Erie County NyArchives Biographies.....Goodell /Goodale, James  December 5, 1757-1758 - March 16, 1844
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Nancy Poquette npoq@hotmail.com November 8, 2009, 3:05 pm

Author: Nancy Poquette

James Goodale 
Birth: BET 5 DEC 1757 AND 5 DEC 1758 in New Salem, Hampshire Co, MA 
Note: Deduced the year from his pension application declaration which was taken 
in 1832, in which he stated his age was 74 in Dec.. 1832 minus 74=1758.
 
Event: Military FEB 1777-MAY 1780 Fort Ticonderoga, Saratoga, Fort Edward, West 
Point, NY 
Note: 5th regiment, Continental Army
 
Census: 1790 New Salem, Hampshire Co, MA, listed as James Goodale.
 
Event: Grantee 1793?1814 New Salem, Hampshire Co, MA 
From: "Vital Records of New Salem, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849," 
pg. 196 under a category called "Public Records":
"Goodale, James [Goodell, dup], grantee, 1793-1814."

Event: Grantor 1798-1821 New Salem, Hampshire [now Franklin] Co, MA 
From: "Vital Records of New Salem, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849," 
pg. 196 under a category called "Public Records":
"Goodale, James, grantor, 1798-1821."

Census: 1800 New Salem, Hampshire Co, MA. Listed as James Goodale 

Census: 1810 North Castle, Westchester Co, NY, listed as James Goodale.
 
Residence: OCT 1810 Concord, Niagara Co, NY, Purchased land. [Niagara was the 
predecessor county to Erie.] 

Census: 1820 Concord, Niagara Co, NY, listed as James 'Goedell' on Ancestry.com 
index. [Niagara was the predecessor county to Erie.] 

Census: 1830 Collins, Erie Co, NY, Listed as James Goodell. 

Death: 16 MAR 1844 in Collins, Erie Co, NY 
Surrogate Records, Erie Co, NY. Will of James Goodell. 
Burial: AFT 20 MAR 1844 Marshfield Cemetery, Collins, Erie Co, NY 
Headstone inscription: "J. Goodell" 

Father: Jonathan -Fr-Ind soldier Goodale b: 19 APR 1724 in Marblehead, Essex 
Co, MA 
Mother: Elizabeth "Betsy" b: 

Marriage: Eunice Curtis b: 14 SEP 1760 in Boxford, Essex Co, MA
Married: 8 AUG 1780 in New Salem, Franklin Co, MA 

From: "Vital Records of New Salem, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849, 
pg. 77:
"Goodale, James and Eunice [Unice, dup] Curtis, Aug. 8, 1780"

Children
No children of their own

Proving the Parents of James Goodell were Jonathan and Betsy, not Ebenezer and 
Grace, or Lydia with Jonathan:
There exists some difference of opinion concerning who the parents of this 
generation are. This researcher believes RUTH and her brothers were the 
children of JONATHAN and BETSY GOODALE. I gently disagree with other relatives 
in my branch that have misidentified us as being descended from Ebenezer. I 
understand that professional genealogists in Boston did part of the work from 
printed records, for the most part. My three sources are strong. The strongest 
one is the headstone of the daughter of Ebenezer and Grace Phelps Goodale. She 
died in 1792, and her headstone states:

"In memory of Mrs. Grace, consort of Mr. John Chamberlain and only child of 
Capt. Ebenezer and Mrs. Grace Goodale, who died Jan. 10, 1792 age 37."

In other words, Ebenezer had no children other than Grace.

Grace's headstone reads as if her father commissioned it, but if the 
information on his own headstone is accurate, he also died in the same year. 
Unfortunately it may not be accurate, for I have been reading materials which 
seem to indicate that he was still living into the 1800s. This 1800s death-date 
interpretation may be right or wrong, because the later material may instead be 
referring to the nephew Ebenezer [son of James, JONATHAN's brother] living in 
Danvers. Another difficulty is that the headstone for our New Salem Ebenezer 
Goodale is missing. It had still existed into the early 1900's when it received 
its designation as a Revolutionary War national monument, but has likely 
suffered from the past prejudices against Captain Goodale, described in full in 
my notes for Ebenezer Goodale, in this family tree.

Equally as supportive of my argument is the marriage date between Jonathan and 
Lydia, which FOLLOWS the BIRTH DATES of all of his children.

My third source is David Kenneth Wetherbee, in his publication Heare Lyes Salim 
New Grant, page 150. This source repeats the evidence for Grace as the only 
child of Ebenezer and Grace, and his primary source was the last will and 
testament of JONATHAN GOODALE, and the text of that will confirms that Ezekiel, 
Jonathan [II], James, Jacob Asa, RUTH, Deborah and Elizabeth were his children. 
[I now have a photocopy of the actual will.]

James Goodell in the Service of the Continental Army
James Goodell served an even longer term of duty than his brothers or uncle, in 
the American Revolution.

From: "Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution, Volume 
6, page 555:
"Goodale, James, New Salem. Private, in Lieut. John Trask's Co, Col. David 
Leonard's regt; enlisted Feb.26, 1777; discharged April 10, 1777; service 44 
days. Travel included; company marched to Ticonderoga; also, joined Capt. 
Daniel Shays's Co., Col. Rufus Putnam's regt; term, 3 years; also, Private, 
Capt. Daniel Shays's Co., Col Rufus Putnam's (4th) regt; Continental Army pay 
accounts for service from May 5, 1777, to Dec. 31, 1779, also, same co. and 
regt.; return dated Albany, Feb. 9, 1778; mustered by Capt. Newell; also, Light 
Infantry co, Col. Rufus Putnam's (5th) regt; Continental Army pay Accounts for 
service from Jan. 1, 1780 to May 5, 1780."

In his own pension application #W11067, James Goodell declared the following 
testimony in December 1832, in Collins, N.Y.:
"That he enlisted in the Army of the United States in the year 1777 with 
Sergeant Hiliard and served in the 5th Regiment of the Massachusetts line, 
under the following named officers; enlisted for three years on the 5th day of 
May in the year 1777 and served in Capt. Daniel Shay's Company in Col. Putnam's 
Regiment in Gen'l Nixon's Brigade, the whole period of three years, and was 
discharged at a place called Soldier's Fortune about three miles from West 
Point, on the 5th day of May, 1780, by Col. Rufus Putnam, which discharge has 
been destroyed That he was in the Battle at Saratoga at the surrender of 
General Burgoyne and in some skirmishes with the Indians in the North River at 
Ford Edward, at Cornelius Creek and in that vicinity. That since the Revolution 
he has resided in Franklin County Massachusetts, until he moved into this 
County, and that her has resided in the town of Collins his present residence, 
for eighteen years past."

