CIVIL WAR LETTER - 24th Massachusetts Infantry - Officer Death, Grand Review Etc

Description

CIVIL WAR LETTER
Civil War Letter Written by Soldier in Co. H of the 24th Massachusetts Infantry.
This Civil War soldier letter was written by Cpl. William Hunt Goff (1845-1916) of Co. H, 24th Massachusetts Infantry. He enlisted at age 16 in October 1861, was promoted to corporal in September 1864, was promoted to sergeant in March 1865, and mustered out of the service in January 1866. He participated in all of the major and minor engagements of the company.
William was the son of Albert Goff (1812-1890) and Ruth (“Berth”) Ann Hunt (1822-1912) of Attleboro, Bristol County, Massachusetts. William wrote many of the letters to his older sister, Isabella (“Belle”) Alton Goff (1844-1891), who married James H. Reynolds some years after the war.
William H. Goff (1906)
After the war, William returned to Attleboro, learned the carpenter’s trade, and became a builder contractor. He was married in 1876 to Clara R. Shaw of Lawrence, Massachusetts. They had six children.
Besides his older sister Belle, William had five younger siblings: Walter C. Goff (b. 1847), Frederick (“Myron”) E. Goff (b. 1850), Frank A. Goff (b. 1852), Wesley W. Goff (b. 1856), Emma C. Goff (b. 1858), and Catherine (“Katie”) H. Goff (b. 1865).
In the book, Our Country and Its People by Alanson Borden (p. 288) a biographical sketch of Goff appears:
William H. Goff was born in Rehoboth, April 10, 1845, son of Albert Goff, who was also a native of Rehoboth, where the family were among the pioneer settlers. Albert Goff married Ruth A., daughter of William A. Hunt, and through life was identified as a farmer, being a conservative man and one of sterling ability. He died in 1889. William was educated at Attleboro and the age of sixteen enlisted in Co. H, 24th Mass. Vols., and took part in the campaign of Burnside in North Carolina. In 1864 he re-enlisted in the same regiment, and after a visit home, rejoined the army and took part in the expedition of the James River; was at the fall of of Richmond, where they kept until January 20, 1866; he was discharged in Richmond with the rank of sergeant, and returned to Attleboro. He then learned the carpenters trade and in 1872 organized the firm of Goff & Shattuck, contractors and builders, but in 1876 the firm dissolved and he continued alone in the business, erecting over one hundred public and private buildings in Attleboro… In 1876, he married Clara R., daughter of John Shaw…
This letter contains a wonderful description of a Grand Review with 12,000 troops near Annapolis, Maryland.   Also the funeral of one of their Captains (last name Stackpoles) who's body was sent home in a coffin.  Good letter - see scans.
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