This entry will detail little known events of the Civil War that most people don't know.

First Shots fired: While the firing on Fort Sumter certainly was the event that touched off the Civil War it wasn't where the first shots were fired. On January 9th, 1861 a ship called the Star of the West was delivering supplies to the Union troops stationed at Fort Sumter, when Confederate batteries on Morris Island manned by men of South Carolina fired on the ship and thus fired the first shots of the Civil War.

First Union Soldier to die: There are a few people who fit this the first is Private Daniel Hough was killed when the cannon he was loading for the surrender ceremonies after Fort Sumter surrendered accidentially exploded. He was killed instantly. This happened on April 13th, 1861. The second man was named Sumner Henry Needham of the 6th Massachusetts Infantry who was killed by rioters in Baltimore, Maryland on April 19th 1861. The third person was a man named T. Bailey Brown of the Grafton Guards. Brown and his comrade Lieutenant Daniel Wilson were coming back home after a rally to recruit soldiers for the Union army. As they neared the Fetterman Bridge which was guarded by three Confederate Privates named George E. Glenn, Daniel S. Knight, and William Reese of the Letcher Guards. The two Union soldiers were told to halt and Brown fired at them with his pistol. The bullet blew off a piece of Knight's ear, Knight then fired back at Brown with his flintlock musket killing him. The slugs from the flintlock musket shot hit Brown in the heart. This event took place on May 22nd, 1861, the Letcher Guards would eventually become Company A, of the 25th Virginia Regiment (CSA) and the Grafton Guards would become the Fifth West Virginia Cavalry (USA). The fourth person who is widely regarded by most historians as the first Union soldier to die was Elmer Ellsworth, commander of the 11th New York Volunteer Infantry also known as the New York Fire Zouaves. Ellsworth was killed when taking down a Confederate flag off the roof of the Marshall House Inn on May 24th, 1861. The owner of the hotel a man named James W. Jackson fired at Ellsworth as he came down the stairs. A shotgun blast to the chest killed Ellsworth instantly and one of his soldiers named Francis Brownell bayoneted Jackson killing him.

First Confederate to Die: There are four men who fit this description the first is a man named Captain Stephen Roberts who commanded a small group of militia in West Virginia. He was killed on May 28th, 1861 by members of Company A, of the Second Virginia Infantry which later became the Fifth West Virginia Cavalry. The second person is a man named William Clark who was in Baltimore at the time of the riots. He had already signed his enlistment papers and was waiting to be shipped out when he joined the rioters attacking the 6th Massachusetts. He was shot and killed during the riots on April 19th, 1861. The third man is named Captain John Quincy Marr of the 17th Virginia who was killed in a skirmish with Union troops on June 1st, 1861 at Fairfax Courthouse, VA. The last person is named Henry Lawson Wyatt of the 1st North Carolina Infantry killed in the Battle of Big Bethel on June 10th, 1861. Most historians acknowledge Marr as being the first Confederate killed in uniform, at the time Roberts was in command of a local militia and not apart of the Confederate armed forces and Clark was killed before he shipped out.

First Battle of the Civil War: The first clash of arms happened on June 3rd, 1861 in Philippi, West Virginia. The Union forces numbering some 3,000 were led by Thomas A. Morris, the Confederates numbering some 800 were led by George A. Porterfield. The Union forces split up into two groups and attacked the Confederate forces from two directions as a result they were driven from the field. Union casualties numbered 4 and the Confederates lost 26 men.

First Shots fired at the Battle of Gettysburg: The first shots fired at the Battle of Gettysburg were fired by Marcellous Jones of the 8th Illinois Cavalry. Jones was born in Poultney Vermont, and at the age of seveteen moved to Illinois where he worked as a jewelry saleman then as a carpenter. He and his picket unit (picket means a group of soldiers out in front of the main army scouting for enemy soldiers and troop movements) were stationed near the Herr Ridge Tavern. Jones seeing a large column of Confederate troops advance down the Chambersburg Road borrowed the carbine of Corporal Levi S. Shafer and aimed at a Confederate officer on horseback. He fired and thus began the bloodiest battle fought on American soil. What became of the officer is unknown.