Included in the papers are affidavits from others, testifying on his and his 
widow's behalf. In 1832, two other soldiers vouched for him, Jacob Tyrell and 
Patetiah Hews. In 1844 another affidavit is from his sister Ruth's stepson, 
Elisha Washburn: "that James Goodell, a Revolutionary pensioner, died on the 
sixteenth day of last March, at his residence in the town of Collins. That 
deponents were present at the time. That Eunice Goodell within named is his 
widow and resides with deponents." Eunice included an affidavit from the 
minister who married them, Joel Foster, who swore that he married them on the 
8th day of August 1780 (which was 3 months after James' discharge from the 
army).

Note carefully, that James Goodale was discharged on April 10,1777 from Col. 
David Leonard's regiment at Ticonderoga, and then reenlisted on May 5, 1777. He 
may have gone home for on furlough, or he may have stayed in New York among his 
companions.
If he had returned home, he might have been on the march that is described 
below with Captain Daniel Shays' recruits, or may have been assigned to it once 
they reached Albany, New York. The following describes Captain Daniel Shays, 
under whom he served.

From A Little Rebellion, by Marion Starkey, page 69:
"When the Revolution broke out, Daniel Shays, though pushing thirty, had not 
even a farm of his own. He had been born to poverty, had had to scratch for a 
living since early boyhood, and had worked as a hired man in Brookfield. But he 
was a superior hand, hard working, dependable and he got superior pay. After 
hours his recreation was as vigorous as his work in the fields; he drilled men 
and boys on the village green in the manual of arms, equipping some of them 
sticks for want of muskets. After the call to Lexington, Brookfield saw no more 
of him, except once when he returned on recruiting duty and, in anticipation of 
a commission, took the opportunity to marry Abigail Gilbert. Already he had 
distinguished himself for gallantry in action at Bunker Hill? For a brief time 
he was under the command of the illustrious Lafayette; somewhere he had been 
wounded, and even his enemies would always acknowledge him to be a 'tolerable 
good soldier' and steady under fire."

"But there were counts against him? One was the means by which he got his 
commission. He had driven a Yankee bargain to get it, they said, enlisting men, 
once his first quota was filled, on the understanding that they would serve 
under him as captain. Such an arrangement was anything but unusual in 
Massachusetts. Washington, a firm believer in the hierarchy of rank, had been 
afflicted when he arrived in Cambridge by the neighborly practice by which men 
in the ranks elected their own officers and refused to re-enlist unless they 
could be sure of having the officer of their choice."

"'What,' Massachusetts men inquired, 'was wrong with the custom?' Where does 
honor lie, with the fine British gentleman who with no knowledge of the service 
buys himself a commission, or with the Yankee soldier of hard-bitten experience 
who wins it by calling men to rise up and follow? Shays nevertheless had to 
fight long and hard to carry his point, and when in 1779 he finally got his 
commission, retroactive to 1777, he was not very well received by his fellow 
officers. But his men were content, and with them he was at home in the 
comradeship of the camp?"

At Albany, many of the men that had been recruited by Daniel Shays were 
dismayed to find themselves being reassigned to other companies [James Goodale 
remained with him, as did Isaac Church and James Baker]. The muster list under 
Captain Daniel Shays can be found in the appendix under James Goodell.

From the pension application (roll # 543, pension #S40855) of Isaac Church, the 
lieutenant of Capt. Daniel Shay's company, we find further enlightenment from a 
description of the service under Shays:
"?In the month of January 1777, I enlisted and received a commission of 
Lieutenant and served as Lieutenant in the company of Capt. Shays, Col. 
Putnam's regiment. Marched from Hadley where we mustered to Worchester, 
Brookfield on to Albany. From Albany we marched to Fort Edward, where we came 
in contact with General Burgoyne's army and retreated back as far as Troy, 
where we remained some time. We then marched from there to Stillwater and 
Saratoga, and while in these places, was in two hard-fought battles in the last 
of which, as soon after finding his retreat cut off from Fort Edwards, General 
Burgoyne capitulated and surrendered his army to General Gates. After General 
Burgoyne had surrendered his army, we marched back to Albany, where I remained 
with my company for several months. While we lay at Albany, the troops had 
nothing to do, and I was wishing to visit my family? After I returned to 
Albany, I had the smallpox which was then prevalent among the soldiers."

Most of the rest of this poor fellow's testimony concerned his court martial 
for supposed desertion, although he claims to have had permission from Capt. 
Shays, but he had the great misfortune of timing it right before Capt. Shays 
resigned his commission and left the army. His pension was suspended at the age 
of 96.

Private James Baker (roll #116, pension #W23501) confirms much of Isaac 
Church's testimony in his own pension application, and provides additional 
details:
"I, James Baker, being duly from Onandaga County, N.Y, saith that in the month 
of March or April in the year 1777, he enlisted as a private soldier for the 
term of three years in Capt. Shays company in Col. Rufus Putnam's Regiment in 
the Massachusetts line in the United States Army and joined the company at 
Worchester in Massachusetts, and marched to Fishkill where he had the smallpox 
and then went to the northward and was at the last battle with Burgoyne?"

From Saratoga: the Decisive Battle, page 215-216:
"In May 1777, General Washington had sent Major-General Putnam, a skilled 
frontier fighter who had fought in the French and Indian war, to command at 
Peekskill [this sounds like Putnam's regiment was detached from General Nixon's 
brigade for a period of time], on the eastern bank of the river, four miles 
south of Fort Clinton, and seven miles from Fort Montgomery. Both forts stood 
on the western bank and neither of which had been completed by the end of 
September [suggesting that construction was the activity that Daniel Shays' 
company engaged in during those months]. Another small fort had been 
constructed on Constitution Island [Fort Putnam?] further up the river, and a 
boom of logs and a chain had been stretched across the river above Montgomery. 
From heights of 200 and 150 feet, Forts Clinton and Montgomery commanded the 
river, but neither had been designed to resist assault from the rear."

"These forts were weakly garrisoned. Most of the Continental regiments had been 
taken from Putnam to strengthen Washington, and in early October he commanded a 
force composed of 1000 Continentals [including James Goodale] and 400 
militiamen."

From Saratoga: the Decisive Battle, page 216-218:
"Sir Henry Clinton's threat to Peekskill deceived Putnam, who weakened the 
garrisons of the forts, reducing them to 600 men, to strengthen his own force. 
[The following passage is difficult to understand without knowing beforehand 
that there were two Clintons opposing each other in the following conflict: Sir 
Henry Clinton of the British Army, and Governor George Clinton, of American 
forces, New York]? Clinton, under cover of the morning mists, ferried 2000 
troops across the river, landing them on the western bank at Stony Point. 
Between there and Fort Clinton and Montgomery, respectively seven and twelve 
miles to the northward, rose precipitous, forest-clad heights intersected by 
deep and impassible ravines. One narrow path led through the hills? This pass? 
had been left unguarded by the Americans? Forty miles to the north? Governor 
George Clinton learned of Sir Henry Clinton's progress? he hurried to take 
command at Fort Montgomery? and sending his eldest brother James to command at 
Fort Clinton. On reaching Fort Montgomery on the evening of the 5th, and 
learning of the British landing at Stony Point, Governor Clinton sent out 
thirty men? to take and hold the summit of the pass before the British reached 
it. They were too late? Governor Clinton also sent a message to Putnam asking 
for help, but it was not delivered." [A battle ensued, and the Americans lost, 
and retreated.] General Putnam retired to the heights above Peekskill?"

