Naval History and Heritage Command

Superintendent of Library and Naval War Records Charles W. Stewart to Mr. C. Q. Chandler

Navy Department,

Library and Naval War Records,

Washington, D. C.,      July 19,1909.

Dear Sir:

     In reply to your note of 12th instant, the records of the Department show that the first shot of the Spanish-American War was fired on April 22, 1898, by the U.S.S.NASHVILLE, across the bow of the Steamer BUENA VENTURA. While no official records is found of the name of the man who fired the first shot, Mr. Richard Harding Davis in Scribner’s Magazine for July, 1898, page 6, states “Patrick Walton fired it. The name of Walton, as noted above, is not shown by the records as the firer of the gun but the statement of Mr. Davis is probably correct.

Very respectfully,

Charles W. Stewart.

Superintendent of Library and Naval War Records.