Representative women of New England/Mary S. Goodale

by Mary H. Graves

MARY SUSAN GOODALE, former president of the Department of Massachusetts, Woman's Relief Corps, is a native of Boston. Descended from early colonial and Revolutionary stock, she inherits patriotism. Her father, Joseph Lorraine Goldthwait, merchant and public- spirited citizen of Boston at the time of the Civil AVar, was a lineal descendant in the eighth generation of Thomas' Goklthwaite, an innnigrant of 1630 or 1631; and through his mother, whose maiden name was Hannah Alden, he traced his ancestry to John and Priscilla (Mullins) Alden. The descent from Thomas' Goldthwaite was through his son Sanniel,- who married Elizabeth, daughter of Ezekiel Cheever, the famous master of the Boston Latin School. The line continued through Capt. John’ Goldthwaite, born in Salem in 1678; Major Benjamin born in Boston in 1704; Benjamin^ born in 1743, resided in Maiden and Boston: John", married Sally Morris and resided in Boston; Joseph Gleason', born in 1798, married in 1820, Mrs. Hannah Alden Mansfield, daughter of Solomon Alden (Simeon^ Samuel^ Joseph^-, John') and widow of William Mansheld, to Joseph Lorraine^ above named, who was born in Boston in 1821.

Major lienjamin Goldthwaite is reported to have passed most of his life as a soldier. He was a Captain in the Louisburg expedition of 1745 and Major in that of 1758. His death occurred in 1761 in Milford, Mass. His son Benjamin was one of the volunteers from Lynn who responded to the Lexington alarm. Tradition says he was working in the field when the alarm was given, and threw down his hoe and started at once for Lexington.

Joseph L. Goldthwait during the Civil War organized a society for the care of soldiers' families, contributing liberally to its funds. Being an invalid at that time, he was unable to enlist, but his personal efforts and financial support were of great service. He died in 1868. He married, October 23, 1842, Lydia Ann, daughter of Norton⁷ and Lydia (Christie) Newcomb. Her father was born in Braintree in 1796, was descended from Francis¹ Newcomb through John,^{2 3} Isaac,⁴ Captain Thomas,⁵ Remember.⁶

Captain Thomas Newcomb, of Braintree, Mass., a great-great-grandfather of Mrs. Goodale, was Second Lieutenant, May 8, 1775, in Captain Seth Thomas's independent company. As First Lieutenant of the company he served at barracks in Braintree, January 1 to November 1, 1776; also in Captain Seth Turner's com pany, Colonel Thomas Marshall's regiment, at Hull, October 31, 1776, to January 1, 1777. In September, 1777, he was enrolled as a Captain in Colonel Theophilus Cotton's regiment, which marched on a secret expedition to Rhode Island. Honorably discharged October 31, 1777, he again enlisted and was commissioned Captain in a three months company in Colonel Ebenezer Thayer's regiment, which re-enforced the Continental army, a part of the company being stationed at West Point and a part at Rhode Island. On August 15, 1781, he was made Captain in Colonel Joseph Webb's regiment, in which he served four months on duty at Peekskill, N.Y. He also saw service in Paul Revere's artillery.

The Newcomb genealogy states that Captain Newcomb offered to receive his pay in potatoes, and that the offer was gladly accepted by the authorities. He was very successful in raising companies for the war, and would accept no higher position than the grade of Captain. This was in accordance with a pledge he had made, that he would remain in charge of the company as long as permitted by his superior officers. With him in the service were his three sons, the youngest entering the army when he was only fourteen years of age.

Captain Newcomb's wife cheerfully kept the house, cared for the little ones, and wished she had more sons to give to her country. Remember Newcomb, the third son, married Susannah Brackett, daughter of William Brackett, a Revolutionary soldier. William Brackett's name appears on the Lexington alarm rolls. In 1777 he is recorded as a member of Captain Thomas Newcomb's independent company, and in 1778 he appears with the rank of gunner in Captain Callender's company, Colonel Crane's regiment. His name was on pay-roll dated January 11, 1781. He served almost continuously until September, 1781, first in Colonel Benjamin Lincoln's regiment and next in Captain Seth Thomas's company. He died a soldier's death at Plattsburg in the War of 1812.

Mary Susan Goldthwait (Mrs. Goodale) received her early education in the public schools of Boston, and finished her course of study in Medford schools, her parents having removed to that city in 1854. The lessons of loyalty taught her by a patriotic father were deeply impressed upon her mind. Although only a school-girl when the Civil War began, she was interested in the soldiers, and solicited money with which she furnished a Thanksgiving dinner to their families in her neighborhood. On January 7, 1868, she was married to Captain George L. Goodale.