The Battles of Bemis Heights and Freeman's Farm took place without the presence 
of Col. Rufus Putnam's regiment. From the locations described in James Goodale, 
Isaac Church and James Baker's depositions, it sounds like Lieutenant-General 
Rufus Putnam's regiment was returned to General Nixon's brigade prior to 
General John Burgoyne's attempt to retreat from Saratoga to Fort Edward. This 
researcher believes that Putnam's regiment, along with Col. David Woodbridge's 
regiment [in which we find Captain Ebenezer Goodale's company] were assigned to 
cut off Burgoyne's retreat. This puts Ebenezer (with his nephew, Jonathan [II] 
Goodale serving under him) and Ebenezer's brother, James Goodale in near 
company to each other. There are also several other cousins from Danvers, 
Marlborough, Amherst, and so on, who were certain to have encountered each 
other here, for they were in this battle according to muster lists. Also the 
deposition of a man who served under Capt. Ebenezer Francis [a man who was 
called Asa Goodale, during the Revolution, but who had changed his name to 
Ebenezer Goodale by the time he applied for his pension] supports this.

From: Journal of Occurrences During the Late American War, by Sergeant R. Lamb, 
an example of such a reunion among brothers and cousins separated amongst 
differing regiments or even in opposing armies:

"During the time of the cessation of arms, while the articles of capitulation 
were preparing, the soldiers of the two armies often saluted, and discoursed 
with each other from the opposite banks of the river (which at Saratoga was 
about thirty yards wide and not very deep), a soldier of the 9th [British] 
regiment, named Maguire, came down to the bank of the river, with a number of 
his companions, who engaged in conversation with a party of Americans on the 
opposite shore."

"In a short time something was observed very forcibly to strike the mind of 
Maguire. He suddenly darted like lightning from his companions, and resolutely 
plunged into the stream. At the very same moment, one of the American soldiers, 
seized with a similar impulse, resolutely dashed into the water from the 
opposite shore. The wondering soldiers on both sides, beheld them eagerly swim 
towards the middle of the river, where they met; they hung on each others necks 
and wept; and the loud cries of 'My brother! My dear brother!!!' which 
accompanied the transaction, soon cleared up the mystery, to the astonished 
spectators. They were both brothers, the first had migrated from this country, 
and the other had entered the army; one was in the British and the other in the 
American service, totally ignorant until that hour that they were engaged in 
hostile combat against each other's life."

It is also an appropriate time to point out that RUTH GOODELL's [James 
Goodell's sister] future husband, JAMES TYRER, was in the British ranks of 
Burgoyne's army, facing off against the Goodales at some point in time.

Continuing with the remainder of James Baker's deposition:
"Afterwards marched with the Army to the Highlands and was the summer after the 
taking of Burgoyne transferred with Captain Shays from said regiment, into a 
regiment of Light Infantry commanded by General Wayne then Gen'l Commandant and 
under him, was in the action at Stony Point- that afterwards Captain Shays left 
the service and Lieutenant Gardner took command of said company to the end of 
his term, when he was discharged in the winter of the year 1780, at West Point?"

From the deposition of the son of Benjamin Chamberlain (roll # 506, pension 
#S21687), we learn a few more minor details:
"In this service, my father was at or near Peekskill and in this service he was 
selected by Lafayette himself as a suitable person for an infantry company as 
set fourth in my mother's declaration in 1838 or 1839." In another fragment of 
his correspondence with the Pension Board, he wrote, "he served a part of that 
time in the company in which he enlisted and then was selected with others to 
form a company of Light infantry by order of Lafayette who presented each one 
of them with a feather for their caps or perhaps both the cap and feather."

Captain Daniel Shay's company, for the most part, was selected to become part 
of the light infantry of Colonel Rufus Putnam's regiment, and were hand 
selected by the Marquis de Lafayette, as described above. From Angel in the 
Whirlwind, page 364:
"On June 4, the army broke camp at Middlebrook and marched to the Hudson River 
highlands, which it appeared the British might attack. The main defenses of the 
highlands had been established at a narrow double bend of the river between 
West Point and Constitution Island, with forts on either side. The fortified 
heights rose as if in stories, with ancillary redoubts, in a complicated 
redundant defense protecting the principal fort. In addition to their ordnance, 
which was capable of demolishing any passing vessel with heavy fire, the 
Americans had stretched a huge iron chain across the river, stoutly moored to 
both banks. The chain rested on log pontoons just below the river's surface, 
and each link weighed about a hundred pounds."

"Washington had also begun construction of two redoubts just below the 
highlands at Stony Point on the west side of the Hudson and at Verplanck's 
Point on the east-to guard the mountain passes and the key crossing at King's 
Ferry. Both were still under construction when Clinton, intent on their 
capture, succeeded in routing their small garrisons before Washington could 
march to their aid."

From Angel in the Whirlwind, pages 366-367:
"?Meanwhile, instead of taking Clinton's bait, Washington had set his sights on 
Stony Point, which he thought might be retaken by a surprise attack. General 
Anthony Wayne was chosen to lead it to use the bayonet. In this way, in 
commemoration of the Paoli Massacre outside Philadelphia, he was to exact a 
consonant revenge for that humiliating hour."

"It was a perilous mission. The fort, situated on a rocky promontory, was 
surrounded on three sides by water and joined to the mainland by a causeway 
extending across a marsh. Its British garrison was 700 strong and equipped with 
heavy cannon behind sturdy ramparts with two rows of abatis at their base."

"On the morning of July 15, Wayne, with a picked body of several hundred men, 
set out. He made his way around the side of Bear Mountain, then turned south 
along rough forest trails. In his plan of attack, he was to send his main 
column along a sandbar on the south side, a second up the north face, and a 
third along the causeway to divert the defenders from the bayonet attacks on 
their flanks. At about eight o'clock, he came within sight of the fort. Toward 
midnight, he gave each man a slip of white paper to fix in his hat as an 
insignia (so they could identify one another in the dark) and ordered all 
bayonets fixed and charges drawn. Then he exhorted them to do honor to 
themselves, their country and their respective states. But he warned, 'Should 
there be any soldier so lost to a feeling of honor as to retreat a single foot, 
or skulk in the face of danger, the officer next to him is to immediately put 
him to death that he may no longer disgrace the name of soldier, or the corps, 
or the state to which he belongs.'"

