Charles Arthur Goheen

The Blue Flag Captured at Waynesboro

Charles Arthur Goheen was born on August 5, 1843, in Groveland, Livingston County, New York. He became a Union Army cavalryman whose bravery during the Battle of Waynesboro, Virginia, earned him the Medal of Honor. On March 2, 1865, while serving as First Sergeant of Company G, 8th New York Volunteer Cavalry, Goheen captured a Confederate flag during a decisive Union victory over Lieutenant General Jubal Early's forces in the Shenandoah Valley.

Goheen grew up in western New York during the years preceding the American Civil War. When the conflict began in April 1861, communities throughout the state contributed volunteers to the Union Army. Goheen entered military service and joined the 8th New York Cavalry, a regiment organized in Rochester.

The 8th New York Cavalry entered federal service in November 1861. Initially assigned to the defenses around Washington, D.C., the regiment subsequently participated in military operations in the Shenandoah Valley, Maryland, and Virginia.

Cavalry units performed a range of military duties, including reconnaissance, screening troop movements, conducting raids, and engaging Confederate cavalry. Their mobility allowed Union commanders to gather intelligence and respond quickly to changing battlefield conditions.

The regiment's wartime history included operations around Harpers Ferry in 1862 and participation in major cavalry engagements during the Gettysburg Campaign of 1863.

At the Battle of Brandy Station in June 1863, the 8th New York Cavalry suffered substantial casualties during fighting against Confederate mounted forces. The regiment later served in the cavalry division commanded by Brigadier General John Buford during the Gettysburg Campaign.

Its continued service through 1864 brought the regiment into further operations in Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley.

During these campaigns, Goheen advanced through the enlisted ranks and became First Sergeant of Company G.

As First Sergeant, he held the senior enlisted position within his company. His responsibilities included maintaining discipline, assisting commissioned officers, and helping coordinate soldiers during military operations.

By early 1865, the Union Army was conducting the final campaigns that would lead to the defeat of the Confederacy.

Major General Philip Sheridan directed cavalry operations against Confederate forces in the Shenandoah Valley. After earlier Union victories had weakened Confederate control of the region, Lieutenant General Jubal Early retained a reduced force near Waynesboro, Virginia.

In late February 1865, Sheridan's mounted troops advanced southward through the valley. Their movements were intended to eliminate remaining Confederate resistance and disrupt transportation routes supporting Confederate operations.

On March 2, 1865, Union cavalry encountered Early's command near Waynesboro.

The Confederate troops occupied defensive positions near the town, attempting to resist the Federal advance.

Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer commanded the Union cavalry division that attacked the Confederate position.

The engagement developed rapidly as Union troops moved against the Confederate defenses. Federal cavalry attacked Early's force, broke through its positions, and forced large numbers of Confederate soldiers to surrender.

The Battle of Waynesboro became a decisive Union victory. More than 1,500 Confederate soldiers were captured, and Early's remaining military organization in the Shenandoah Valley was effectively destroyed.

The 8th New York Cavalry participated in the fighting as part of the attacking Union force.

It was during this engagement that Charles Arthur Goheen performed the action for which he received the Medal of Honor.

Serving as First Sergeant of Company G, Goheen captured a Confederate flag.

The capture of enemy colors carried considerable military significance during the Civil War. Flags identified military formations, provided rallying points for soldiers, and represented the identity of the organizations that carried them.

Because of their importance, regimental flags were often defended during battle, and their capture was recognized as a distinguished military achievement.

A contemporary account of the Union cavalrymen who captured Confederate colors at Waynesboro identified Goheen as the soldier who secured a plain blue flag.

The flag's exact military identification was not firmly established in that account, but Goheen's capture was formally recognized by the United States Army.

His official Medal of Honor citation recorded the achievement in three words:

"Capture of flag."

Although brief, the citation established the act of battlefield courage for which he was honored.

Goheen's actions occurred during the destruction of one of the last organized Confederate forces remaining in the Shenandoah Valley.

The Union victory at Waynesboro allowed Sheridan's cavalry to continue its operations and eventually join the Union forces campaigning against Richmond and Petersburg.

Goheen's bravery received official recognition shortly after the battle.

On March 26, 1865, Charles Arthur Goheen was presented with the Army Medal of Honor for his actions at Waynesboro on March 2.

The decoration recognized his capture of a Confederate flag while serving as First Sergeant in Company G of the 8th New York Cavalry.

He received the Medal of Honor during his lifetime, less than a month after the engagement.

His award distinguished him among several members of the 8th New York Cavalry whose actions during the Battle of Waynesboro received the nation's highest military decoration for valor.

Goheen continued his Army service during the final months of the Civil War.

He subsequently advanced to the rank of First Lieutenant, the highest recorded rank associated with his military career.

This later commissioned rank was distinct from his rank of First Sergeant at the time of his Medal of Honor action.

The 8th New York Cavalry remained in service through the conclusion of the war and was mustered out on June 27, 1865, at Alexandria, Virginia.

After leaving military service, Goheen returned to civilian life in New York.

In 1869, he married Adela Whitbeck and subsequently became involved in newspaper publishing.

He worked with the *Lima Recorder* in Lima, New York, where his brother-in-law was associated with the newspaper's editorial operations.

Goheen later moved to Honeoye Falls, New York, and established the *Honeoye Falls Gazette*.

As a newspaper editor, he began a second career that connected him with the civic and community life of western New York.

His work in local journalism continued until his death.

Charles Arthur Goheen died on May 8, 1889, in Mendon, New York, at the age of forty-five.

He was buried at Honeoye Falls Cemetery in Honeoye Falls, New York.

His military service has remained part of the historical memory of the community. In June 2022, a memorial marker honoring his Medal of Honor achievement was dedicated near his burial place.

Goheen's military legacy rests on his courage during the Battle of Waynesboro on March 2, 1865.

As First Sergeant of Company G, 8th New York Cavalry, he captured a Confederate flag during the Union victory that ended Jubal Early's remaining organized resistance in the Shenandoah Valley.

His Medal of Honor, presented on March 26, 1865, permanently recognized that battlefield achievement.

Charles Arthur Goheen is remembered as a Union Army cavalryman who rose to First Lieutenant and later became a newspaper editor, leaving a legacy of military courage and civilian service in western New York.