The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in the United States military. Authorized by Congress in 1861, nearly 3,500 servicemen have earned the award since its inception. Although it was first intended for Naval recipients, the awards availability quickly expanded to deserving Army soldiers. After 150 years of existence, the Medal of Honor is a unique honor for its recipients. With such an extraordinary history, the story of Jacob Parrott sheds light into the deeds of valor deserving of the Medal of Honor.Who Is Jacob Parrott?Jacob Parott in uniform, 1860s. Source: Wikimedia CommonsPrivate Jacob Parrott, born on July 17th, 1843, enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War at just 19 years old. Not much is known about the young soldiers life prior to his climatic actions during the war. As a member of Company K, 33rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, a predecessor of the Ohio National Guard, Parrott volunteered for a risky mission that would serve as a precedent for the awarding of the Medal of Honor in the decades to come. Designed to cripple the Confederacy when it was least expecting it, this raid is currently known as the Great Locomotive Chase and came at a time when the Union was desperate for a victory.A Rough StartVolunteer Union soldiers from Ohio, 1861-1865. Source: Library of CongressDuring the first year of the Civil War, the Union Army was at a disadvantage compared to the Confederates. Eleven southern states seceded from the Union, leading to an outbreak of armed conflict following decades of tensions over socio-economic differences, particularly the institution of slavery. During the early years of the Civil War, some foreign powers considered recognizing the independence of the Confederacy. The Confederate Army enjoyed initial success as it fought primarily from within their own territory, controlled most of the coastline to resist Union naval blockade, while Confederate President Jefferson Davis sought diplomatic support from Europe. President Lincoln had to act fast to rescue the Union, and the Union Army began considering ambitious plans behind enemy lines to seize the initiative.The PlanGeneral Mitchel on Horseback, 1861/62. Source: Library of CongressTo turn the tide of the war, a civilian spy and smuggler, James J. Andrews, recommended an audacious plan to Union Army leaders: if the Union could steal a high value train 200 miles behind enemy lines, the north could cut off communication and supply lines essential to Confederate military operations. The bold operation demanded individuals who were willing to risk their personal safety for the greater good. Parrott was among 25 soldiers who volunteered to execute the operation. Union General Ormsby Mitchel approved the plan in April 1862, informing Parrott and his peers of the dangers that lay ahead.Andrews plan required the selected volunteers to sneak into Georgia, a risky undertaking as the Confederates were used to executing captured spies. The raiders masqueraded as a small group of loyal southerners traveling from Kentucky to Atlanta to enlist in the Confederate Army, a difficult cover story considering there were plenty of enlistment offices between themselves and the destination. On April 7th, 1862, General Mitchel led Parrott and two dozen soldiers to a railway in Chattanooga. There, the group headed to Marietta, the final staging area before raiding the Confederate train at Big Shanty. In the Unions eyes, Big Shanty was an enticing target because the station did not have telegraph connections. This meant that if General Mitchels small force could hijack the train quickly, they could out-run the news before it reached the Confederate authorities. The plan, however, did not come to fruition as intended.The RaidIllustration of the Great Locomotive Raid in Deeds of Valor: How Americas Civil War Heroes Won the Congressional Medal of Honor, 1901. Source: Wikimedia CommonsOn the journey from Chattanooga to Marietta, two of General Mitchels men were enlisted on the spot by Confederates and two overslept the trains departure to Big Shanty. Already a small band, the raiding party now faced the task of overthrowing a well-armed depot with even fewer men after facing delays as rumors spread of General Mitchels movement south. Upon arrival at Big Shanty, the trains crew and passengers departed the locomotive, and the raiders got to work. In minutes, Parrott and his peers detached the engine, fuel car, and three boxcars, before barreling north as fast as possible.A Short JourneyConfederate fortifications in Atlanta, 1864. Source: Library of CongressThe Confederates chased the raiders for the next 87 miles, delayed by Union efforts to break sections of track and destroy telegraph wires along the way. Andrews raiders hastened their escape by releasing two box cars, blocking the track for Confederate chasers. Despite these actions, the raiders ran out of fuel and were forced to