"Wayne privately regarded the assault as suicidal. And he expected to die. As 
the men were eating their rations, he wrote to a friend to ask him to look 
after his family and protect his good name and reputation after his death. He 
dated his letter, '15 July 1779, near the hour and scene of carnage.'"

"The troops advanced, 'guided by a negro,' according to Washington Irving, 'who 
had frequently carried in fruit to the garrison and served the Americans as a 
spy. He led the way accompanied by two stout men disguised as farmers. The 
countersign was a given to the first sentinel, posted on high ground west of 
the morass. While the negro talked with him, the men seized and gagged him. The 
sentinel posted at the head of the causeway was served in the same manner.' The 
troops followed and at about one o'clock came up to the enemy pickets, who gave 
the alarm. Within a few moments, fire poured upon them from the fortress, but 
the Americans scrambled over the abatis and up the slope with such silence and 
speed that in just twenty minutes they had gained possession of the fort. 
Wayne, felled by a bullet which had grazed his skull, cried out to his 
aides, 'Carry me up to the fort, boys! Let me die at the head of my column.' 
But the wound turned out not to be serious, and he was soon writing to 
Washington with pride, 'Our officers and men behaved like men who are 
determined to be free.' Even more, they had the British at their mercy yet 
showed wonderful restraint? The humanity of our brave soldiery,' wrote Wayne in 
his dispatch, 'who scorned to take the lives of a vanquished foe? reflects the 
highest honor on them and accounts for the few of the enemy killed.' The loss 
to the Americans was fifteen killed and eighty-three wounded. Of the garrison, 
sixty-three were slain, including two officers, and 553 were made prisoners of 
war."

From Shay's Rebellion: Selected Essays, edited by Martin Kaufman, page 86:
Captain Daniel Shays' "bravery gained the attention of the young Marquis de 
Lafayette. Shays was one of the officers to whom Lafayette gave ornamental 
swords at Saratoga, but because of debts, he sold the sword?"

From A Little Rebellion, by Marion Starkey, page 70-71:
"?And Shay's officers were more than scandalized, they were outraged, when he 
sold his sword. They even talked of court-martialing him for conduct unbecoming 
an officer and a gentleman."

"Well, why not?" asked Shays. The sword was rightfully his and not picked up in 
plunder like some articles he could mention. Since he had come by it he had two 
swords, and no officer, however exalted his rank, goes into action with a sword 
at either hip. He had preserved the blade that meant the most to him, the one 
he had carried at Stony Point. The one he had sold was what the newspapers 
called a foreign superfluity.'"

"The trouble was that it had been given him, and by no less a person than the 
young Marquis de Lafayette. Newly returned from France, he had brought with him 
a quantity of 'elegant swords' to present to American officers. One of these 
had gone to Shays, and this was the one Shays had sold."

"There was justice in the wrath of Shays' colleagues. A sword from Lafayette 
was no chattel to be disposed of to meet the vulgar needs of the belly. Not 
even George Washington, who understood the need so well, would have forgiven so 
shabby an expedient? Smarting, but with his head held high, in October 1780 
Shays resigned his commission and went home."

Examining closely, the date of James Goodale's discharge, it is not likely that 
he was engaged in the storming of Stoney Point, as were many of his fellow 
townsfolk, but the muster lists do show that he was selected for the Light 
Infantry. He returned home and does not appear in the muster lists again.

From An Account of Marriages Consummated by Rev. Joel Foster, at the Swift 
River Valley Historical Society, in New Salem, MA, page 4:
"August 8, 1780 Marriage was consummated between James Goodall and Unice 
Curtis, both of New Salem."

This researcher has included a verbatim prologue from the book written by 
Marion L Starkey and published in 1955, called A Little Rebellion, because to 
this day, it remains a very balanced view of the Shays Rebellion:
"Since it is no secret that wars and revolutions seldom settle anything, the 
founding fathers of the republic should have been less startled than they were 
when shortly after the close of the American Revolution, in Massachusetts the 
minutemen marched again."

"It happened in 1786. For the second time in a decade, the conch shells sounded 
on the village greens and the minutemen marched; they were not only animated by 
the same spirit that had impelled them on the road to Lexington, but many of 
them were the same men. They were supported by much of the old revolutionary 
paraphernalia: county conventions, committees of correspondence, resolutions 
solemnly taken. But this time they marched without the blessing of Boston, 
which in their eyes had replaced Britain as the enemy. And they did not have 
the old leadership. Those men who so short a time ago had assured them that 
such conduct was logical, virtuous, and nobly patriotic now looked on aghast. 
George Washington wrung his hands and faced the fact that his dream of retiring 
to the placid obscurity of a country gentleman was premature; unfinished 
business demanded his attention. Sam Adams, who so recently had been at such 
pains to rouse them to a proper revolutionary pitch, looked on with something 
of the affront of an impresario who sees his epic production plagiarized by 
amateurs and received by the gross masses with even more enthusiasm than the 
original had been."

"Of all the leaders of the earlier revolution, only Thomas Jefferson expressed 
anything like approval. 'A little rebellion now and then,' he remarked, is a 
good thing for a republic; but Jefferson being in Paris, was at too far a 
remove to influence the course of events. The 'rebels' never even heard that he 
was for them."

"Those of the founding fathers who were closer to the event, particularly 
authorities in Massachusetts, believed that a government which must be sparked 
by a series of rebellions, little or otherwise, is no better than anarchy. 
Accordingly they set out to suppress this one. In their fright they were 
perhaps not entirely intelligent about it; careful scrutiny of the conduct of 
our illustrious forefathers sometimes gives grounds for suspicion that they 
were not always much brighter than we are. Thanks largely to a certain 
obtuseness in their outlook, what at first could be dismissed as 
mere 'commotions' presently had to be recognized as 'rebellion,' and finally 
the harassed commonwealth of Massachusetts declared itself in a 'state of war.'"

"It wasn't a long war. The rebels, as confused, as divided in their thinking as 
their political betters, ill-equipped and clumsily led, endowed by no ideology 
more fanatic than what they found in Scripture and in Mr. Jefferson's 
Declaration, were in no position to defeat Boston."

"Nor was it a bloody war. A latter-day Massachusetts slaughters more on its 
roads on a fine weekend than did the armies of Captain Daniel Shays and General 
Benjamin Lincoln in all the battlegrounds of a winter's campaign. The rebels 
themselves carried their muskets for months without firing a shot; never were 
so many village Hampdens so guiltless of their country's blood. Nor could the 
government be called murderous; true, the cry of murder was raised against it 
when in a crisis it cut loose with its howitzers; but once it got the upper 
hand, it was singularly indisposed to demonstrate the majesty of the law on the 
gibbet. Only two 'rebels' ever did hang-to their vast and touching bewilderment-
and this for special cause not directly connected with rebellion."

