Soldier: 1st. Lieutenant John W. Godman
Regiment: 96th. OVI
Company: C
Age: 19
Date Entering Service: July 24, 1862
Period of Service: 3 Years
Remarks (When discharged, re-enlisted, wounded, captured, died of disease or killed):
First enlisted on May 7, 1861, Company G of the 20th. OVI; mustered out on August 28, 1861. Eleven months later he enlisted in the 96th. Company C of the 96th. OVI. Promoted from Sergeant March 27, 1863. Captured Nov. 3, 1863 at the battle of Grand Coteau, La., exchanged Dec. 27, 1863. Transferred to Company E Nov 18, 1864. Mustered out with company July 7, 1865 at Mobile, Alabama.
Battles in which he fought:
Chickasaw Bluffs, Miss. Dec. 28-29, 1862
Arkansas Post, Ark. Jan. 11, 1863
Vicksburg, Miss. May 18-July 4, 1863
Jackson, Miss. July 9-16, 1863
Grand Coteau, La. Nov. 3, 1863
Sabine Cross Roads, La. April 8, 1864
Moneti’s Bluff, La. April 23, 1864
Forts Gains and Morgan, La. Aug. 5-23, 1864
Spanish Fort, Ala. March 26-April 12, 1865
Fort Blakely, Ala. April 9, 1865
Mobile, Ala. March 26-April 12, 1865
Whistler’s Station, Ala. April 13, 1865
Other interesting information discovered:
John Godman lived in Cardington Township with a large family of nine children. An older brother, James, died of disease during the war. John Godman died in Callao, Peru, South America in 1867, details or cause unknown. Callao is a port city on the west coast of Peru. It is very likely that Godman was traveling to California by ship, and died of disease. The transcontinental railroad was not yet completed; traveling to California by ship was the easiest way to get there. He was just 23 years old.
Date of Death: 1867 Place of burial: Assumed Callao, Peru
Adopted By: Morrow County Veterans Services Researcher: Patrick Drouhard