Alanson Merwin Randol
Portrait of Captain Randol, ca. 1865
| Born | October 23, 1837 Newburgh, New York |
|---|---|
| Died | May 7, 1887 (aged 49) New Almaden, California |
| Years of service | 1860–1887 |
| Branch | U.S. Army |
| Rank | Colonel Brevet Brigadier General |
| Unit | 1st Missouri Light Artillery 1st U.S. Artillery 3rd U.S. Artillery 4th U.S. Artillery 2nd New York Cavalry Regiment |
| Commands | Battery L, 1st Missouri Light Artillery Battery E, 1st U.S. Artillery Battery I, 1st U.S. Artillery Battery H, 1st U.S. Artillery 2nd New York Cavalry Regiment Battery K, 1st U.S. Artillery Battery L, 1st U.S. Artillery Fort Delaware Fort Winfield Scott Fort Alcatraz Fort Canby |
| Battles/Wars | American Civil War |
| Alma mater | United States Military Academy |
Alanson Merwin Randol (October 23, 1837 – May 7, 1887) was a career United States Army artillery officer and graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point (Class of 1860) who served in the American Civil War. He was promoted multiple times for gallant and meritorious service in battle, rising during the course of the war from the rank of second lieutenant to brevet brigadier general of volunteers.
While Randol was a noted artillerist who served with the 1st U.S. Artillery in nearly ever major land battle of the Eastern Theater of the Civil War, he was also commissioned as a colonel of volunteers and commanded the 2nd New York Volunteer Cavalry Regiment in battle from December 1864 through April 1865, when he was present to witness General Robert E. Lee surrender at Appomattox Court House.
At the end of the Civil War, Randol returned to the Regular Army artillery service; he commanded companies of the 1st U.S. Artillery in garrison duty across the United States from 1865 until his death from kidney disease at his brother's home at New Almaden, California, in 1887.
Details of Garrison Service
Captain Randol remained in the 1st U.S. Artillery and served in numerous locations nationwide in the years following the Civil War:
- Fort Brown, Texas from 1865 to 1869;
- Fort Trumbull, Connecticut from 1869 to 1870;
- Fort Delaware, Delaware in 1870;
- Fort Wood, New York from 1870 to 1872;
- Fort Hamilton, New York in 1872;
- The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina from 1872 to 1873;
- Fort Barrancas, Florida from 1873 to 1875;
- Fort Independence, Massachusetts from 1875 to 1879;
- Fort Warren, Massachusetts from 1879 to 1881;
- Fort Winfield Scott, California from 1881 to 1884;
- Fort Alcatraz, California from 1884 to 1886; and
- Fort Canby, Washington Territory in 1886
Legacy
Major Randol died of Bright's disease in May 1887 while on sick leave from active duty. He was buried with honors at the National Cemetery in San Francisco, California.
In 1904, an Endicott Era coast artillery battery (Battery Alanson Randol), consisting of two 10-inch rifles, was named in his honor at Fort Worden, Washington.
Dates of Rank
| Rank | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| Brevet Second Lieutenant | July 1, 1860 | Regular Army |
| Second Lieutenant | November 22, 1860 | Regular Army |
| First Lieutenant | May 14, 1861 | Regular Army |
| Brevet Captain | June 30, 1862 | Regular Army |
| Captain | October 11, 1862 | Regular Army |
| Brevet Major | July 3, 1863 | Regular Army |
| Colonel | December 23, 1864 | U.S. Volunteers |
| Brevet Lieutenant Colonel | March 13, 1865 | Regular Army |
| Brevet Colonel | March 13, 1865 | Regular Army |
| Brevet Brigadier General | June 24, 1865 | U.S. Volunteers |
| Major | April 19, 1882 | Regular Army |
References
- Cullum, George W. Biographical Registers of the Officers and Graduates of the United States Military Academy. Vols. 1 & 2. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1891
- Haskin, William L., ed. The History of the First Regiment of Artillery. Portland, Maine: B. Thurston and Company, 1879
- Heitman, Francis B. Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, From its Organization, September 29, 1789, to March 2, 1903. Volume 1. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1903
- Randol, Alanson M. "From January, 1862, to August, 1864" in Haskin, William L., ed. The History of the First Regiment of Artillery. Portland, ME: B. Thurston and Company, 1879
- Randol, Alanson M. Last Days of the Rebellion: The Second New York Cavalry (Harris' Light) at Appomattox Station and Appomattox Court House, April 8 and 9, 1865. Alcatraz Island, California: 1886