"A rebellion that results in few killings, no hangings, except for the hapless 
pair who were not rebels only, offers little to the injustice-collectors of the 
major ideologies, for all that what came to be called Shays' Rebellion did bear 
some resemblance to a class war. Even to construct high tragedy from the 
episode requires the medium of fiction rather than of history. The rebels were 
simple people, little given to putting their private griefs on paper and, even 
if they had done so, not the sort whose papers get preserved from generation to 
generation and presently handed over to historical societies. It is as hard to 
get at their intimate histories as if they were not men of good Puritan stock 
but so many wild Indians. Like most Indians, their history is recorded by their 
enemies. Luckily, the latter were compassionate more often than not, and 
sometimes perceptive. Even so, it would be hard to make an Orestes or an 
Oedipus of the rebel most thoroughly put on record, Captain Shays."

"But the little rebellion had consequences. No event which calls George 
Washington back to public life, sets the best minds of the nation to re-
examining their political philosophy, and impels thirteen governments of 
violently divergent interest into adopting 'a more perfect union,' can be 
dismissed as without effect. Not that the constitution of the United States was 
an aim of the rebels; on the contrary, they did their best to head it off; it 
became, however, one of their involuntary achievements?"

From a document in the Swift River Valley Historical Society, labeled only as 
The Shays Rebellion-1786/87 by "Scouts":
"The period from 1782 to 1787, the period following the end of the shooting war 
with England was marked by great discontent and distress among the people. The 
underlying cause of this was the lack of a sound money system. In Massachusetts 
the protest against the bad conditions finally resulted in an uprising called 
the Shays Rebellion".

"The Continental Congress, responsible for the conduct of the war against 
England needed money. Three methods were used: taxes, borrowing and the 
printing of paper money. So much of this paper money was printed that it became 
practically worthless. Soldiers were paid for their service in this worthless 
money, and the phrase 'not worth a Continental' came into use, meaning 
something of no value. Huge sums of money had been borrowed from France and 
Holland and it had to be paid back. The new government had the responsibility 
[for] keeping order, defending the country from enemies and securing the 
friendship of the European countries. All of this [required] money".

"The Articles of Confederation was an agreement among the states for union and 
firm friendship, but no authority had been given to the Continental Congress to 
carry out its responsibilities. After the shooting stopped, each state began to 
act as if it were a separate country. They minted their own money, both coin 
and paper, imposed their own taxes on foreign goods coming into the country and 
treated other states with great suspicion. New Yorkers thought the people in 
Connecticut were crafty and dishonest; Marylanders and Virginians were jealous 
of one another; the farmers of New York and New Hampshire quarreled about their 
boundary lines; New York put a tax on the firewood coming in from Connecticut 
and vegetables coming in from New Jersey. When the Continental Congress asked 
the states to pay their share of the expenses, only a few sent the whole 
amount, some sent in a fraction, and others didn't bother to send any money at 
all. Some thoughtful men, among them George Washington and James Madison were 
saying that the Articles of Confederation ought to be rewritten and tightened 
up."

"Our own state of Massachusetts had also borrowed to pay for the war and owed a 
large sum of money. The towns were also in debt, as they had furnished not only 
men for military service, but had supplied meat, clothing, food [and] other 
material for the army. For example, New Salem in 1778 had to furnish 33 pairs 
of shoes and stockings, 33 shirts and 10 blankets; another time they had to 
furnish 3 horses for Washington's army, and 6,100 pounds of beef. Each year of 
the six years of war made demands upon our town and townspeople. When we stop 
to think that all of the articles of clothing had to be made from scratch, it 
was a tremendous job. Many people had borrowed money and had personal bills to 
pay."

"Not only was the Continental money of little value, and one state would not 
honor money from another state, but English, Spanish and other coins were in 
circulation. Because of the various kinds of money it was hard to even make 
change when one man sold goods to another. Added to this was the problem of 
counterfeit money."

"Even before the Revolutionary War there was a large network of counterfeiters 
operating throughout New England and south into New Jersey and New York. This 
false money was the topic at many town meetings where they tried to figure out 
at what rate the counterfeit and the real money should pass. A certain Glazier 
Wheeler, during his long career in counterfeiting, no doubt made a great 
contribution in this department. He is mentioned as a coiner as early as 1752, 
and one historian has called him the dean of American counterfeiters. He was 
arrested and jailed in Worcester in 1763 and sentenced to 20 years in jail. He 
escaped, and was arrested again in 1774. [He shows up on the muster lists of 
local militia units as a draftee and a deserter]. He broke jail again, and in 
1784 turned up in New Salem, right in the middle of the bad years. According to 
one story, he conducted his illegal activities on the banks of the Swift River."

"In 1780, the towns in Massachusetts had approved a State Constitution. In most 
respects it was a very good constitution. It had been drafted by John Adams- it 
was the first constitution to abolish slavery- and much of it would be 
incorporated into [the] Federal Constitution. BUT, it had several features 
which finally caused the people to rebel. The right to vote and hold office had 
limited to property owners and taxpayers. Some towns were so poor they couldn't 
afford to send a representative to the General Court (the legislature). This 
meant that the richest towns only had representation in the General Court. All 
debts, both public (taxes) and private (personal) had to be made in real [hard] 
money not in goods, and not in paper money. There just wasn't enough hard money 
in the pockets of the people."

"In those days, if a man could not pay his bills, his property was taken and 
sold to pay his debts. This was done through the courts and was called a 
judgement or execution. If a man did not have any property [that] could be 
sold, he was put into debtors prison. This not only took away a man's right to 
vote, as a taxpayer and property owner, but it made it impossible for him to 
make a living for himself and his family. In 1782 a Tender Act was passed which 
said [that] a man's private bills could be paid by selling his cattle. This 
lasted only a year because there was nobody with cash to buy the cattle!"

"To find a way out of this situation, the towns met in conventions as [early] 
as 1782, to discuss their common problem, and to draw up petitions for relief 
to send to the Governor and the General Court. On two occasions, in 1782 and 
1783, hotheads had stormed the courts to prevent them from opening, and in this 
way to stop them from handing down judgments against debtors. In the year 
before 1786, many petitions had been received by the Massachusetts government 
to change the laws. Nothing had been done."

"The first six months of 1786 were quiet as the people waited hopefully for the 
legislature to meet and act upon their petitions. The legislature, in session 
from June to early July 1786 failed to come up with any reforms. This really 
heated up the people, and county conventions were held one after another during 
the months of July, August and September and new petitions descended on Boston."

"Then, to defend their personal and property rights against the time when their 
wrongs would be righted, armed bodies of men calling themselves 'Regulators' 
began to stop the courts from opening. They had a great deal of support and 
sympathy of the citizens. In some instances when the local militia was called 
out to protect the courts, they were not at all anxious to clash with the 
Regulators."

