Levi S. Shafer
Levi S. Shaffer
It was recently discovered that Levi S. Shafer’s gun was used to fire the first shot of the great battle at Gettysburg during the civil war.
Levi Shiffler Shafer/Shaffer was born in Lower Paxton Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania on October 13, 1837. At 23, he enlisted in the Union Army on September 18th, 1861 joining Company E in the Illinois Calvary. He served his country for 3 years, 8 months and was involved in some of the most famous battles of the war, including: Antietam, Yorktown, Gettysburg, Culpepper and Brandy Station.
Levi’s obituary, posted in the Naperville Clarion on June 30, 1920 states,
His gun was the signal gun for the opening of the great battle of Gettysburg, which marked the turning point of the war.
Battle of Gettysburg
According to several sources, Lieutenant Marcellus Jones of Company E was initally reported to of the oncoming confederate column. Afterwhich, asked to loan the carbine of Sgt. Shafer wishing the “honor of the opening ball.” He then raised the weapon and rested it on a fence and fired at an officer on a horse. At approximately 7:30am on July 1st 1863, the shot was fired and the battle begun. [marker]
Levi survived and once honorably discarged from active service in Oct 1864, he returned to Naperville, Illinois and on December 7th 1864 married Miss Anna E Naugle (b. 09 Dec 1848 in Naperville, DuPage, Illinois). Later, he become the proprietor of a planing mill in DuPage County, Illinois.
Levi died June 23rd, 1920 in Napersville, DuPage County in Illinois. He was survived by his wife, Anna and six children, three sons who died young and three daughters.
