Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - Edward Goodfellow

46^th ENROLLED MISSOURI VOLUNTEER MILTIA
Organized: Summer, 1862
Disbaned: March, 1865

REGIMENTAL HISTORY:
 

  The term “civil war” is an oxymoron. There’s nothing “civil” about such an upheaval. This was especially true in the north-south Border States during America’s War of the Rebellion.  In Missouri loyalties were suspect and often fluctuated from county to county, even neighbor to neighbor.

   By mid ’62 those with strong allegiances to either side had joined active military units.  While most of Missouri’s Federal troops were sent to hotter war theaters the state was being literally overrun by scores of Confederate guerilla bands, one of the most notable being Randolph Co’s. “Bloody” Bill Anderson.

   Under these circumstances available Missouri State Militia (MSM) units were not enough to hold the state within the union without support.  It was this context that the Enrolled Missouri Militia (EMM) sprang up (with a secondary political agenda of once and for all determining those who were “loyal” within the state) at the bequest of the governor’s office and the Missouri Union command.

   EMM units were derided as “jerks and clerks,” men who were staying home from war, but still having to “turn out” whenever there was a need to handle a crisis until MSM or other troops could arrive.  They ran the gamut from despicable gangs of ne’er do wells to the exemplary, sometimes even within the same regiment.  The units were generally not given uniforms, not paid, and not issued firearms.  Furthermore, for most who served in the near 70 EMM units there was no federal pension in their later years because, despite their services and privations, they were considered quasi-military groups not covered under the Federal umbrella.

   The 46^th, portions of which served in northeast (Homer and Randolph counties where Co. F was recruited) and southwest Missouri appears to have fallen into the “exemplary” category as, not being satisfied with guarding a bridge/road here and there, they took the war to the enemy with such zeal that, in May, 1864 the State’s General Assembly removed a number of the 46^th officers because they were “too hard on the rebels!!!”  The entire EMM program was dismantled in March, 1865.

SOLDIER:
Residence: Randolph Co., MO (est.)   Age: 30 yrs. (See Pers./Fam.)
Enrolled: 8/27/62 Roanoke, MO & 4/64 Huntsville, MO   Rank: Pvt.
Highest Rank: Pvt.

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:

NOTE:  The original birth – to – death biographical profile on Edward Goodfellow was created during the early years of the Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State project. As a result, it suffered from size and research resource limitations. The biography which follows was written in February, 2019. While it is much more detailed than the original, it still lacks the depth found in more recent additions to this website which draw heavily upon military, pension and other veteran – related documents found in the National Archives located in Washington, D.C.

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Edward A. Goodfellow listed his birth date as 6/27/32. Although documented evidence is not available, most likely he was born in the town of Silver Creek located in northeast Missouri’s Randolph County. 

According to family genealogical sources, Edwards’s parents were William (b. 1800 NY) and Mary (nee Sibly/Sibley b. 1804 NY) Goodfellow. No additional information is available pertaining to the birth family.

The first documented information on Edward comes from the 1860 U. S. Census for Silver Creek, Randolph County, MO. It notes a household headed by Edward which he shares with his wife, Isabelle Elizabeth Goodfellow daughter of Moses Goodfellow b. 1792/NY and Priscilla Tracy 1796/NY (nee Goodfellow b. 6/20/1833 Boone Co., KY).  Isabella and Edward married in Randolph, MO on 4/26/1859.

In 1910 Isabelle would tell census takers that she had birthed five children only one of which (Ida) was then living Available documents identify only two Goodfellow children: Ida I. (b. 1860 MO) and Gertrude G. (b. 1861 MO. 
 

  Based on the birth date cited by Mr. Goodfellow, in 1862 he would have been just past his 30^th birthday when he entered EMM ranks.  This however does not coincide with an 8/82 pension application in which he indicates he was 38 years of age when he enrolled.  Nor does this match an 8/27/62 Muster-In-Roll for Co. F which lists his age as 36.  Whatever his age at enlistment, in 1882 the 5’8” farmer claimed his term of service had been deleterious to his health.
 

  He noted: “while in the line of duty… near Glasgow (MO) 10/62 contracted heart disease in hard service mounting on horseback and scouting for bushwhackers day and night… (Also) contracted rheumatism by sleeping out in all kinds of weather without protection.”  It appears likely that in the home guard world of EMM forces Pvt. Goodfellow served a period of active duty, was sent home and, later, recalled.
 

  The “furlough” home and later recall could explain Pvt. Goodfellow’s two “discharge” dates.  According to one source, Edward’s period of inactivity may have saved his life as during that time his unit suffered heavy casualties as the result skirmishes and ambushes with the enemy.  His military tenure behind him, Edward returned to farming in Silver Creek.

In 1870 the Goodfellows were still residing in Missouri. However, as of that year they were living in Salisbury located in Charlton County. There Edward noted his occupation as “painter.”
 

   By 1880 the Goodfellows had quitted Missouri and moved to Homer Township, Witoka  Winona Co., MN.  In Witoka during 1880   his occupation was listed as “farmer”. In 1885, 1890, 1895 and 1900 he provided no occupational listing.

While in Minnesota Edward applied for a U.S. Government disability pension based on ailments or illnesses which he traced back to his days of Civil War soldiering.  In a 1906  pension application document the aging vet was said to be “totally unable to support (himself) by manual labor by reason of age and inflammatory rheumatism so as to be entirely helpless, unable to stand, or walk, dress or undress himself requiring constant attention of another person.”  Available documents do not indicate if Mr. Goodfellow was ever granted a Federal disability pension.

 It appears the aging militiaman and his wife came to the Puget Sound area of Washington State and settled in Everett located in Snohomish County circa 1907.  While the reason for the move is not documented, it was most likely to be near the family of their now married daughter. In Washington, despite physical frailties, Edward’s occupation was listed as “logger.” 
 

Edward Goodfellow died 7/25/12 at the home of his daughter in Everett, WA.  By his own stated date of birth he was 80 years of age. His Everett Daily Herald obituary noted: (During the War) “he contracted a complication of diseases, from which he has been suffering for the last forty years.”  Burial was/is in the Grand Army Of The Republic (G.A.R.) Cemetery located in Snohomish, Snohomish Co., WA.

Mrs. Goodfellow followed her husband in death in 1916. She was/is buried beside Edward in the G.A.R. Cemetery.

Buried at Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery Snohomish
Row: 5
Site: 4

Daniel Payne
Seattle, WA