"By September the situation had reached the point where the Regulators were 
organizing, drilling, accumulating military stores, and enlisting men into 
their ranks. Several of the Hampshire towns were considered to be under arms. 
The leaders began to organize much as the Committee of Safety had been 
organizing during the Revolutionary War -some of the leaders were Luke Day of 
West Springfield, Thomas Grover of Montague, John Powers of Shutesbury [JAMES 
TYRER purchased his land in Shutesbury in 1779 and 1782 from Manassah Powers of 
Shutesbury] Joel Billings of Amherst, and Eli Parsons of Berkshire County. 
Conkey's Tavern in Pelham was one of the general meeting places for the men 
from this area."

"The Supreme Judicial Court, which handled criminal cases was sitting in 
Worcester on September 19 when it handed down charges against eleven Worcester 
County men as insurgents. There was a loud protest at this action. The 
Regulators had not considered themselves criminals, but were in fact using the 
very means to resist oppression that Samuel Adams had used against the British. 
Their quarrel had been with the lower court, but now the higher court would 
have to be prevented from opening, otherwise the leaders in Berkshire and 
Hampshire Counties would be charged as criminals. On September 27, Daniel Shays 
led a group to Springfield and halted the court proceedings."

"This did bring some action from the legislature -they passed the Riot Act (a 
law that says someone must stop doing something and disobedience will be 
punished) and suspended the right of habeas corpus (the right of habeas corpus 
safeguards a person against illegal detention or imprisonment- without it a 
person could be jailed and held prisoner just on suspicion.) That didn't help. 
Then it passed an Indemnity Act, which provided forgiveness for past misdeeds 
if an oath of allegiance was taken before the first of the year, and no further 
misdeeds took place. It was too late for that."

"These measures were considered insulting. People were further angered when 
three rebels were captured and jailed in Boston. Luke Day, Daniel Shays and 
Thomas Grover [of nearby Montague] with a group of rebels closed the 
Springfield Court again in December. At this point the Governor realized that 
the state was close to lawlessness; and rebellion was spreading to neighboring 
states. Although he didn't want to, he announced he was going to call out the 
militia to protect the courts and put an end to the rebellion. In mid-January 
1787, he appointed General Benjamin Lincoln, a competent veteran of the 
Revolution to take command of the militia. It was embarrassing, but there was 
no money in the state treasury to pay the militia and the money had to be 
raised by borrowing from private citizens in Boston. The Continental Congress 
couldn't help in this situation- it had no power to send in soldiers."

The town of New Salem submitted a petition, written on January 18th, 1787 [one 
of the writers was a son-in-law of Ebenezer Goodale, John Chamberlin]:

To His Excellency James Bowdoin, Esq
Governor, and the Honbl the Council of
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

The Petition of the Freeholders and other inhabitants of the Town of New Salem 
in Town Meeting legally assembled, Humbly Showeth
That your Petitioners cannot, but with deep concern view the present critical 
Situation of our public affairs; which in our humble opinion, loudly calls for 
the utmost wisdom, fortitude and discretion to be used not only by the people 
at large; but more especially by those who are set over us, to Steer the Helm 
of our Political affairs.

We view a State of Tyranny and oppression on one hand; and that of Anarchy and 
Confusion on the other with abhorrence and detestation; and of the good people 
of this Commonwealth at large think themselves in any reason an Injured or an 
Oppressed People by which means any of them may have taken rash and unadvised 
steps; we conceive it that such who are in authority over us are not bound in 
duty to take the same measures to Quell or pacify them; Constituents from whom 
they receive their authority; on the contrary we humbly hope your Excellency 
and Honors will first hear the Petitions, and remonstrances of that part of 
those good Subjects, who form a considerable part of this Common-wealth, who 
have already, or may hereafter, present such Petitions or Remonstrances to your 
Excellency and Honors; and let their grievances be duly canvassed and attended 
to, that it may appear whether there is any Just cause of complaint or not; and 
not let us precipitate ourselves without reason or regard either to our Country 
or friends into an unnatural, cruel, Civil war -which of all Judgments is most 
to be dreaded by any People whatever.

We cannot conceive it, that a power delegated and chosen by such, who at least 
pretend to the name of Freeman, should on a general complaint of its 
constituents be authorized in no other manner to reason out the case but with 
the point of the Bayonet. Altho it is true that there has been much complaint & 
commotion in these upper counties, yet in this county in particular we have 
been advised, by our convention, to let such measure subside for the present, 
till we could have a more Constitutional method to try for an accommodation; at 
least to wave all further hostile proceedings till we could have a new choice 
of our public officers; and we conceive that it was the real determination of 
the good people of this county, to have abade by this result.

But sorry we are to say: scarcely was this result published to your 
petitioners; but we received orders, immediately to embody, and march the 
militia, in marshal array, to the place of rendezvous; we know not what is the 
intention of this movement, but we cannot but be afraid of the consequences.

And shall we a people whose valiant sons have so lately, so nobly fought, bled 
and Dyed to purchase our Independence, now be torn in pieces by Factions and 
Civil Dissensions, Thereby laying us open a prey for any Petty Tyrant, or 
foreign despot, to clasp us as their own and chain us down in such a slavery, 
as we can never have any hope or expectation of ever being freed again.

Wherefore taking the above with many other considerations which might have been 
mentioned, We pray your Excellency and Honors to give counter orders 
immediately to recall such of the militia as have, or may march aforesaid, and 
that no troops may for the future march thro any part of this commonwealth on 
account of any riots or tumults that have already happened; till we can have a 
new choice of our public officers. And your petitioners as in duty bound shall 
ever pray.

New Salem, 18, January 1787
At a Legal Meeting of the Freeholders & other Inhabitants of the Town of New 
Salem on Thursday the 18th of January 1787. The foregoing petition after 
Several Readings was voted Unamine Contradicente to be sent to his Excellency 
the Governor & the Honbl the Council of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with 
all convenient speed By order & in behalf of the Town.
John Chamberlin, Benjamin Hascall}
Selectmen of New Salem

[John Chamberlin married into the Goodell family by marrying Grace, the 
daughter of Ebenezer and Grace (Phelps) Goodell].

From the document at SRVHS called Shays Rebellion-1786/87, by "Scouts":
"Faced with the fact that a well-equipped army of about 3,000 men [was] 
marching against them, the rebels decided to capture the Federal Arsenal at 
Springfield with its military stores and equipment. The arsenal was commanded 
by General Shepard, with about 1,000 men".

"In Wilbraham [MA] on January 24, with Lincoln two days behind him, Shays and 
his staff planned their strategy [James Goodell probably took part in this 
action, since there is evidence to be shown later, that he was a Regulator, and 
we know that he served under Daniel Shays in the Revolution. He was also 
arrested later for bearing arms in the Shays Rebellion.] He [Shays] sent a 
message to Luke Day in West Springfield announcing he would attack the next 
day, the 25th, with his men, and asked Day to create a diversion in downtown 
Springfield to draw off some of the troops at the arsenal. Eli Parsons with his 
Berkshire men would move in from Chicopee. Day sent his reply to Shays saying 
he could not join forces until the 26th."

