which he believed would benefit his district. Randall also supported legislation to reduce the power of banks, a policy that he would continue to advocate for his entire political career. In 1860, he ran for election to a full term in the state Senate while his brother Robert ran for a seat in the state House of Representatives. Ignoring their father's advice that it meant "too much Randall on the ticket", both brothers were unsuccessful. In 1861, the Civil War began as eleven Southern states seceded from the Union to form the Confederate States of America. Randall joined the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry in May of that year as a private. The unit was stationed in central Pennsylvania and eastern Virginia during Randall's 90-day enlistment, but saw no action during that time. In 1863, he re-joined the unit, this time being elected captain. The First Troop was sent back to central Pennsylvania during the Gettysburg campaign that summer, when Confederate forces under Robert E. Lee invaded Pennsylvania. He served as provost marshal at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in the days before the battle there, and had the same role at Columbia, Pennsylvania during the battle, but did not see combat. As historian Albert V. House explained, "[h]is military career was respectable, but far from arduous, most of his duties being routine reconnoitering which seldom led him under fire." House of Representatives Election to the House In 1862, before rejoining his cavalry unit, Randall was elected to the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 1st congressional district. The city had been gerrymandered by a Republican legislature to create four solidly Republican districts, with the result that as many Democrats as possible were lumped into the 1st district. Gaining the Democratic nomination was, thus, tantamount to election; Randall defeated former mayor Richard Vaux for their party's endorsement and won easily over his Republican opponent, Edward G. Webb. He won with the help of William "Squire" McMullen, the Democratic boss of the fourth ward, who would remain a lifelong Randall ally. Under the congressional calendar of the 1860s, members of the 38th United States Congress, elected in November 1862, did not begin their work until December 1863. Randall arrived that month, after being discharged from his cavalry unit, to join a Congress dominated by Republicans. As a member of the minority, Randall had little opportunity to author legislation, but quickly became known as