wˌɛn ðə sˈɪvəl wˈɔːɹ bɪɡˈæn, dᵻspˈaɪt hɪz pˈɜːsənəl ɑːbdʒˈɛkʃənz tə ðə kˈɑːnsɛpt ʌv sɛsˈɛʃən, ɹˈeɪnz ɛnlˈɪstᵻd ɪn ˈeɪpɹəl wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti wˈʌn ɪnðə kənfˈɛdɚɹət ˈɑːɹmi æz ɐ pɹˈaɪvət ɪnðə "hˈɜːmɪɾɪdʒ ɡˈɑːɹdz", ɐ lˈoʊkəl kˈʌmpəni.
When the Civil War began, despite his personal objections to the concept of secession, Rains enlisted in April 1861 in the Confederate army as a private in the "Hermitage Guards", a local company.