"This message was intercepted by General Shepard, and Shays did not know he 
would not get the help he wanted from Day. The rebels marched down Boston Road 
approaching the arsenal about 4 o'clock on the wintry afternoon of January 25. 
They were warned off by Shepard and asked to disperse. As the rebels continued 
to move forward, Shepard ordered to cannon to fire upon them. The first two 
shots were fired over their heads, but they did not stop. The third shot was 
then aimed at the center, and with the next two, the rebels wavered and then 
broke into a confused retreat. Two men from Gill, one from Shelburne and 
another from Leydon were killed, and Jeremiah McMillen of Pelham was wounded 
and missing".

"That was it. There was no pitched battle, not a gun fired on either side. The 
rebels were finally rallied by Shays and retreated toward Ludlow and the next 
day joined forces with Eli Parsons and continued through South Hadley to 
Amherst and hurried on toward Pelham, where Luke Day and his men joined them. 
Some of them camped in front of the Pelham Town Hall (the old meeting house)."

"Generals Shepard and Lincoln pursued them to Amherst and then Lincoln set up 
his headquarters in Hadley. He sent a letter to Shays asking him to give up-and 
he refused. A number of communications were exchanged between the two forces, 
but no satisfactory settlement could be reached."

"The Shays men camped in Pelham until February 3 when it was learned that 
Lincoln was preparing to attack them. They slipped away over the snowy hills to 
Petersham where there were a number of sympathizers to furnish them with 
shelter and supplies."

"General Lincoln was no slouch and when he learned of this move, had his men 
ready to march to Petersham by eight o'clock that night. This was a terrible 
march over 30 miles of rough and wintry ground. The weather became worse and by 
two o'clock in the morning at the halfway point in New Salem, the temperature 
dropped, and the men had to march in a blinding snowstorm and a howling wind. 
They could not make any halts along the way [apparently not even the 75 men who 
lived in New Salem dared to stop at their homes] as the militia [pursuing them] 
was forced to go the whole distance without a break for food or warmth. General 
Lincoln said afterward that 'the greater part of our men were frozen in some 
part or other.'"

"Meanwhile, [a few hours ahead] Shays men, warm and relaxed among friends in 
Petersham dropped their guard and so were completely surprised at nine the next 
morning by the arrival of the advance militia units. Daniel Shays with other 
leaders only had time to grab their arms and a few provisions before fleeing 
along the back roads and trails to Athol, where they made their way, going 
through North Orange to Warwick, where they spent the night before going over 
the borders into New Hampshire and Vermont. Other men fled to their homes and 
went into hiding. In this group was William Smith of New Salem, who lived on 
Walnut Hill (now Orange). He hid out in the Shingle Swamp near Lake Mattawa, 
and his family brought him food and supplies".

"About 150 men were captured, and allowed to return to their homes after they 
had taken the Oath of Allegiance to the State of Massachusetts and surrendered 
their arms. See this list in the appendix for James Goodell. The oath that the 
men of New Salem took is as follows from the Massachusetts Archives:

I _______, do truly and sincerely acknowledge, profess, testify and declare- 
that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is, and of Right ought to be a free, 
Sovereign and independent State; and I do swear, that I will bear true faith 
and allegiance to the said commonwealth, and that I will defend the same 
against traitorous conspiracies and all hostile attempts whatsoever and that I 
do renounce and abjure all allegiance, subjection and obedience to the King, 
Queen or Government of Great Britain and every other foreign power whatsoever:-
And that no foreign Prince, Person, Prelate, State or Potentate, hath, or ought 
to have, any jurisdiction, superiority, pre-eminence, authority, dispensing or 
other power, in any matter civil, ecclesiastical or Spiritual, within the 
Commonwealth; except the authority and power which is or may be vested by their 
Constituents in the Congress of the United States; And I do further testify and 
declare that no man or body of men hath or can have any right to abjure or 
discharge me from the obligation of this oath, declaration or affirmation; and 
that I do make this acknowledgement, profession, testimony, declaration, 
denial, renunciation and abjuration heartily and truly, according to the common 
meaning of and acceptation of the foregoing words without any equivocation, 
mental evasion, or secret reservation whatsoever. SO HELP ME GOD.

From the Massachusetts Archives, the men from whom the arms were taken in New 
Salem/Wendell area:
"James Goodell
Samuel King, Jr
David Boynton
David Childs
Stephen Felton
Robert Goldthwait
Ebenezer Shaw
Jos. Haskin
Shadrach Hoar
Benj Hascall
James Curtis
Samuel Curtis
Benj Southwick
Robert Potter
Josh Wyat
Jonathan Haskin
The above named persons took and subscribed the Oath of Allegiance to the 
Commonwealth before Daniel Shaw, Jus Peace
New Salem, March 29, 1787
I have 16 arms in my care. Daniel Shaw [senior]"

The only men from New Salem that joined the militia against the Shays' men in 
January 1787, were found in the Massachusetts Archives, volume 192, page 9:
"Capt. Josiah Osgood, from January 19 to 29th, Ensign Abel Howe, 21st to 29th, 
Capt. Henry Twitchell, volunteer, ditto, Amariah Rand, Lt., ditto, (?) Rand, 
private, ditto, David, private, ditto."

Returning to the document from the SRVHS, The Shays Rebellion, 1786/87 
bout 'the Scouts':
"Although the back of the rebellion was considered broken by the action at 
Petersham, the state remained in an unsettled condition for the greater part of 
the year. Rumors flew about, that Shays was massing a force beyond the borders 
for a new attack and men slipped back and forth across the state lines. Acts of 
retaliation and other outbreaks continued to take place".

"General Shepard made his headquarters at Northfield where he could check on 
the rebels who had crossed over into Vermont and New Hampshire. On February 16, 
he sent out a small party of militia to arrest one of the ringleaders, Jason 
Parmenter of Bernardston. The militia came upon him and two others in a sleigh, 
and both groups fired and a militiaman by the name of Walker was killed by 
Parmenter. He and his companions were chased and captured and Parmenter was 
later sentenced to death with other men considered to be the ringleaders".

New Salem's William Smith, with a group of rebels, kidnapped Dr. Medad Pomeroy 
of Warwick, a prominent man who held most of the town offices and had taken the 
government's side, and James Metcalf and carried them to Vermont where they 
held them as hostages for the lives of Jason Parmenter and Henry McCullock of 
Pelham. For this, William Smith had a price put on his head, along with Shays, 
Day, Parsons, and others."

"The Massachusetts government's regulations punishing the rebels included the 
Disqualifying Act. This offered pardons to the privates and noncommissioned 
officers, who would surrender their arms and take the Oath of Allegiance. This 
denied them the right to vote, hold office, serve on juries, or to be employed 
as schoolteachers and innkeepers for a period of three years."