stop for wood and water near the Georgia-Tennessee border. The Confederate pursuers soon caught up with the hijackers, forcing Parrott and his fellow soldiers to disperse just a few miles south of Chattanooga. After just seven hours, the Great Locomotive Chase was over.Unfortunately for Parrott and the other raiders, the daring missions effects proved mostly futile. While they achieved some successes in stealing the train and damaging telegraph and supply lines, the Union volunteers failed to destroy any bridges, and their adversaries quickly repaired the damage to the railroad infrastructure. General Mitchell, who stayed at Big Shanty, delayed his follow-on movements to Huntsville, Alabama, longer than intended. This gave the Confederacy time to fully recover before the raid had any material impact.After the RaidThe largest Confederate prison camp in Andersonville, Georgia, 1862. Source: Library of CongressParrott and the remaining Union soldiers attempted to avoid Confederate capture after the chase was over. For most of the raiders, however, these efforts were unsuccessful. The missions mastermind, Andrews, was executed in Atlanta, Georgia, alongside eight other raiders. Parrotts fate, while troubling, was more fortunate as he was spared execution and instead forced to bear mistreatment in Confederate confinement. In Atlanta, ten raiders escaped Confederate imprisonment.Less than a year later, Parrott was released in a prisoner exchange in March 1863 and returned north. Despite the raids untimely failure, the bold actions of Andrews team spread quickly in the north, and Parrott and his peers were celebrated as courageous heroes. As a result, Parrott was bestowed the Medal of Honor in the weeks following his return, and five other raiders received the same accolade for their parts in the mission shortly thereafter.For decades after the Great Locomotive Chase, the train and mission represented unifying figures for both sides of the Civil War. The locomotive itself, named The General was displayed at a monument in Ohio dedicated to Andrews, Parrott, and their comrades in 1891. One year later, the car was delivered to Chattanooga where the raiders staged their assault. Now, it sits in the same location it was hijacked, available for public viewing inside the Southern Museum of Civil War Locomotive History in Kennesaw, Georgia.A Lasting LegacyPresident Lincoln at General Grants headquarters, 1865. Source: Library of CongressDespite the hijackings failures, the Great Locomotive Chase holds a respected place in military history today, largely in part for its role in bestowing the United States first Medal of Honor. In retrospect, the bold Union strategies in 1862 marked a significant turning point of the Civil War. Shortly after the Great Locomotive Chase, Union armies won the battles of Second Manassas, Antietam, and Fredericksburg, which inspired hopes in the north that the Union would eventually prevail and the country would be reunited. Union heroism during these battles built upon the sacrifices of Andrews raiders. Since 1887, several authors have published books on the raid, and a movie was produced in 1956 to highlight the daring missions importance.Before the end of the Civil War, Parrott was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant. After the war was over, the inaugural Medal of Honor recipient returned to his humble carpentry roots in Ohio, where he married Sarah Lawrence in 1866. Parrott remained friends with a fellow Andrews raider, Wilson Brown, until his death in December 1908. Parrott is buried in Grove Cemetery in Kenton, Ohio, near a road named in his honor, Jacob Parrott Boulevard. While Parrott is not a well-known figure in American popular culture, his memory continues to be honored inside military and historical circles. For as long as the Medal of Honor exists, the role of Parrott and his fellow raiders in the Great Locomotive Chase will not be forgotten.The Medal of Honor TodayA Civil War Era Medal of Honor, 1864. Source: Library of CongressThe Medal of Honor has evolved from its original conception. Three variants of the award now exist: one for the Army, Navy and Marines, and Air Force and Space Force, respectively. As the nations first conflict in which the accolade was awarded, the Civil War represents nearly half of all Medals of Honor recipients, illustrating how the award is increasingly rare in modern warfare. In fact, of the two and a half million service members who served overseas in support of the Global War on Terrorism, only 16 have received the Medal of Honor. Today, living Medal of Honor recipients enjoy a special pension and retirement pay, free admission for their children into American service academies, and prioritized medical benefits. Certainly, the award represents significance greater than the actions of a single individual, as exemplified by the bravery of Jacob Parrott and each of Great Locomotive Chase raiders over 150 years ago.