The shot heard 'round the world may have occurred in Fort Sumter, N.C. on April 14, 1861 to launch the Civil War but there was fighting at Fort Pickens before that, historians say.

In "Barrancas: The First Shots Fired in the Rebellion," Walter Giersbach writes that on January 8, 1861, United States Army guards repelled a group of men intending to take Fort Barrancas in Pensacola Harbor. Historians say that this event could be considered the first shots fired on Union forces in the Civil War.

To mark the event, a local regiment of confederate reenactors brought muskets and fired powder to onlookers at the Cabana Club, located on the third floor of the building that houses The Market.

The crowd included Tona deMers, Gary and Pat Smith, Dan Green, Shelley Johnson, Johnny and Sandi Johnson, Tom Campanella and many other people who are friends of the beach.

More information about the event can be found at www. m i l i t a r y h i s t o r y - online.com.