The Savannah morning news., 1901-05-27
CIVIL WAR VETERAN NO. |.
DIR. CHARLES F. RAND THE FIRST
VOLUNTEER.

", When a Telegram Announced
the Call, and Within Ten Minutes
After Its Issuance He Had Enlist
ed-At His First Active Service He
Won the First Medal of Honor Ev-
err Issued by Congress for HIS Re-
role Conduct az Blackburn's Ford
How He and Confederate Major
Watched the Battle of Savage sta
tiOn-His FOrtitude when Wound
ed-Chnracteristic Interview With
Lincoln.
Washington, May A.-In the National
Cemetery at Arlington, there is a burial
plot presented by the United States
government TO DIR. Charles f. Rand of
Washington, D. C. The plot is not oc-
cupied; there is no reason to suppose it
will be for many years. But when its
owner is laid there for his last rest
the monument that marks his grave will
commemorate the distinguished services
of the first volunteer to enlist for the
Civil War, in response to Lincoln's call
for 1900 men, who was also bearer
of the rare and highly priced Medal of
Honor, to be won only for notable gal
lantry in action. DR.. Rand's Medal of
Honor is the first that was ever struck
on, and the deed that won it was per-
formed before the decoration was in ex-
istence.
The opening chapter, in one of the
most remarkable military careers on
record in this country, was on April Is,
1861, when young Rand then an l8-year-
old clerk, attended a meeting in the old
Eagle Tavern, at Batavia, N. Y There
had been a heated discussion over the
probabilities of war, in the middle of
which man came rushing in waving a
telegram above his head
The President has called for 5000 men
TO go forward and fight" he shouted
Henry l. Glowacki, who was presiding
at the meeting, took the telegram, read
it, and said
THE war is already upon us. We
have to raise our quota of men to fill
this call. We must have them imme-
diately. Who will be the first man to en-
list?
Young Rand stepped forward on the
spur of the moment and said 81 will"
His name was put down in his own hand
writing on the muster roll, and the 18th
New York Volunteers had their first
soldier, while New York State had the
proud distinction of enlsting the first
volunteer for the Civil War. Batavias
quota of men was soon raised and left
for the front. Very soon afterward Rand
performed the daring act which won him
the first Medal of Honor ever presented
by Congress for most distinguished gall
lantry on the battlefield.
At Blackburn's Ford, Va, July 49, less
than three months after he had enlisted,
his command was ordered to retreat The
order had been given on account of the
deadly fire of the enemy's artillery
which was masked on the banks of Bull
Run. Infantry also poured in a terrific
fire. The rest of his battalion of 500 men
was swept in disorder from the field, but
Rand, apparently not noticing the slaugh-
tered al labout him, held his ground with
an old Harper's Ferry musket that had
been changed from a flint lock The
ground was plowed in all directions by
shot and shell, yet the only injury he
received was from flying dirt and stones.
Across a deep ravine, he saw the com
mand of Capt Barnum, Cater Gen. A.
H. Barnum) who were on their faces
firing, not being able to use their knees
to load on account of the dealy fire of
the Confederates, but turning on their
backs for that purpose. He made his way
to them on his knees, Joined the line
and fought with it to the end of the
enga cement.
The congressional Medal of Honor
was not instituted until July 70. 1862, one
year later and the first one struck off
was presented to Charles f. Rand for
his distinguished gallantry at Black
burns Ford, three days before the battle
of Bull Run. This medal he prizes above
all others The United States government
is very jealous of the Medal Of Honor
and protects it with all its power, and
in order that the medal may be de-
served, service must have been perform
ed in action of such conspicuous charac-
ter as to distinguish clearly the man for
gallantry and interpidity above his
comrades-service that involves extreme
jeopardy of life, or the performance of
extremely hazardous duty. These medals
were awarded as follows: In 1851, Is; in
1862 149: in 1863, 2S3; in 1864, S48; in 1865
2S2. Capt. Rand's decoration is a tn
colored double bow-knot worn on the
left lapel of the coat. The ribbon is an
eight of an inch wide by one inch In
length, and is composed of white stripe
in the center, fanked by two blue stripes,
and these by two red stripes. The medal
is engraved
1.-The Congress
First Lieut.. Charles F. Rand,
Veteran Reserve Corps.
For Most Distinguished Gallantry at
Blackburn's Ford. Va.
July IS, 1861"
On state occasions at the White House,
DIR. Rand wears this medal upon his
shirt bosom, suspended by broad band.
Not until eighteen months after en-
listment. when Rand, then a sergeant,
was home upon furlough from terrible
wounds received In the seven days battle
before Richmond, in which his whole
right shoulder was shot away was the
fact of his being the first man in the
United States to respond to Lincoln's call
for volunteers made known to him. The
original paper was shown him and the
information given that 1t had been impos-
sibie to find any record of soldier who
claimed earlier enlistment.
II was at Gaines Mill that musket
ball crushed through Sergt Rand's left
shoulder, MASKING II to a Jelly. He re-
fused TO ride in an ambulance, saying:
THAT wagon Is needed for those who
can't walk" He was taken to Savage
Station. where his right shoulder joint
and six inches of the shaft Of the arm
were removed. Portions Of shattered
shoulder bone and fragments Of his
clothing were taken out through. his
back. the bullet having passed through
one of his lungs.
The night after the operation he was
placed In a tent near the railroad track.
Nine men had been placed there at