Jacob Parrott, a Hardin County native, received one of the first Medals of Honor for his actions as one of Andrews' Raiders during the Civil War.

The raiders were captured and several were hung. Parrott was flogged and thrown in prison. He survived and was presented the Medal of Honor by President Abraham Lincoln on behalf of Congress.

The original medal he received is in the Smithsonian Institution, but the second redesigned medal is part of Hardin County Museums Civil War collection. It measures approximately 2" x 3" (5.08 x 7.62 cm). In 1862, a group of Ohioans volunteered to be part of a secret mission deep into Confederate territory to disrupt transportation and communication lines. The group purchased tickets and boarded a train just north of Marietta, Georgia on the morning of April 12, 1862. When the train stopped at the town of Big Shanty for breakfast, the soldiers separated the engine, called The General, the coal tender, and three boxcars from the rest of the train. With the Confederate crew in pursuit, Andrews' Raiders headed toward Chattanooga, tearing up track and cutting telegraph lines. The Confederates picked up a new engine, The Texas, at the next railroad station and continued to pursue the Raiders. Although they released two of the boxcars and tried to set fire to a bridge, it soon became clear that the Raiders would never make it to Chattanooga. They abandoned The General about half way to Chattanooga. Andrews' Raiders fled on foot, but all 21 were captured within a week. Eight of them were hanged and the rest were sent to Confederate prison camps.

BORN: Jul. 17, 1843

DIED: Dec. 22, 1908

BURIED: Grove Cemetery
Kenton
Hardin County
Ohio, USA
Plot: Lot # 338, Section 1, Grave #16

ANDREW'S RAID~CIVIL WAR

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