Joseph Myron Goddard (1835 - 1907)

Descendants

Biography

Joseph Myron Goddard was born on 8 Nov 1835 at Athol, Worcester County, Massachusetts, son of Joseph Wilson Goddard and Abigail Dana Townsend.

On 15 Oct 1856 Joseph, 20, married Clara Elizabeth Wheeler, 19, daughter of Waterman Wheeler, at Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts.

On 1 Aug 1861 Joseph, a machinist, mustered into service with Company B of the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry as a 1st Lieutenant, being credited to the quota of Fitchburg, Worcester County, Massachusetts. He was 25 years, 8 months and 24 days old.

On 14 Aug 1861 at "The Worcester Spy", Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts, Joseph Myron Goddard was mentioned in an article about the departure of the Fifteenth Massachusetts from Worcester.

On 26 Jun 1862 in "The New York Times", New York City, New York, Joseph Myron Goddard was mentioned in an article about the arrival of sick and wounded soldiers from Fortress Monroe.

On 26 Oct 1862 Joseph ended military service with the 15th Massachusetts by resignation.

He was a pall bearer at the burial of Hans Peter Jorgensen on 23 Jul 1863 at Evergreen Cemetery, Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts.

Joseph Myron Goddard applied for a veteran's pension on 19 Jul 1875.

On 8 Apr 1876, Joseph was granted a patent for a rattan machine.

He was enumerated in the 1890 US Federal census, Veteran's Schedule in Jun 1890 at Melrose, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, as having served in the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, Company B.

He died on 28 Mar 1907 at Melrose, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, a suicide by shooting. He was 71 years, 4 months and 20 days old.

He was buried on 1 Apr 1907 at Forest Hill Cemetery, Div. 1, Fitchburg, Worcester County, Massachusetts, Juniper Avenue.

From The Fitchburg Sentinel, 1 Apr 1907, p. 2
Buried in Forest Hill Cemetery
The remains of Lieut. Joseph Myron Goddard arrived at 10:47 a.m. today from Melrose, where the funeral was held on Sunday at 3 p.m. Gen. J. W. Kimball, who was captain of Co. B. 15th Mass. regiment, of which Lieut. Goddard was an officer when the company left Fitchburg, June 28, 1861, met the relatives at the depot and accompanied them to Forest Hill cemetery.
Commander Graves and members of Post 19, G. A. R., including nearly all of the living past commanders, were at the depot and took a car to the cemetery. The Grand Army burial service was conducted by Chaplain Allen assisted by officers of the Post,k with Charles E. Allen, coronetist, at Forest Hill chapel. The interment was at the adjacent cemetery.

Find A Grave: Memorial #95065309

In May 1907 Clara Elizabeth Wheeler received a widow's pension based on Joseph's service.

She outlived Joseph and died on 22 Jan 1911 at Melrose, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, at age 73.

Sources

• Source: S165 Vital records of Athol, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849, Call Number: 974.43/A1 V28v Compiler: F.P. Rice Publication: Stanhope Press, Boston, Massachusetts, 1910 Repository: #R6
• Repository: R6 http://www.familysearch.org/
• Source: S2 Massachusetts Civil War Soldiers and Sailors, 1861-1865, Vol II Publication: Family Tree Maker's Family Archives, 1930 Repository: #R1
• Repository: R1 Unknown Neusaess 86356 Germany
• Source: S3 Record of the Massachusetts Volunteers. 1861-1865, Volume: 2 The Massachusetts Adjutant-General Publication: Wright & Potter, Printers to the State, Boston, Masssachusetts, 1870 Note: Unless otherwise documented, the 1870 roster has provided the basis for the estimated date of birth for the service men.
• Source: S315 Fitchburg Sentinel: Fitchburg Sentinel
• Source: S6 Index to Civil War Pension Files Compiler: National Archives (NARA) Publication: Ancestry.com, online Note: These index card images online all specifically show service in the 15th MVI unless otherwise indicated. The certificate numbers and dates are sometimes difficult to read and should not be used to apply for a file at NARA. Repository: #R3
• Repository: R3 Unknown