Individual Details

Census

Wm G Goheen age 57 farmer born in Pennsylvania, real estate value at 9800 and personnel estate at 1500.
Susan B age 46 born in Maryland.
Wilbur F age 19 born in Illinois.
Lucurgus age 14 born in Illinois.
William M age 13 born in Illinois.
Catherine J age 11.
George O age 7?, born in Illinois.
Ann V age 3 born in Illinois.

Military

Wilber F Goheen, rank P, Company C, Regiment 117, State Illinois, Infantry
Samuel and Lycurgus, Wilburs brothers also served in the same company C.,
117th Regiment Infantry
Organized at Camp Butler, Ill., and mustered in September 19, 1862. Moved to Memphis, Tenn., November 11-17, 1862.
SERVICE.--Duty at Memphis, Tenn., until July 5, 1863. Affairs near Memphis June 17-18, 1863 (Detachment). Moved to Helena, Ark., July 5, and return to Memphis. Duty there until December 29, 1863. Expedition after Forest December 24-31. 1863 (Detachment). Grierson's Bridge and near Moscow and Lafayette December 27. Ordered to Vicksburg, Miss. Meridian Campaign February 3-March 2, 1864. Clinton February 5. Meridian February 9-13. Red River Campaign March 10-May 22. Fort DeRussy March 14. Occupation of Alexandria March 16. Battle of Pleasant Hill April 9. About Cloutiersville April 22-24. At Alexandria April 26-May 13. Governor Moore's Plantation and Bayou Roberts May 3-7 and 11. Retreat to Morganza May 13-20. Mensurn May 16. Yellow Bayou May 18. Moved to Vicksburg, Miss.; thence to Memphis, Tenn., May 21-June 10. Action at Lake Chicot, Ark., June 6. March to relief of Gen. Sturgis June 14-16. Near Lafayette June 23. Smith's Expedition to Tupelo, Miss., July 5-21. Camargo's Cross Roads, near Harrisburg, July 13. Harrisburg, near Tupelo, July 14-15. Old Town (or Tishamingo) Creek July 15. Smith's Expedition to Oxford, Miss., August 1-30. Hurricane Creek August 13-14. Abbeville August 23. Moved to Jefferson Barracks, Mo., and in pursuit of Price through Missouri September to November. Action at Franklin, Mo., October 1. Moved from St. Louis to Nashville, Tenn., November 21-December 1. Battle of Nashville December 15-16. Pursuit of Hood to the Tennessee River December 17-28. Moved to Clifton, Tenn., and Eastport, Miss., and duty there until February, 1865. Moved to New Orleans, La., February 6-17. Campaign against Mobile and its defenses March 17-April 12. Siege of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely March 26-April 8. Assault and capture of Fort Blakely April 9. Occupation of Mobile April 12. March to Montgomery April 13-25, and duty there until August. Mustered out August 5, 1865.
Regiment lost during service 11 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 Officers and 115 Enlisted men by disease. Total 130.

Death

Wilbur F. Goheen was killed by lightning July 4, 1885.
Pension application:
Widow - Oct 25 1890 # 484,190, certificate 371,974
Minor - May 6 1921 # 1,174,000, certificate 905,086
Tombstone inscription: 117 Illinois Infantry
Wilbur Fisk Goheen, the subject of this sketch, was born in Lebanon, Illinois, in the year 1841. At the age of fourteen he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, proving ever after by his upright walk and thoroughly Christian character that he was not only a worthy and consistent Methodist, but deserving of the esteem of all men with whom he lived, moved and dealt. When the war of the rebellion broke out young Goheen, then preparing for college, dropped his books and enlisted as a private, serving three years as such in Co. C. 119th Illinois Infantry Volunteers. This regiment was mostly in the division of the army commanded by Gen. A. J. Smith, and was part of the rear guard which protected Banks' army in the retreat from the disastrous Red River expedition. Mr. Goheen was present in the battles and skirmishes fought in that campaign. Subsequently he was in the army of Gen. Geo. H. Thomas with his regiment, and took part in the operations around Nashville before and during the great battle fought in defense of that city.

Returning from the wars he resumed his studies, finally graduating in 1868, from McKendree College at Lebanon, with the title fairly earned, of B. A. and B. S., having taken a full college and law course at that institution. He was married in 1873 to Miss Eleanor Curtins, of Carrollton, Illinois, who survives him. He practiced his profession as a lawyer several years in his native state, when, in the fall of 1882, he removed with his immediate family of wife and children, and his aged father and mother to Dakota, taking a homestead for himself on the NW 1/4 of sec. 19, town 123 north, of range 66 in what is now Edmunds county. Mr. Goheen became one of the prominent citizens of this land district, particularly of Edmunds county, wherein he was well known and highly respected. Mr. Goheen had, also, a great many warm, personal friends in this city, in which he did most of his trading. He was postmaster at Mayberry, the place of his abode, and, besides keeping a small stock of flour and feed, groceries and provisions, carried on farming operations quite extensively. He had recently taken up a pre-emption and tree claim adjoining it, out near Spring Lake in Walworth county. By the assistance of hired help he had already made some progress in the settlement of his new claims. Ground had been broken and the building of a sod barn begun. After making preparations for the hauling of lumber from the nearest lumber yard to the land Mr. Goheen, on the morning of the 3d of July, drove to this city in his lumber wagon. He spent what remained of the day in attending to various matters of business and the forenoon of the next, the Fourth, in purchasing flour and feed and other merchandise for his store at Mayberry. He loaded up his goods in the forenoon, and right away after dinner started home. The day was hot and sultry with slight appearance of any storm. However, he had reached the first knoll of consequence after crossing Foot Creek bridge, about 2 1/2 miles west of this city, when an apparently insignificant mad cap thunder storm burst upon his devoted head. A bolt of lightening descended from that summer's cloud killing him instantly. The team was also dashed to the earth stone dead - killed by the same stroke. Eye witnesses were not wanting to this dreadful tragedy. A team was just behind driven by a farmer whose name we have not learned, and in the rear end of the same wagon with Mr. Goheen, with whom but a moment before he was conversing, sat Mr. James Stinson, Jr. Strange to relate, Mr. Stinson wholly escaped injury. The full details of this shocking affair are too harrowing to relate. Suffice it to say that as soon as Mr. Stinson realized what had happened he ran back, horrified to meet the approaching teamster and relate in trembling accents an account of the dire disaster which had overtaken Mr. Goheen. Thereupon the two men drove back to this city with all speed. Immediately on learning of the awful occurrence, a party of citizens went out and brought in Mr. Goheen's remains, which were taken care of at the residence of Mr. Elijah Allen. A special messenger was sent to Mayberry to notify the stricken family of their sudden loss. Mr. Goheen leaves a wife and three little boys in comfortable circumstances.

On Sunday afternoon, July 5th, the funeral took place under the auspices of Robert Anderson Post No. 19, Grand Army of the Republic, Department of Dakota, Company G, first regiment D. N. G., (Aberdeen Rites), participating. The remains were removed from Mr. Allen's house under Military escort to the Baptist service hall in Barney Block, where an impressive sermon was preached by Rev. E. M. Bliss. The text used on the occasion was Luke 13, 29, "And they shall gather from the east and from the west and from the north and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God." When the church services were over the funeral cortege, (the military company with arms reversed,) moved to the new cemetery grounds west of the city. Arriving there, after a brief prayer, the body was lowered into the grave by comrades of the Post, and their late brother in arms, the honored citizen and kind husband, was left to be "gathered on resurrection morn."

(The Advance-Republican, Red Wing, Minn., and papers published at Lebanon and Jacksonville, Ill., please copy)