In Memory of Capt. Charles R. Rand
1839-1908

A native Batavian who once lived at No. 4 Liberty
Street, Charles Franklin Rand is officially recog-
nized by the Congress of the United States as
the first person to answer President Lincoln’s
appeal for volunteers in the Civil War on April 15,
1861. Shortly thereafter, on July 18, 1861 at age
22 and as a member of Company K, 12th New
York Volunteers, he distinguished himself in the
First Battle of Bull Run at Blackburn’s Ford,
Virginia, and became one of the first soldiers in
American military history to earn the Congres-
sional Medal of Honor. He is buried in Arlington
National Cemetery where a monument stands in
his honor. His medal is on display on the Holland
Land Office Museum.

This Memorial Erected by
The Holland Purchase Historical Society
May 23, 1992

Memorial is located on the south side of W. Main St. (NY Route 5) between Ellicott Ave. and Thomas Ave. at the Holland Land Office Museum, 131 W. Main St., Batavia, NY 14020. “Holland” refers to the Holland Land Company, the original purchaser of the lands of western New York State.

Photograph by Anton Schwarzmueller