Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - Moses Goss

2^nd WISCONSIN VOLUNTEER CAVALRY
Organized: 12/3/1861 - 3/12/1862 Camp Washburn Milwaukee, WI
Mustered In: 3/12/1862 Camp Washburn Milwaukee, WI
Mustered Out: 11/15/1865 Austin, TX
 

2^nd MINNESOTA VOLUNTEER CAVALRY
Organized: Fall and Winter, 1863
Mustered In: January, 1864
Mustered Out: Fall, 1865 through 5/4/1866

REGIMENTAL HISTORY: (2^nd WI)
 

The 2^nd was a three year cavalry regiment. It served within the western theater of the American Civil War.
 

Organized in Milwaukee, WI, the 2^nd left the state on 3/24/1862 and moved to Benton Barracks near St. Louis, MO. There the unit was mounted and equipped. In May it was ordered to Springfield where the regiment was split up.
 

Two battalions, the second and third were then ordered into Arkansas. They remained there until January, 1863 when they were transferred to Memphis, TN. The two organizations were then moved into Mississippi where they took part in the siege of Vicksburg then joined the forces of Union Gen. W.T. Sherman at Jackson.
 

The other battalion of the 2^nd was stationed in Missouri until October, 1862. It then was sent into Arkansas before marching to Forsythe, MO. It did not rejoin the other two battalions until late, 1864.
 

Once reunited, the 2^nd performed picket duties until early November, 1864. It then joined an expedition into Arkansas where it destroyed bridges, railroad tracks, cotton and other Rebel supplies. During this period it clashed with the enemy at Yazoo City.
 

In December, 1864 the regiment was ordered to Memphis, TN. There it joined an expedition under Union General Grierson which marched through Mississippi destroying much railroad property, bridges and stores. It also met and defeated Rebels at Egypt Station capturing some 500 prisoners. (This raid was the basis for the 1959 John Wayne movie "The Horse Soldiers.") Two other less notable expeditions followed.
 

On 5/9/1865 a detachment of the 2^nd was sent to Grenada, MS. It remained there until 6/24/1865 when it joined the rest of the regiment at Alexandria, LA.
 

The 2^nd was then ordered into Texas. After going into camp at Hemstead it moved to Austin for final muster.

REGIMENTAL LOSSES:
Officers Killed Or Mortally Wounded:  0 ; Officers Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 4  ; Enlisted Men Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 24  ; Enlisted Men Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 284.

REGIMENTAL HISTORY: (2^nd MN)
 

The 2^nd Minnesota was a one year cavalry regiment. It was formed not to fight Johnny Reb, but Native American hostiles then terrorizing the American northwest frontier which, at that time, included Minnesota and the Dakota Territories.
 

After Federal Muster the 2^nd  was engaged in garrison duties interspersed with occasional expeditions in pursuit of wandering bands of Native American Indians. This continued until late May, 1864 when the regiment departed Ft. Snelling St. Paul, MN for a campaign against "the savages."
 

Joined by infantry forces, the Union column left fort Ridgley, DT on 6/5/1864. On 7/1/1864 they met up with other Federal troops on the Missouri River.
 

This combined force then proceeded to drive the natives from their camp on the Cannonball River. The hostiles were then pursued to the Little Heart River.
 

The Federals, including the 2^nd did effective work at the battle of Tahkahokuty Mountain (DT). There, 5,000 Indians were strongly posted in the hills and ravines. Next, in early August, 1864 came a two day conflict known as the battle of the Little Missouri.
 

Having reached the Yellowstone River by mid-August, 1864 the Federals began the return trip east. During this march there were several slight encounters with the enemy.
 

The 2^nd reached Ft. Ridgley on 10/8/1864. Once there, companies were assigned to garrison and patrol duties at forts Wadsworth (DT), Abercrombie (MN), Ripley (MN) as well as smaller outposts.
 

From the fall of 1865 into May of 1866 detachments of the 2^nd were mustered out as fast as regular army units could take their places.
 

REGIMENTAL LOSSES:
Officers Killed Or Mortally Wounded:  0; Officers Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.:  3; Enlisted Men Killed Or Mortally Wounded:  4; Enlisted Men Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 56.

SOLDIER: (2^nd WI)
Residence: Prescott, WI   Age: 30.8 yrs.
Enlisted/Enrolled: 1/24/1862   Rank: Pvt.
Mustered In: 1/24/1862
Discharged For Disability: 10/21/1862
Highest Rank: Pvt.
Rank At Discharge: Pvt.
 

SOLDIER: (2^nd MN)
Residence: Inf. Not Avail.   Age: 32.6 yrs.
Enlisted/Enrolled: 11/20/1863   Rank: Pvt.
Mustered In: 11/20/1863
Mustered Out: 1/22/1865
Highest Rank: Pvt.
Rank At Discharge: Pvt.

