News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1901-09-25
CIVIL WAR VOLUNTEER NO. =
DIR. Charles #. Rand of Washington tho
First Man to Enlist.

First Man to Enlist
Or. Charles F. Rrand, Of Washing
ton, has the distinction Of having been
the first volunteer to enlist for the
Civil War; in response to Lincoln's call
for $4,000 men. He also possesses the
first medal of honor ever made.
On April Is, 1861, Rand. then an
eighteen-year-old clerk, attended a
meeting in the old Eagle Tavern, at
Batavia, N. Y. There had been heat
ed discussion over the probabilities of
war. when man came rushing in
waving telegram above his head.
The President has called for $4,000
men to go forward and fight" he
shouted.
Henry |. Glowacki, presiding at the
meeting, took the telegram, read it.
and said:
1.-THE war is already upon us. We
have to raise our quota of men to fill
his call. We must have them immedi-
ately. Who will be the first man to
enlist?"
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
Twelfth New York Volunteers had
their first soldier, while New York
State had the distinction of enlisting
the first volunteer for the Civil War.
Very soon afterward Rand perform
es the daring act which won him the
first medal of honor ever presented by
Congress for distinguished gallantry
on the battlefield. At Blackburn's
Ford, Va, on July Is his battalion Of
500 men was swept in disorder from
the field, but Rand, apparently not
noticing the slaughter all about him.
held his ground and finally joined the
command Of Capt. Cater GeneraD A.
H. Barnum, and fought with it to the
end of the engagement. The Con-
gressional medal of honor was not
instituted until July y, 1862, one year
later. and the first one struck was sent
to Rand.
At Gaines's Mill a musket ball
crushed through Sergt. Rands left
shoulder, MASKING it 60 a jelly. He
was captured and sent to Libby Prison
and later was sent home. When his
wound had partly healed he wanted to
enlist again but was rejected by the
surgeons. He appealed to President
Lincoln.
For some time President Lincoln
kept the young man answering ques-
tons, then he placed his hand on his
shoulder and remarked:
"My young friend, the surgeons did
their duty. They could not do other
wise. You are not able to do any more
work in the field"
This last remark took away Rand's
power Of speech. He had hoped from
the Presidents manner that his re-
quest would be granted. Now the only
words that fell from his lips were:
"My God, Mr.. President"
He rose and started for the door. He
could not even say good-by. In an in
slant the President was beside him.
and throwing one arm affectionately
around him he said in a voice filled
with emotion:
Lieut.. Rrand, we need you here in
Washington a great deal more than
they do at the front. If you will go
over to the War Department in tns
morning | think Mr.. Stanton will fix
you out"
At 10 o'clock the next morning a.
commission had been made out, and
before noon it was signed by the Pres
ident.
After leaving the army in 1870,
Lieut.. Rand entered Georgetown Uni
versity, received the degree of NJ. D.,
and practiced his profession up to four
years ago, when he was Obliged to give
It up. owing to incessant pains arising
from his old wounds.
Two Governors of the State of New
York and three Presidents of the Unit
ed States have recognized DR., Rand's
patriotism and gallantry. He holds
four commissions, all preserved in the
Holland Purchase Historical Society's
archives at Batavia, N. Y; one signed
by Gov. z. D. Morgan, one by Gov. Ho-
ratio Seymour, one by President Lin
coin and one by President Andrew
Johnson. New York has remembered
aim with a medal.
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