"The first Union soldier to die at Gettysburg was killed on July [!] 26, five days before the "First Shot." Private George Sandoe,a native of the Gettysburg area, was killed on Baltimore Pike in a cavalry skirmish with Confederate cavalry screening the advance of Early's Division."
Ooops, my above quoted source says July 26th, that must be a typo of course!
As I'm not able to edit my post, would you please insert a [!] behind the word July. Thank you!!!
True. Private Sandoe was killed at Gettysburg after three days of active duty. A Corporal Rihl was killed several days earlier and is said to be the first Union soldier killed in Pennsylvania, but apparently not at Gettysburg.