Jacob Wilson Parrott was the first recipient of the Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...

, a new military award first presented by the United States Department of War

United States Department of War

The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...

 to several soldiers for their participation in the Great Locomotive Chase

Great Locomotive Chase

The Great Locomotive Chase or Andrews' Raid was a military raid that occurred April 12, 1862, in northern Georgia during the American Civil War. Volunteers from the Union Army, led by civilian scout James J...

.

Biography

Parrott was a native of Fairfield County, Ohio

Fairfield County, Ohio

Fairfield County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 146,156. Its county seat is Lancaster. Its name is a reference to the Fairfield area of the original Lancaster....

 born in Lancaster, Ohio

Lancaster, Ohio

Lancaster is a city in Fairfield County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,780. It is located near the Hocking River, approximately southeast of Columbus, Ohio. It is the county seat of Fairfield County...

. He joined the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 in 1861 as a private in Company K, 33rd Ohio Infantry

33rd Ohio Infantry

The 33rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 33rd Ohio Infantry was organized at Portsmouth, Ohio from August 5 through September 13, 1861. It was mustered in for three years service under the command of Colonel Joshua...

 and first saw combat in the Battle of Ivy Hill. In April 1862, he volunteered to take part in a daring raid with 21 others (later known as "Andrews Raiders

Great Locomotive Chase

The Great Locomotive Chase or Andrews' Raid was a military raid that occurred April 12, 1862, in northern Georgia during the American Civil War. Volunteers from the Union Army, led by civilian scout James J...

" because they operated under the command of James J. Andrews

James J. Andrews

James J. Andrews was a Kentucky civilian who worked for the Union Army during the early years of the American Civil War. He led a daring raid behind enemy lines on the Western and Atlantic Railroad, known famously known as the Great Locomotive Chase...

). After infiltrating

Espionage

Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...

 Confederate

Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...

 lines and hijacking the locomotive "General

The General (locomotive)

The General is a type 4-4-0 steam locomotive that was the subject of the Great Locomotive Chase of the American Civil War. The locomotive is preserved at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw, Georgia, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-...

," they were captured and imprisoned. Parrott and 14 others managed to escape, but only 6 of them reached friendly lines. He served with the Union Army for the rest of the war. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1863 after the Battle of Stones River

Battle of Stones River

The Battle of Stones River or Second Battle of Murfreesboro , was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War...

 and as a first lieutenant in 1864. After the war, he returned to Ohio and became a cabinet maker. Parrott died in Kenton, Ohio

Kenton, Ohio

Kenton is a city in and the county seat of Hardin County, Ohio, United States, along the Scioto River. The population was 8,262 at the 2010 census. It is named for Kentucky/Ohio frontiersman, Simon Kenton...

, where he is buried in Grove Cemetery.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and Organization:

Private, Company K, 33d Ohio Infantry. Place and date: Georgia, April 1862. Entered service at: Hardin County, Ohio. Birth: July 17, 1843, Fairfield County, Ohio. Date of issue: March 25, 1863.

Citation:

See also

• List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: M–P