William Bingham Goodrich was an American colonel and lawyer who served as commander of the 60th New York Infantry Regiment and of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division,

XII Corps 12th Corps, Twelfth Corps, or XII Corps may refer to: * 12th Army Corps (France) * XII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps, a unit of the Imperial German Army * XII ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

before being killed in the early hours of the

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...

Biography

Early life

William Bingham Goodrich was born on December 1, 1821, as the son of Hubbard Goodrich, M. D.; who was killed in a

well A well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, or drilling to access liquid resources, usually water. The oldest and most common kind of well is a water well, to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The ...

accident when Goodrich was 14, which resulted in him becoming the sole support of his family. Shortly after his father's death, Goodrich entered the

Genesee Wesleyan Seminary The Genesee Wesleyan Seminary was the name of two institutions located on the same site in Lima, New York. The Genesee Wesleyan Seminary (I) was founded in 1831 by the Genesee Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The plan for its ...

in 1835 before graduating in 1839 and then becoming a teacher. He then moved to

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

and became a merchant there.

Mexican–American War

When the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

broke out, Goodrich traveled to

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

and became adjutant of the Missouri Battalion of Infantry. After the war, he was a dispatcher to

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

and remained there for a year as a trader due to the

California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California fro ...

Legal career

Eventually, Goodrich returned to New York to study law at

Ballston Spa, New York Ballston Spa is a village and the county seat of Saratoga County, New York, United States, located southwest of Saratoga Springs. The population of the village, named after Rev. Eliphalet Ball, a Congregationalist clergyman and an early settler, wa ...

. When he passed the bar in 1850, he went to

Madrid, New York Madrid ( ) is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York. The population was 1,735 at the time of the 2010 census. The town is named after the capital of Spain. Madrid is in the northern part of the county, north of Canton. Madrid-Waddington Ce ...

and became a judge advocate of the 33rd New York Militia Regiment there. While in Madrid, he married Lydia Hildreth in 1851 and the two would have a daughter, Stella, born in 1853. Goodrich moved again to

Canton, New York Canton is an incorporated town in St. Lawrence County, New York. The population was 11,638 at the time of the 2020 census. The town contains two villages: one also named Canton, the other named Rensselaer Falls. The town is named after the gr ...

. He was an active abolitionist and, along with Seth P. Remington, published the newspaper ''St. Lawrence Plain Dealer'' on August 7, 1856, to spread knowledge on the evils of slavery and promoting the new Republican Party.

American Civil War

When the

broke out Goodrich was one of the first to enlist for military service, mustering in with the 60th New York Infantry Regiment at

Fine, New York Fine is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 1,512 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Judge John Fine, a businessman involved in settling the town. The Town of Fine is in the southern part of the co ...

on September 11, 1861. His standing within the community of Canton, as well as being a veteran of the Mexican–American War, led to Goodrich becoming Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment. When presented with the flag of the regiment, Goodrich made the following address: The 60th New York would spend most of their early service guarding the

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first common carrier railroad and the oldest railroad in the United States, with its first section opening in 1830. Merchants from Baltimore, which had benefited to some extent from the construction of ...

before being sent to the

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge- ...

where they faced off against some of

Stonewall Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nearl ...

's forces. In May 1862, Goodrich was promoted to Colonel and a few days before the

, he was temporarily given command of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division,

. During this time, Goodrich felt troubled and made a personal request to his friend, Acting Sergeant Major Wilson to make sure his body was sent home if he got killed.

Battle of Antietam

On the morning of September 17, 1862, Goodrich's brigade was sent to Hagerstown Pike to reinforce

Abner Doubleday Abner Doubleday (June 26, 1819 – January 26, 1893) was a career United States Army officer and Union major general in the American Civil War. He fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter, the opening battle of the war, and had a pi ...

's division of the

I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to: France * 1st Army Corps (France) * I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French A ...

. The brigade marched over the Miller Farm where they saw some action. It is noted by a Union soldier that he was: "firm, cool, and determined, and encouraged his men to their best." Following Miller farm, his Brigade made their way to the West Woods, where Goodrich was shot in the chest and fell off his horse with a severed artery, with his exclaimed yell of "My God, I am hit!". his men came to his aide and he was carried back to a field hospital in a nearby barn, he soon regained consciousness after arrival and, as soon as he saw Sergeant Wilson, he showed great comfort in seeing him. he spent his final moments talking of his family and comforting his fellow soldiers assuring them that they always did their duty. His final words, similar to what he told his men, were: "I have always tried to do my duty!" . He showed a final smile, Wilson being at his side, and died shortly after. Wilson carried out Goodrich's final wish and Goodrich's body was sent to Canton where a funeral, attended by hundreds, was held. Goodrich was buried behind his house with full military honors. Over 40 years later his remains were reinterred in Brooklyn's

Green-Wood Cemetery Green-Wood Cemetery is a cemetery in the western portion of Brooklyn, New York City. The cemetery is located between South Slope/ Greenwood Heights, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, Kensington, and Sunset Park, and lies several bl ...

Legacy

Goodrich's daughter, Stella would go on to marry

Charles H. Russell Charles Hinton Russell (December 27, 1903 – September 13, 1989) was an American politician who served as the List of Governors of Nevada, 20th Governor of Nevada. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party. Bio ...

and founded Camp Goodrich in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

which would go on to serve as a convalescent home for soldiers and sailors.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodrich, William Bingham 1821 births 1862 deaths American military personnel of the Mexican–American War Union Army colonels People from Wilna, New York 19th-century American lawyers People of New York (state) in the American Civil War Union military personnel killed in the American Civil War