Trivia 4-20-16 Fatal Shot

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There was speculation at the time that the shooter might have been a soldier(s) that Jackson had offended. Three children of Adam Layman John, Jackson and Preston were drafted into the Confederate Army, Company G, the Valley Guards 10 th. Virginia Infantry. John was later shot for desertion Jackson disregarding pleas from the 10 th. chaplain. it’s Commander Lt. Colonel Samuel Walker along with Pvt Preston Layman. It was understood that Jackson considered shooting them along with the deserters. From the moment, Jackson was shot and for thirty years until his death, Preston Layman claimed he fired on Jackson knowing it would cause a jittery Army to follow suit. Supposedly, they either sent the offender(s) to his death or sent him home.
https://sites.google.com/site/comixncomics/civil-war/who-shot-general-stonewall-jackson
 
Preston Layman

There was speculation at the time that the shooter might have been a soldier(s) that Jackson had offended. Three children of Adam Layman John, Jackson and Preston were drafted into the Confederate Army, Company G, the Valley Guards 10th Virginia Infantry. John was later shot for desertion Jackson disregarding pleas from the 10th chaplain. it’s Commander Lt. Colonel Samuel Walker along with Pvt Preston Layman. It was understood that Jackson considered shooting them along with the deserters. From the moment, Jackson was shot and for thirty years until his death, Preston Layman claimed he fired on Jackson knowing it would cause a jittery Army to follow suit."
 
The soldier who claimed this was Pvt Preston Layman. He claimed to have initiated the volley in revenge for the court martial and firing squad execution of his brother, John Layman, for desertion.

"There was speculation at the time that the shooter might have been a soldier(s) that Jackson had offended. Three children of Adam Layman - John, Jackson and Preston - were drafted into the Confederate Army, Company G, the Valley Guards 10th Virginia Infantry. John (Layman) was later shot for desertion Jackson disregarding pleas from the 10th chaplain, it’s Commander Lt. Colonel Samuel Walker, along with Pvt Preston Layman. It was understood that Jackson considered shooting them, along with the deserters. From the moment, Jackson was shot, and for thirty years until his death, Preston Layman claimed he fired on Jackson knowing it would cause a jittery Army to follow suit." https://sites.google.com/site/comixncomics/civil-war/who-shot-general-stonewall-jackson

And this:
"Thirty years later, Preston Layman claimed to his family that he was the one who fired the first shot, that triggered the volley that spooked the 18th NC into pouring fire into Jackson and his officers. Preston told the story over and over for the last thirty years of his life. To this day, most of those in the Shenandoah Valley who know the story, believe it. Mary Marie Arrington (a local historian) said to the authors of this article, 'Stonewall Jackson is much admired, but not in this part of the world. People here think John (Layman) was wrongfully shot and Preston did right.' .....Preston neve claimed to have actually hit Jackson, just that he fired the first shot." http://andersonzouaves.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/zo_april_09.pdf
 
Private Preston Layman due to be offended by Jackson who wanted to shot him for desertion.

Edit - Preston Layman claimed that he shot at Jackson because Jackson had ordered the execution of his brother John, not because Jackson wanted Preston to be shot.

Hoosier
 
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Answer:
Preston Layman, 10th Virginia Infantry
Reason: Revenge -- Jackson had ordered Preston's brother John executed by firing squad in August 1862 for desertion.

Reference: This story was written up in a North & South Magazine article Was Stonewall Jackson Fragged? North & South. April 1999. Vol. 2. No. 4. pp. 10 – 15.
A condensed version of the article is told HERE as the leading story in a pdf file.

Edit - Unfortunately, this question was closed prematurely. It should have remained open until 8:00 AM on Friday, April 22.

I congratulate the players who found the correct answer to this question. It's a story I had never heard.

However, in fairness to players who had not answered by the time the thread was closed because they expected that they would have more time to research their answers, this question will not be counted in the scoring.

Hoosier
 
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