The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-02
A BRAVE SOLDIER
Sketch of 0. R. Rand
Captain Of wake
Guards
A Committee Of The Holly Springs Vet.
Grams. Whose Camp is Named in
His Honor, Due Honor to
His Memory.

At the annual reunion of the o. r
| Rand Camp OF Confederate Veterans
at Holly Springs. Wake county, a com
| mittee was appointed TO prepare d
sketch of Capt o. r. Rand. for whom
the camp was named. The story OF
the life of Capt. Rand has interest for
all veterans and a lesson for the
younger generation. 1t is as follows
Committees Sketch.
Your committee to whom was re-
ferred the matter of sketch Of Capt.
Q. r. Rand's life and the adoption OF
resolutions TO his memory beg leave
to submit the following:
Comrades, another veteran of the
| Confederacy has passed over the
river and is resting under the shade
of the trees, and another hero that fol-
lowed the stars and bars has gone to
answer the last roll call, which marks
the transmission from earthly scenes
to the Heaven of Peace" in the great
beyond, Capt. Oscar X. Rand, in whose
honor the camp was named by the
committee.
Captain o. r. Rand was a typical
gentleman Of the old school. From
boyhood TO old age he was of the peo-
pie, he was close to them and his gen.
tie kind manner and warm grasp of
the hand made every one who came in
contact with him feel that he was a
friend who would prove himself a
friend indeed. No man who applied to
him for counsel or help went away
without either Simple in his style of
address there was that about his man
ner which put his hearers in complete
sympathy with him, and this added
n a l. nf ha htlV a "a
Of things made him peculiarly pleas
ing companion.
Captain Rand was not a military
man in the true sense of the word but
he was a man of fine accomplishments
and looked well after the welfare of
his men. Co. d., instilled into them
while With them the true principles OF
soldier which noble examples will be
remembered by the members of the
old company until the last one passes
away. and after all these are gone the
Daughters of the Confederacy viii
perpetuate the remembrance, noble
name and qualities and ii will be
handed down for generations TO come.
The following sketch of Capt. O. X.
Rand was submitted by a very init
mate friend of his family.
Capt. Oscar Ripley OConnell Rand
was born or February 10, 1888, at the
home Of his father Maj Nathaniel G..
Rand. who lived at that time a few
miles south OF Raleigh ON the Fayette-
vile road. His mother was Miss Pier
ebe Mial, of Wake County. He was
the fourth son and eighth child OF this
union. His family is of English origin,
his great grandfather, William Rand,
having come from England in 1882,
settled in Virginia. His grandfather.
Walter Rand, was soldier in the
Revolutionary War and fought under
General Washington. After peace was
restored, he married in Virginia and
settled in Wake County at Rand's
Mill, where he spent the remainder
Of his life. Capt. Rands father was a
man Of means, and was a public spir-
tied and popular citizen. He repre-
scented Wake County in the Legisla-
ture during many years.
Young oscar early developed a
taste for reading and his progress at
school was rapid At the age of thir-
teen years, his father had placed him
at Gray's Military School at Raleigh.
After studying at this school a short
while, he entered Mr.. Bobbitt's prep
aratoIy school at the same place. He
received instruction from this wise
preceptor until he was prepared for
the Sophomore class at the University,
which institution he entered in 1851.
While at the University he was re-
garded by both the students and the
faculty as young man of great prom
Use, and was long remembered by the
faculty as student who did his whole
duty, and interfered with no other
mans business. While at the Univer-
sity he studied law under Judge Bat
tie. He received county license to
practice law at the time of his grad
uation in 1854.
Capt. Rand was married to Miss
Sarah Margaret Hart in September,
1854. She was a young lady with ex-
ceptiOnaI accomplishments and unus-
ual personal charm.
During the next two or three years
he completed his law studies and OBJ
tanned license to practice law through
out the State. However, the law as a
profession. had no charm for him. All
through life he took pleasure in doing
legal work for his friends and neigh
bors, gratis, but he could not bring
himself to adopt it as profession. A
quiet country life was much more to
his taste, and it was on his little farm,
surrounded by a few devoted slaves,
and in the enjoyment of his young
family that the hostilities of 1861
found him. He deprecated secession
War did not appeal to his native in
stinct but he saw no honorable course
open before him but to volunteer.
This he did, and proceeded to raise a
company, which in its organization
elected him captain This company
was known as the Wake Guards, Wake
County Captain, Oscar r. Rand; First
Lieutenant, James b. Jordan; Second
Lieutenant, James 7. Adams; Junior
Second Lieutenant, James w. Vinson.
During July or August, 1861, this COM
pany reported at Crab Tree, about
three miles from Raleigh. where there
was a Camp of Instruction. There were
ten companies at this place from the
central and western counties which
had opposed secession until the Proc
lamation of President Lincoln (April
Is, 1861 calling upon Gov. Ellis to
furnish North Cardinals quota of sew
enty-five thousand volunteers to coerce
the seeding Southern States. After be-
ing drilled and otherwise disciplined.
these companies were organized into
a regiment designated as the Twenty.
Sixth North Carolina Troops Qnfan
try). ZebuIon B. Vance was elected
Colonel of this regiment. with H. K.
nh s h