Amos Randal was born in Cattaraugus County, New York state,
about 1828. In 1849 he caught gold fever
and journeyed overland to California. However,
he seems not to have had much luck at mining and so turned to other
occupations.
In 1860, he was a single man living in Marysville, Yuba
County, California, and running a stationery store with two Lassiter
brothers. While there, he met and
married Clara Jane McGrew on July 14, 1862.
Their first child, Norina Katherine, was born in March, 1864.
During the Civil War, Randal supplemented his income from
the stationery store by serving in the militia as a recruiting officer. In June, 1863, he was commissioned a sergeant
major in the 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, California Militia. On April 22, 1865, with the war drawing to a
close, Randal enlisted in Company A, 4th California Infantry at the Presidio in
San Francisco. He went in as a 2nd
lieutenant and soon rose to the rank of captain. His military career turned out to be very
short, however, as his unit mustered out on November 30, 1865.
The California Great Register of 1867 recorded the Randals
living in Oakland, California. Son
Ernest Grant born in 1868. Another
daughter, Margaret “Daisy”, was born 1874 in Tulare, California. The federal census of 1880 found the Randals
living in Hills Ferry, Stanislaus County, California, where Randal was working
as a carpenter.
Around 1882, the family moved to Prescott, Arizona, and
Randal went into the undertaking business.
In April 1886, the Randals’ last child, Theodore, was born.
Moving to Phoenix in 1892, Randal became associated with the
undertaking firm of Mr. W. A. Davis.
Amos Randal then applied for an invalid pension, citing health issues,
but his application was rejected because his service had not begun until after
the Civil War had ended.
Around 1894, Randal contracted blood poisoning when he
stabbed his finger with an embalming needle.
He had several relapses which caused him much suffering. Due to his ongoing health problems, his
application for an invalid pension was finally approved in 1896.
On December 1, 1897, Randal was in Porter Cemetery,
assisting with the burial of Gustavus A. Kirtley, a Confederate veteran. As the mourners were leaving the grave,
Randal walked to his buggy, then suddenly fell to his knees, pitched forward on
his face and expired.
Dr. Wylie was summoned, but Randal was beyond help. A coroner’s jury decided that he had died of heart trouble, brought on by his bout of blood poisoning. Randal was interred two days later in Porter Cemetery, after services conducted by the local GAR post. Randal’s widow Clara Jane applied for and received a widow’s pension.
-by Donna L. Carr
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