the confederates fired the first shots of the civil war.
who fired the first shots of the civil war?
the confederates
civil war buffs have long been attracted to rosehill, where approximately 350 union soldiers and sailors and at least three confederates who gave their lives in service are entombed. it is the final resting place for several members of the 8th illinois cavalry, the unit that fired the first shots in the battle of gettysburg, and of a general whose troops helped ulysses s. grant avoid surrender in the battle of shiloh, grant's first major engagement of the war. rosehill cemetery maintains the distinction of being the largest private burial ground of union veterans, including 16 generals, in the state of illinois. to honor those who fought for country and cause, rosehill officially opened its own civil war museum on january 15, 1995.
rosehill cemetery
atf agents stated that they heard shots coming from within the compound, while branch davidian survivors claimed that the first shots came from the atf agents outside. a suggested reason may have been an accidental discharge of a weapon, possibly by an atf agent, causing the atf to respond with fire from automatic weapons. other reports claim the first shots were fired by the atf "dog team" sent to kill the dogs in the branch davidian kennel. three helicopters of the army national guard were used as aerial distraction, and all took incoming fire. during the first shots, koresh was wounded, shot in the hand and in the stomach. within a minute of the raid starting, branch davidian wayne martin called emergency services, pleading for them to stop shooting. the resident asked for a ceasefire, and audiotapes record him saying, "here they come again!" and, "that's them shooting! that's not us!"
waco siege