Jacob Parrott

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Jacob Wilson Parrot
July 17, 1843(1843-07-17) – December 22, 1908 (aged 65)
Illustration of Jacob Parrott from Deeds of Valor
Place of birth	Fairfield County, Ohio
Place of death	Kenton, Ohio
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Rank	First lieutenant
Unit	Company K, 33d Ohio Infantry
Battles/wars	American Civil War
Awards	Medal of Honor

Jacob Wilson Parrot (July 17, 1843–December 22, 1908) was a soldier in the volunteer Union army during the American Civil War. He was the first recipient of the Medal of Honor, a new military award first presented by the United States Department of War to several soldiers for their participation in the Great Locomotive Chase.

1 Biography
2 Medal of Honor citation
3 See also
4 Notes
5 References

[edit] Biography

Parrott was a native of Fairfield County, Ohio. He joined the United States Army in 1861 as a private in Company K, 33rd Ohio Infantry 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" because they operated under the command of James J. Andrews). After infiltrating Confederate lines and hijacking the locomotive "General," they were captured and imprisoned. Parrot 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 and as a first lieutenant in 1864. After the war, he returned to Ohio and became a cabinet maker. Parrott died in Kenton, Ohio, where he is buried in Grove Cemetery.

[edit] 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: 17 July 1843, Fairfield County, Ohio. Date of issue: 25 March 1863.

Citation:

One of the 19 of 22 men (including 2 civilians) who, by direction of Gen. Mitchell (or Buell) penetrated nearly 200 miles south into enemy territory and captured a railroad train at Big Shanty, Ga., in an attempt to destroy the bridges and tracks between Chattanooga and Atlanta.^[1]