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The First Man Killed In The Civil War Died By Accident
Despite it being the bloodiest war in American history, the first casualty occurred in a freak occurrence
No American war has been as deadly as the Civil War, which counted approximately 620,000 deaths (and possibly more) during the five years (1861–1865) of the conflict. Casualties came in many different forms, including vicious fighting and rampant disease. However, the very first person to die during the war between the states was private Daniel Hough, who was killed in a freak accident during a celebration.
Born around 1825 in Ireland, Hough emigrated to the United States in 1849, immediately enlisting in the Army and serving in the 1st U.S. Artillery Regiment. The military proved to be a good fit for him and he made it his career. In the midst of his three tours he was briefly hospitalized at a mental institution in 1857 after being diagnosed as “crazy.” The admitting Army doctor theorized on the admission paperwork that he believed the condition might be hereditary, but later theories speculated he may have just had erratic behavior caused by hearing loss from spending so much time next to firing cannons.
In January, 1861, his unit was stationed at Fort Sumter in South Carolina, a key military point, as talks of secession and…
