JAMES BRUNER GOODMAN was the son of Owen Bruner Goodman and was born on September 14th, 1841, at Pike Mills, Potter County, Pennsylvania. Fort Sumter was fired upon April 12th, 1861. It was the Tocsin of War from the Southern Confederacy, and stirred the patriotic blood of the loyal men in the North. On the day following, April 13th, 1861, James B. Goodman joined a company of infantry and within ten days this company was fully organized at Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, under command of Captain Sherwood, as Company H, of the Sixth Regiment of Pennsylvania Reserves, and the regiment was mustered into the United States service at Washington D.C., July 26th, 1861, as the Thirty-fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. At that time, young Goodman, not yet 20, was appointed Regimental Commissary Sergeant. He was promoted to Second Lieutenant, December 14th, 1862, assigned to Company H, and again to First Lieutenant, September 17th, 1863. During 1863 he was detailed from May 4th to June 18th as Acting R. Q. M., and then as A. D. C., on the staff of the Brigade Commander of the First Brigade, Third Division, Fifth Corps.
The record of the [6th Regiment] was one of which any command might be proud. It took part especially in the engagements of Drainsville, December 19th, 1861; Second Bull Run, August 30th, 1862; Antietam, September 16th, 1862; Fredericksburg, December 13th, 1862, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 1st-4th, 1863. For gallant conduct on the Battlefield of Gettysburg, Lieutenant Goodman was made a Brevet Captain, U. S. V., March 13th, 1865.
He was on duty at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the draft riots, and was mustered out with his regiment at Washington, D.C., June 11th, 1864.
Captain Goodman joined the Illinois Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, March 11th, 1889, and early became a member of the Western Society of the Army of the Potomac. He was an enthusiastic Companion and comrade, and contributed much to the success of the Western Society of the Army of the Potomac. He possessed a choice library of works upon the Civil War and was a generous contributor to the library of the Loyal Legion Commendery.
His business relations stamped him as a man of ability, discretion and honor. He came from Pennsylvania to Chicago in 1868, and was associated in the lumber business with Jesse Spaulding & H. H. Porter. After the Chicago fire they purchased large tracts of timber in Michigan and Wisconsin and bought Chicago property, developing a real estate business in addition to their timber interests, conducting their real estate business under the name of James B. Goodman & Co. In 1880, and the twelve years thereafter, the firm was composed of James B. Goodman and Marvin A. Farr. Later Captain Goodman became interested in the lumber business in Wisconsin with the late Senator Philetus Sawyer, under the name of Sawyer-Goodman & Co., with mills at Marinette, Wisconsin. For the last seven or eight years he made his home in Marinette. Capain Goodman was never married, and for many years his home was at the Calumet Club, where he was a prominent figure. He was also a member of the Chicago Club. His military career and his civil life entitled him to rank high among the “Citizen Soldiers” which this nation honors, and of whom this country may well be proud.
Captain James B. Goodman died at Chicago, April 3rd, 1907.1
Currently a resident of Burke, Virginia - I'm originally from the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I have been a student of the Pennsylvania Reserves since 1997 and thoroughly enjoy telling their story. By trade I'm a former IT Professional but presently working as a Letter Carrier for the United States Postal Service.