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:

NOTE: The birth - to - death biographical profile of Moses Goss was created in June, 2021 during the Covid-19 medical pandemic. It contains less depth of detail than many other biographies within this website because military service, pension and other veteran-related files housed in Washington, D.C.'s National Archives were not available. At a later time those documents may be obtained and the data contained therein added to the narrative which follows.
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 Moses S. Goss was born 5/10/1831. The location of his birth was Danville Androscoggin County, ME.
 

Parenting Moses were George Goss (b. 4/3/1786 Essex County, MA - d. 7/1/1866 Androscoggin County, ME) and Sarah (need Stinchfield b. 10/1/1797 Androscoggin County, ME - d. 1/23/1863 Androscoggin County, ME) Goss. The Goss family was a farming family.
 

As best as can be determined based on available U.S. Census data, Moses was the sixth of at least eight children born to George and Sarah. Older than Moses were Elizabeth A. Goss (b. 1823), Louisa Goss (b. 1824), George Goss (b. 1825), Seth S. Goss (b. 1828) and Eunice Goss (b. 1830. Younger than Moses were Lydia Goss (b. 1835) and Sarah Abigail Goss (b.1839). All of the Goss children were born in Maine.
 

By 1860 Moses had left the family farm and was working as a laborer in Charleston Penobscot County, ME.  In January, 1862, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army cavalry he was residing Prescott, WI. What had drawn him from Maine to Wisconsin and when he had arrived there are unknowns.
 

Moses Goss' military unit in 1862 was the 2^nd Wisconsin Cavalry. Although Private Goss had enlisted for a period of three years, he did not complete the enlistment. He was granted a disability discharge that October. Without accessing our private's military service records the nature of his disability is not known.
 

Moses remained a civilian for just over another year before he re-entered the military. On the 20^th of November, 1863 he enlisted in the 2^nd Minnesota Cavalry to fight Native American hostiles along what was then America's northwestern frontier. Although he did complete this enlistment, without access to his military service records, any trial and tribulations he may have experienced remain unknowns.
 

Where Moses settled after leaving the military for the second time is not known. By 1870, however, he had returned to Maine and was farming in Charleston Penobscot County. Additionally, he was married.
 

Mrs. Moses Goss was the previously wed Elizabeth "Liza"/"Lizzie" Hannah (nee Phillips b. 8/19/1832 Erie County, PA) Price. When and where Moses and Elizabeth had met and when they married are unknowns. (In 1900 Moses said he was married 48 years. That would mean he and Elizabeth were married ca. 1852.)
 

Elizabeth, having first married circa 1851 bore four children by her first husband. Of the four, two survived.  Moses would die in the home of the oldest surviving Price child, a daughter identified in later years as Mrs. Alice A. Allett (b. 10/1851 IL). More on this, later.
 

The second survivor, George Decateur Price (b. 2/1854 IL) was residing in the Goss home at the time of the 1870 U.S. Census.  Moses and Elizabeth produced no children of their own.
 

As of 5/1/1875 Moses and Elizabeth had quitted Maine and were residing in Faribault Rice County, MN. Moses' occupation at that point in time is not identified. By 1880, however, the couple was farming in Polk County, MN.
 

Three years later, 1883 found the couple in Seattle King County, WA. Again, what had drawn Moses and Elizabeth to the Puget Sound Region of the Pacific Northwest and, when they had arrived here, are unknowns.
 

In 1883 Seattle Moses was employed as a carpenter. Elizabeth was a housewife.
 

On 3/25/1889 Moses began the paperwork to obtain a U.S. Government disability pension based on illnesses or other debilitating physical conditions dating back to his days of Civil War soldiering. That a stipend was granted is known. Not known is when the payments - based on his suffering from chronic diarrhea and salivation - commenced and their amounts. Pension files will need to be obtained to clarify these issues.
 

Jumping ahead, on 3/4/1907, Moses' pension certificate was renewed. Beginning 10/10/1907 the old soldier was receiving a $20 per month stipend. 
 

1900. The dawn of a new century. Time for a new U.S. Census tally.
 

The U.S. Census for 1900 found Moses in Seattle, working for the street department. Under his roof besides wife Elizabeth were step children Alice Allett and George Price. Also in the home was Alice's daughter - Moses and Elizabeth's granddaughter - Edith V. Allett.
 

Elizabeth died in Seattle on 6/19/1903. Details of her passing are not available. She was/is buried in Seattle's Mount Pleasant Cemetery located on the city's Queen Anne Hill.
 

At some point in time after his wife's passing Moses left Seattle. By 1910 he was living in the Washington State Old Soldiers' Home located in Port Orchard (Retsil) Kitsap County, WA.
 

Moses S. Goss died in Seattle on 6/21/1911. The place of his death was the home of his step-daughter, Alice, located at 416 Aloha Street. Although details are sketchy, he had come to Alice's home - perhaps on leave from the soldiers' home - the previous day. His death was caused by accidental asphyxiation while attempting to ignite a gas pilot light. Burial was/is in Seattle's Mount Pleasant Cemetery with Elizabeth.

Buried at Mt Pleasant Cemetery AKA Free Methodist & Seattle IOOF