Charles Arthur Goheen

Charles Arthur Goheen was born on August 5, 1843, in Groveland, Livingston County, New York. He grew up in western New York and, as the American Civil War continued, entered the service of the United States Army. His military career would eventually take him from an enlisted cavalryman to a commissioned officer and earn him the Medal of Honor for an act of valor during one of the last major battles fought in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Congressional Medal of Honor Society Goheen enlisted at Rochester, New York, on August 26, 1862, at the age of nineteen. The official New York regimental roster records that he entered the 8th New York Cavalry as a Corporal and was mustered into Company L for three years of service. During his military career he was appointed quartermaster sergeant, later transferred into Company G, and eventually became First Sergeant. These promotions reflected a steady rise through the enlisted leadership structure of a cavalry regiment. NY Military Museum The 8th New York Cavalry, often known as the Rochester Regiment, served extensively in the eastern theater of the Civil War. Its operations included duty in the Shenandoah Valley, participation in major cavalry campaigns, reconnaissance, pursuit, raids, and direct battlefield action. By the closing months of the war, the regiment was part of the Union cavalry forces operating under Major General Philip H. Sheridan. By early 1865, Confederate resistance in the Shenandoah Valley had been greatly weakened, but Lieutenant General Jubal A. Early still commanded a remaining Confederate force. On February 27, Sheridan began another movement southward from Winchester. His cavalry advanced through severe weather and difficult roads toward Staunton before turning against Early's troops at Waynesboro, Virginia. The battle on March 2, 1865 became the final significant Civil War engagement in the Shenandoah Valley. Shenandoah Battlefields At that time, Charles Goheen was serving as First Sergeant of Company G, 8th New York Cavalry. This is an important distinction: although he later reached the rank of First Lieutenant, his Medal of Honor action occurred while he was officially recorded as a First Sergeant. The client project therefore correctly preserves both ranks separately. Congressional Medal of Honor Society During the Battle of Waynesboro, Union cavalry struck Early's defensive position and rapidly broke the Confederate line. The Union assault rolled up Early's right flank, and the Confederate force collapsed. More than a thousand Confederate soldiers were captured as organized resistance in the Valley effectively came to an end. Shenandoah Battlefields In the midst of this fighting, First Sergeant Goheen captured an enemy flag. His official Medal of Honor citation is remarkably concise: “Capture of flag.” The brevity of the citation should not be mistaken for insignificance. Civil War battle flags were critical military symbols and practical rallying points. Reaching and seizing an enemy standard generally required a soldier to close directly with opposing troops while the engagement was still underway. Goheen was one of several members of the 8th New York Cavalry whose actions at Waynesboro were recognized with the Medal of Honor. Members of the regiment captured or recovered multiple standards during the rapid collapse of Early's forces, making the engagement particularly notable in the regiment's history. World War Two Veterans The United States formally recognized Goheen's action only a few weeks later. His Medal of Honor was presented on March 26, 1865, for his conduct at Waynesboro on March 2. The award was not posthumous. His official Medal of Honor identity remained First Sergeant, Company G, 8th New York Cavalry, even though his military career continued to advance afterward. Congressional Medal of Honor Society Goheen's promotion history creates an important chronological detail. New York's official regimental roster records that he was commissioned Second Lieutenant on April 8, 1865, with rank dating from March 1, and was subsequently commissioned First Lieutenant on April 13, 1865. He was mustered in as a First Lieutenant on April 18, 1865, and eventually mustered out with the regiment on June 27, 1865, at Alexandria, Virginia. NY Military Museum Therefore, even though a later commission carried an earlier administrative rank date, Goheen's Medal of Honor citation correctly records his actual status during the March 2 action as First Sergeant. His highest verified rank, however, was First Lieutenant. This is exactly why the project distinguishes highest rank from action rank rather than combining the two. The end of Goheen's military service came shortly after the collapse of the Confederacy. Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, and the 8th New York Cavalry remained in service for several more weeks before being mustered out in June. For the ribbon rack used in this project, Goheen's Medal of Honor belongs under Medal of Honor 1862–1895 Army, since his decoration was presented in 1865. It should appear without a V device. The second ribbon, Civil War Campaign Medal 1862–1895 Army, represents his qualifying United States Army service during the Civil War under the project's current historical-rack convention. There is an important historical nuance: Goheen died before the Army Civil War Campaign Medal was formally established in 1907, so the ribbon should not be interpreted as evidence that he personally received the physical medal during his lifetime. Instead, in this project it represents his documented qualifying Civil War service. After leaving the Army, Goheen returned to civilian life in New York. Historical local material records that he eventually became involved in journalism and edited the Honeoye Falls Gazette, establishing a civilian career in the community where he would spend his later years. Historical Marker Database Charles Arthur Goheen died on May 8, 1889, in Mendon, New York, at the age of forty-five. He was buried in Honeoye Falls Cemetery, where his grave preserves his status as a Civil War Medal of Honor recipient and First Lieutenant of the 8th New York Cavalry. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society records his burial at Honeoye Falls Cemetery, Section B, and local memorial documentation continues to commemorate him there. Congressional Medal of Honor Society Goheen's legacy is closely tied to the closing weeks of the Civil War. He entered the Army as a young cavalryman, rose through the noncommissioned ranks, distinguished himself as a First Sergeant in battle, captured an enemy flag at Waynesboro, received the Medal of Honor, and finished his service as a commissioned First Lieutenant. His action on March 2, 1865, took place during the destruction of Jubal Early's final organized force in the Shenandoah Valley, making his personal act of valor part of one of the decisive final chapters of the war.