St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-02-09
For the Caledonian.
A REMARKABLE COUPLE.
Under the above title an article W

Under the above title an article was
n published in the Caledonian of Jan. 5,
which contained some six errors, and
4 with your permission l will correct.
Wells Goodwin, son of Moses Good win
! And Tryphena Ladd his wife, was born
On the Gray farm in Ryegate, Nov. g.,
MOI. The town records show that
Moses was in Ryegate in 1894 and
3l795. He went to Newbury and lived
On place west of the Tenney farm,
4 land think also lived for a time in
cambridge, VIZ Wells Goodwin en-
Asted Feb. IL, 1913, for Is months in
Die IIth regt. U. S. Infantry, Col.
Bloody Bedell, commander. He was
tin the battles of Prescott, Chippewa
shnd Bridgewater or Lundy's Lane, the
Last was July %, 1914, which history
Represents "was one of the most hOtly
contested actions ever fought in the
new world" In that last battle the
.Glengarry regiment of Scotch High
Etlnders was one of the regiments op-
posed to them. In that action he was
pounded in the leg.
In 1918 he obtained a pension of
Tour dollars per month which dated
back to his discharge from the army.
Thirty seven years afterwards, in 1852,
|he had it increased to eight dollars per
month, and 35 years after, in 1887, he
bad it raised to ten dollars per month.
Die has now drawn a pension for
Seventy three years, an extremely rare
.thing for any person to do. In 1918
be came to Ryegate and worked at
BhOemaking for one year, with Maj.
Jabez BigelOw, with whom he learned
his trade, (he also had a brother who
.EOrked one year at the same time and
Ia the same manner.) He was married
10 Lydia Heath, Oct. 3, 1919, who was
corn in New Salem, N. H., Nov. 8,
'I794, and who was just one day older
Than her husband.
Il They then went to Groton, n. H.,
Ind stayed one winter, returning to
Fhitelaw's in Ryegate in March 1920.
They remained here four years, until
april 1924, when they moved to what
is now the J. F. Nelson farm of Rye
gate Corner. Their three oldest chill
aren were born at Whitelaw's. They
lived twenty-five years at the Corner,
Ind here nine more children were born.
They had six boys and six girls, of
whom two sons and four daughters are
till living. OF the six dead, four are
buried in Ryegate cemetery, one at
Newbury town house, and one it is
Il Unknown where his bones repOse.
John Merrill Goodwin, the eldest of
the children, served in the Mexican
WAR, and in 1852 obtained a pension of
blight dollars per month, which has
Since been increased to twelve dollars
per month. He and William live in
Kewbury. Austin, the second son, was
Crowned in a pond in Hooksett, n. H.,
Dec. Is, 1916, caused by breaking
through the ice while crossing. His
body was recovered and brought to
yRyegate and buried here. His grave
stone is enormously inscribed 1847.
Merrill, his brother, went to HoOksett
for his body, and he was in Mexico in
l547. Austins age at his death,
was 81 years, 6 months and Dc days.
frimothy, the third son, went to the
war, and has never been heard from
since by his folks. Mrs. Goodwin was
la daughter of Daniel Heath and Mar
tina Merrill his wife, and died in New
bury Dec. y, 1897, aged 90 years, 1
month and 10 days. She and her hus-
band had lived a married life of 68
years, ? months and "a days.
EDWARD MILLER.
RVepate VT Jan. 81. 1888.