was- an honor I could not well i refuse and yet I was not s for it Back nack there In Virginia where the fight for and against secession hadT had T V r- r I The First Gun of the Civil War Went Off With a Roar I been been prolonged and bitter Itter I ha known Edmund Ruffin a n gentleman considerable estate and owning man slaves When the Virginia convention voted against secession Mr l Ruffin was so incensed that he shook th the dust of his native e state from his feet and became a citizen of oC South Caro Caro Caro- lina hina Then old as h he was he promptly prompt prompt- ly enlisted as a private at Charleston I It was while I was In the midst of my quandary with the captain of Battery Johnson that I saw Mr Ruffin musket I Ion on his s shoulder To the commandant I said SirI Sir I appreciate clate the banal hono you vou would do dome dome me but I could not think of depriving others more worthy worth than myself Here is the man whose devotion to the southern cause makes mal him worthy of the honor honor- honorI I t introduced Mr I to the commandant and explained the circumstances ces and when when- I left the fort lort to watch from the front the effect ef cr- feet of nf that first shot Mr had the lanyard of the gun un in his hi hand preparatory for firing Scarce had bad we got outside when tile the gun the gun the first gun of at tire the Civil war went went off orr with a roar Wo WOo could follow fol low quite distinctly the flight of the shell sheH and we watched it in Its course until It burst with terrific force orce right over Fort Sumter That was the first shot Virginia seceded at once when the first blow hlo having been struck President Lincoln called upon uton her for her quota of troops Mr 11 Ruffin as soon as as' as the state had taken the course he d deemed emed right went back baele to Virginia and resumed resumed re his citizenship there He lived during the rest of or the war He lie WIlSon was WIlS wason wason on a large estate of or his in Amelia county when the news came caine to him himi i of t f the surrender of or Lee at Appomattox tox tax and rind the loss of the ause rause S I cannot survive the liberties of ny country he be said a resolution as firm as that of ot Cato He Ho loaded a n double gun and pulling the I trigger with his toes blew the whole top of or his head bead of 01 off I Those were his first and nud ide lag roots in tho the Civil vU wT war I I |