Wyoming and California might be notoriously at odds – but firing guns to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the ‘shot heard ‘round the World’ could bring together those states, and all the others, gun enthusiasts said.
At 8:30 a.m. on April 19, members of the California Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA) plan to shoot their guns to commemorate the opening shot at the Battle of Lexington-Concord – which kicked off the Revolutionary War on April 19, 1775.
“If California can do this, of all the states in the union, then the rest of us should get busy and see what we can organize,” Utah resident Kevin Cox told Cowboy State Daily.
Cox previously lived in California and belonged to the CRPA. He’s still on their email list, which is how he found out about their commemorative shoot.
That inspired him to organize a shot heard ‘round the world event at the Red Cliffs Rifle and Pistol Range near St. George, Utah.
And he hopes the idea will catch on in Wyoming, as well as every other state.
“Who knows, the idea might take off all across the country,” he said.
Fitting Tribute
Dan Starks, founder of the National Museum of Military Vehicles near Dubois, told Cowboy State Daily that he loves the idea.
“Having a tribute to, keeping alive the legacy and drawing attention to that part of American history is a wonderful idea, particularly for younger people who might not be learning about that part of American history,” he said.
Among Starks’ collection at the museum is a musket thought to have fired the first shot at Bunker Hill – another battle of the Revolutionary War.
Shooting Across Time Zones
According to accounts, an American patriot militiaman fired the opening shot at Lexington right at sunrise.
So, the 8:30 a.m. firing time in California might not be exactly historically accurate.
And if the idea of firing shots at gun ranges across the country that day catches on, dealing with multiple time zones could make things complicated, Cox said.
So, rather than trying to pull off a simultaneous volley from coast-to-coast, it might work better to have the event roll through the different time zones, he said. Volleys could be fired at 8:30 a.m. in each time zone.
He envisions the event being simple and straightforward.
“I’m planning on having perhaps a dozen people in a line on the range, and then, at the appointed time, just giving the order, ‘ready, aim, fire!’” he said.
Cox is a range safety officer at the Red Cliffs Rifle and Pistol Range – and he’s been reaching out through a network of range officers, trying to get the ball rolling nationwide.
Speaking with Cowboy State Daily on Monday, gun rights lobbyist Mark Jones of Buffalo said he hadn’t yet heard of any shot heard ‘round the world events – but he likes the idea.
“I’m sure we would support it, if folks wanted to get it going somewhere in this state,” said Jones, who is the national director for Gun Owners of America (GOA).
A Real Piece Of History
Starks is enthusiastic about commemorating the Revolutionary War because his musket is an authentic piece of history.
While British troops were issued Brown Bess Muskets, one of the best infantry weapons of the time, American forces were armed with whatever they could get their hands on, he said.
The musket from Bunker Hill was a Dutch-made weapon, carried into battle by a Continental Amy soldier named John Simpson, Starks said.
Because the Americans were at a distinct disadvantage in terms of numbers and ammunition, the famous order to not fire “until you can see the whites of their (Redcoats’) eyes” was issued, Starks said.
“The Americans needed to make every shot count,” he said.
As the historical reports go, Simpson jumped the gun, literally, and touched off his musket too early, Starks said.
After the battle, Simpson was court-martialed for disobeying an officer’s direct order, Starks said, although he received little more than a “slap on the wrist” as punishment.
The court martial was mostly symbolic, to drive home the point maintaining discipline within the ranks was vitally important, he said.
Simpson survived the war and his musket was passed down through the generations, until it went up for auction in 2019.
Starks said he balked at the price, but his wife insisted that he buy it for the museum. So, he ended up purchasing it for $492,000.
Who Really Fired First?
Revolutionary War history buff Cas Gadomski of Riverton told Cowboy State Daily that he’s fully supportive of shot heard ‘round the world volleys being organized in Wyoming.
“April 19th is a state holiday in Massachusetts, and I think it should be a holiday here as well,” he said.
However, the famous shot heard ‘round the world might not have actually been the first shot fired at Lexington, he said.
That’s according to the recollections of Pastor Jonas Clark, who served with one of the militia units that fought there.
Historical records show that on the first anniversary of the battle, April 19, 1776, Clark gave a sermon that included his recollection of the action at Lexington.
Clark said that the first shot was actually fired from a pistol by a British officer on horseback, Gadomski said.
“I believe it was in a fit of temper” on the British officer’s part, he said.
Even so, that doesn’t detract from the historical significance of the patriot militiamen’s first shots, he added.
“Our shot back at them is still the shot heard ‘round the world, because a bunch of farmers and squirrel hunters took on the most powerful military force in the world at the time,” Gadomski said.
The Least We Can Do
Cox said that organizing a commemorative volley on April 19 is the least he can do to honor America’s history and the sacrifice of veterans – and he hopes that spirit catches on.
“I never served in the military, so I can’t claim that angle on patriotism. I really respect the sacrifice that members of the military made for me. People died for me, how can we ever thank them enough?” he said. “Getting together on a Saturday morning to send a round downrange in their honor is just a way to express one little bit of gratitude.”
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