Farthest North reached by the South: While the Battle of Gettysburg is known to most people as the farthest north the southern armed forces got this however is inaccurate. The South reached a little town in Vermont named St. Albans. Twenty Confederate raiders led by Bennett Young stormed into the three banks and robbed them. Rounding up the civilians and placing them in the local park called Taylor Park. The raiders killed one man and wounded another while one of the Confederate raiders was fatally wounded in the shootout with the civilians of the town although he would survive the wound. The Confederate raiders fled into Canada with $ 120,000 dollars. All of the raiders except for one was caught and they were not returned to the United States since they would be hanged.

Farthest West: The most western battle of the Civil War was fought at Picacho Pass, Arizona. The battle was fought on April 15th, 1862. A group of Union Cavalry ran into a group of Confederate Cavalry. After exchanging fire the Union forces retreated. The Union lost 3 killed and 3 wounded. The Confederates suffered 3 captured and 2 wounded.

The Civil War Reaches France: On June 19th, 1864, The USS Kearsarge and the CSS Alabama engaged in ship to ship combat off the coast of Cherbourg, France. The battle resulted in the Alabama sinking and 40 of her crew killed and 70 captured. The Kearsarge had 1 killed and 2 wounded. Three of the Confederates who died were buried in France and a monument was placed over their graves as the only graves of the Civil War outside of the United States.

The Civil War Reaches Brazil: The CSS Florida sailed into Bahia Harbor in need of repairs, the USS Wachusetts also sailed into the harbor where her crew encountered the Confederate ship. On October 7th, 1864 the Wachusetts opened fire upon the Florida. The ships fought each other until the crew of the Wachusetts boarded the Florida and forced it's surrender. The Union had 3 wounded while the Confederates lost 5 dead, 9 wounded and 60 captured along with the ship. The battle violated Brazil's neutrality and the commander of the Wachusetts a man named Napolean Collins was court martialed.

Farthest Northern Naval Battle: The Battle of Portland Harbor, Maine was fought on June 27th, 1863. It was fought between the CSS Archer and the USRC Caleb Cushing engaged in combat in the harbor. The Cushing was captured and set ablaze, it exploded from a secret cache of gunpowder in one of it's hidden rooms. The Confederates ship was captured and the crew made prisoners of war.

First Submarine to sink an enemy warship: The CSS Hunley a confederate submarine under the command of George Dixon, rammed a spar torpedo into the side of the USS Housatonic, which blew the ship up. This happened on February 17th, 1864. All eight members of the Hunley disappeared after the attack while 5 crew members of the Housatonic were killed in the explosion. Eventually the Hunley was found on the ocean floor and it was determined all eight men had died from suffocation.

Last Battle of the Civil War: The Last Battle of the Civil War was fought at Palmito Ranch in Texas. The battle occured on May 13th, 1865, when a group of Union soldiers led by Theodore H. Barret fought the Confederate forces under John "Rip" Ford. The ensuing battle was a Confederate victory with the Union losses placed at 4 dead, 12 wounded and 101 captured. The Confederates lost 6 wounded and 3 captured.

Last Union Soldier to Die: John J. Williams of the 34th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, a zouave regiment. He died on May 13th, 1865 during the Battle of Palmito Ranch.

Last Shots fired: The last shots of the Civil War were fired off the coast of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska by the CSS Shenandoah on June 22nd, 1865. The Shenandoah was attacking Union Whaling fleets when they fired the last shots of the Civil War.

Last Confederate General to Surrender: General Stand Watie, a Cherokee Indian and leader of the Cherokee Indians who had sided with the Confederacy was a brigadier General. He surrendered on June 23rd, 1865 at Fort Towson in what is now Oklahoma.

Last Confederate Surrender: After the Shenandoah fired the last shots of the Civil War in Alaska it then sailed to Liverpool, England and where the Captain James Waddell surrendered his ship to the English authorities on November 6th, 1865 to Captain R.N. Paynter of the HMS Donegal of the Royal Navy.

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Good read, thanks for posting.

Last Confederate Flag: