"Some New Thoughts on the First U.S. Service Member" Topic

…to Die During the Civil War

"Most who study the United States Civil War know the story of the bombardment and surrender of Fort Sumter. Confederates opened fire in the early hours of April 12, 1861, and Maj. Robert Anderson's garrison sustained a withering bombardment into the next day. Anderson surrendered on April 13 and held an official ceremony on April 14. During that ceremony, one of the cannons used for a final salute to the U.S. flag prematurely fired, killing Irish-born Private Daniel Hough, mortally wounding Irish-born Private Edward Galloway, and wounding four other men.[1] Hough is considered the first uniformed service member to die in the war, but I recently uncovered some evidence that another service member died on April 12, 1861: United States Marine Corps Private John C. Applegate.

First some qualifiers. Applegate was not present at Charleston, South Carolina, when he died. He was in Sicily. He also did not die from a cannon or musket, but of inflammatory bowel disease. Next, we know he died on April 12, 1861, but not the exact time of day, which is important if you want to make a definitive claim of being the first service member to perish during a war…"

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Armand

Note that Applegate's son, William R Applegate, also served during the Civil War – private, D.C. Infantry, 7th Battalion. He died in 1878 and is buried in Altoona, PA.

Was Applegate's death in any way connected with the bombardment of the fort? IF not, I wouldn't count him as a war casualty.

Thanks

Armand

Was Applegate's death in any way connected with the bombardment of the fort? IF not, I wouldn't count him as a war casualty.

It appears he could have been the first service member to die during the war, even if he was nowhere near it. Comes down to what hour did he die…

Terrible way to die, by the way.

He might have been the first to die in the time period of the war, but not in the geographical area (assuming Sicily is the European one ? You never know with you Americans, you steal names from everywhere !! Was he in Syracuse ?)

But was his death war-related?

It seems to me that being the first member of an armed service to die after the start of a war, neither in the theatre of operations nor from a war-related injury or event, but from a disease or other cause unrelated to that war (such as being struck on the head by a falling rooftile, being run over in a traffic accident, or being struck by lightning) is not a distinction worth having or being concerned about.

It is merely a form of coincidence, from which neither the serviceman's immediate family nor his descendants can take any comfort or feel any pride.

Thanks

Armand