Mrs. Goodale is a charter member of S. C. Lawrence Relief Corps, No. 5, of Medford, which was instituted May 27, 1879. She .served that year as senior vice-president, was installed as president January, 1880, and re-elected three successive years. At the annual convention of the Department of Massachusetts, W. R. C, in 1881, she proved very efficient in committee work, and when the board of directors of the Department met in April, 1881, she was chosen a member of the commit- tee on the Soldiers' Home Bazaar, which was held in Mechanics' Building, Boston, in December, 1881. Mrs. Goodale was secretary of the Union table.

She was chosen by the board of directors of the Department W. R. C. to fill a vacancy in the office of Department Conductor in the latter part of 1881, was re-elected to the office at the annual convention in 1882, and a year later was elected senior vice-president. Mrs. Goodale was chosen Department president in January, 1884. During the first year of her administration she instituted sixteen corps. She was unanimously re-elected Department president at the annual convention in 1885, during which year over one thousand members and sixteen corps were added to the roster.

In her address to the next convention (January, 1885) she said:—

"I cannot give you full particulars of my labors during the year, but will briefly say that I have represented the Department on seventy-three different occasions, written six hundred and thirty-eight letters and a large number of postal cards, travelled over nineteen hundred miles (not including the weekly trips to headquarters on Wednesdays).

"The work of the Department has assumed such proportions that I am led to recommend that this convention adopt measures for the appointment of a corps of aides, corresponding to the aides appointed by the Department convention of the Grand Army of the Republic. It would be the duty of these aides to become thoroughly acquainted with all the workings of the order, holding themselves in readiness to act in any capacity."

This system of assigning special duties to Department aides has since been adopted in all the States and also by the National W. R. C.

A gold watch, suitably inscribed, was presented to Mrs. Goodale upon her retirement from the presidency.

Mrs. Goodale has participated in national conventions, served on special committees by appointment of the national president, and represented Massachusetts one year as national corresponding secretary. She served as chairman of the Department table in the Soldiers' Home Carnival, the proceeds of which netted four thousand dollars to the carnival treasury. She rendered efficient service in the kettledrum given under the auspices of the Ladies' Aid Association of the Soldiers' Home, and for several years has served as a member of the Committee on Department W. R. C. Rooms at the home. From 1893 to 1899 Mrs. Goodale was secretary of the Memorial Fund Committee, having charge of the work for soldiers' widows and army nurses. Since 1899 she has served continuously as chairman of the Department Relief Committee. This is a position of responsibility: it not only necessitates the wise expenditure of thousands of dollars, but also a familiarity with pension laws, dealings with the office of the State Aid Commissioner, the Soldiers' Relief Bureau, visits to the sick, the transportation of needy veterans to various cities and towns and to Soldiers' Homes.

The relief work incident to the Spanish-American War has also received valuable aid from Mrs. Goodale. She is interested in the Daughters of the American Revolution, and was the first regent of the Sarah Bradlee Fulton Chapter, of Medford, serving two years. She is at present (1902) one of the Board of Directors of the Medford Home for Aged Men and Women. She is an interesting and influential speaker, and has addressed many public gatherings.

Mrs. Goodale is prominent in the social and educational affairs of Medford. She was one of the earliest members of the Woman's Club of that city. In 1900 she was elected vice-president of the club, but resigned, as she went to Cuba in November of that year, remaining until April, 1901, at Columbia Barracks, Quemados (eight miles from Havana), where her husband, who had enlisted to serve in the Spanish-American War, was stationed as Assistant Brigade Quartermaster.

Captain Goodale was in the Forty-third Massachusetts Regiment during the Civil War. He is a Past Commander of S. C. Lawrence Post, No. 66, G. A. R., of Medford, also a Past Department Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, of Massachusetts. He was chairman of the Executive Committee of Arrangements for the national encampment in Boston in 1890, and was Inspector-general on the staff of Commander-in-chief Weissert in in 1894. In April, 1901, he was appointed by President McKinley a Captain in the regular army and given charge of important work at Fort Washington, Oregon, with headquarters at Astoria.

Captain and Mrs. Goodale have three children—Agnes, Carrie Louise, and George Mortimer. They are graduates of the Medford High School, and Agnes also attended the Woman's College in Baltimore, Md. George Mortimer Goodale was a soldier in the Fifth Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, in the Spanish-American War. He is now in business in San Francisco, California. Carrie Louise Goodale was married, April 15, 1903, to Nathaniel Perkins Simonds, and now resides in Salem.