"Actually, the number of men who took part in this rebellion was not known 
until the oath was taken. An amendment had to be passed as some towns were 
crippled by the removal of all the men holding public office! There is no 
record of any town business being transacted in Shutesbury in 1787 for this 
reason. Pelham's participation was almost 100 percent, Orange had 13 men 
involved, New Salem had about 75 rebels, including Benjamin Hascall who was 
serving as selectman in 1786, but does not appear as an officeholder again 
until 1792."

"The county courts caught and tried the leaders and stiff fines or 
imprisonments were handed down- and some men were sentenced to death. However, 
the Massachusetts constitution also provided for annual elections, and the 
April election of 1787 showed the extent of sympathy the rebels had from the 
people. John Hancock defeated Governor Bowdoin and the new members elected to 
the legislature were those who had promised to improve conditions. Within the 
next few months the new legislature passed reforms on the tax rate and released 
most of the debtors from prison. It also granted pardons to all the men under 
the death sentence. Parmenter and McCulloch, sentenced to hang on September 21, 
were pardoned right at the foot of the gallows! Even Daniel Shays was granted a 
pardon the next years."

"On May 25, 1787, less than four months after General Lincoln's surprise 
arrival at Petersham, the Continental Congress met in Philadelphia. They 
scrapped the Articles of Confederation, and for four months they sweltered in 
the heat of a Philadelphia summer, while they debated, argued, and compromised 
to construct a new and better form of government. Among the difficult problems 
they debated were several which had caused the Shays Rebellion, currency 
regulation, debts and contracts, and ways to prevent domestic uprisings. The 
records of the convention reveal that the Shays Rebellion in Massachusetts and 
the threat of it spreading to other states weighed heavily in the minds of the 
delegates. The new constitution forbade the states to issue paper money and 
authorized the Congress to call up state militia to suppress insurrections and 
enforce the law of the land. These points are a direct result of the rebellion 
in Massachusetts. Jefferson's first glimpse of the constitution made him say 
that the convention had been too much impressed by the insurrection of 
Massachusetts."

The following extract is from pages 188-189, A Church History of New England, 
by Isaac Backus, vol. 3, 1796:
"The army who marched up against the insurgents in the winter of 1787, took 
their course through Wilbraham to Springfield, where a few were slain, from 
whence they went to Hadley, and then turned through New Salem to Petersham. Mr. 
Bigelow wrote to a friend on August 31, 1787, and said:"

"'Church travel and ordinances have ceased here, ever since the people arose in 
arms against government; though at present we are better united as to public 
worship. There is in general a good agreement between me and the body of people 
about worship. I have said but little about the family quarrel that has been in 
this Commonwealth the year past; but what I have said has been to condemn both 
sides. I think the political fathers have provoked their children to wrath, by 
oppression, wise-made have been mad, and the children have been unruly and 
rebellious.'"

The men who participated in this rebellion had no idea that their actions would 
have such consequences: a new Federal Constitution and a President of the 
United States brought out of retirement. Their only thought at the time was to 
get some relief from the heavy financial burdens. Those who were involved in 
the rebellion were considered rebels and traitors, not heroes, by their 
contemporaries or descendants, and were rarely mentioned in family histories. 
They probably never even mentioned it to their neighbors in the new communities 
to which many of them immigrated. Those 75 men from New Salem [and Wendell] 
would certainly be surprised today to learn that the new highway built in the 
1930's was named for their Pelham neighbor, friend and leader of a rebellion- 
Daniel Shays.

From the 1787-1889 Grantee's Index, page 113:
1793, March 20-William Giles to James Goodale, Volume 6, page 25, New Salem.

1793, March 20-Nathan Forster to James Goodale, Volume 6, page 31, New Salem.

1793, March 20-Nathan Ganson to James Goodale, Volume 6, page 34, New Salem

From the Franklin County Courthouse in Greenfield, MA, the Grantee Book, Volume 
9, page 276:
"Know ye that I, Amos Foster of New Salem? for and in consideration of the sum 
of one hundred and twenty pounds? paid before the ensealing hereof, by James 
Goodell of New Salem? have bargained, sold and conveyed? unto him, the said 
James Goodell?"

"Two certain 4th Division Lots of land lying in the north part of said New 
Salem containing one hundred acres? numbered 169 and 170, bounded as follows: 
north on Miller's River, so-called, east on a range road, south on land owned 
by Ensign Daniel Putnam, and west on land owned by Solomon Johnson for the more 
particular boundaries of said lots No. 169 and 170, reference may be had to the 
Proprietor's Book of Records of said New Salem," etc. April 7th, 1796.

From the Franklin County Courthouse in Greenfield, MA, the Grantee Book, Volume 
18, page 588:
"Know all men by these presents, that I, James Goodale of New Salem, in the 
County of Hampshire, gentleman, in consideration of forty-six dollars paid me 
by John King, Junior, of the same New Salem, yeoman? do hereby give, grant, 
sell and convey unto the said John King, Junior?"

"A certain tract or parcel of land situate and lying in the northeast part of 
New Salem containing eight acres and a half acre by measure, being the east end 
of Lot 170 and 169 in the 4th Division of land in New Salem, bounded as 
follows, viz. Beginning at a stake standing in the east line of Lot No. 170, 
thence 3 rods north of the southeast corner of said lot, then west one degree 
south parallel with the south line of said lot 11 rods to a stake and stones, 
then north ten degrees west to a white pine tree on the bank of Miller River, 
then up the river to the northeast corner of Lot 169, then southerly straight 
line to the first mentioned corner? In witness whereof, I, the said James 
Goodale have hereunto set my hand and seal the 10th day of June in the year of 
our Lord, 1796.

Hampshire County Court of Common Pleas, Vol. W, pages 211-212, SLC Microfilm 
#0886411:
"James Goodale of New Salem in the County of Hampshire, plaintiff, vs. Aaron 
Childs of Brookfield in the County of Worcester, yeoman, defendant in a plea of 
entry in diss___ wherein the said James demands against the said Aaron a 
certain tract of land in said New Salem being a 4th Division Lot No. 4, 
excepting what is already sold off the west end of said lot to one Joel 
Wheeler, reference being had to the Proprietor's Book which was burned in the 
1856 fire] of record for the more particular description and bounds of said 
lot, containing about 40 acres be the same more or less. Also one other tract 
of land in said New Salem containing about 14 acres and one half acre and is 
the west end or part of two 4th Division lots, to wit, No. 2 and No. 5 bounded 
as follows, to wit:

Ten acres of said land bounds north on land of Benjamin Southwick, West on the 
town line, east on land of William Giles. The other four acres and one half 
acre bounds north on land of the said William Giles, west on the town line, 
south on James Goodale's land, and east on said William Giles land with the 
appurtenances, and whereon the said James says that at New Salem on the 23rd of 
March in the year of our Lord 1795, the said Aaron being seized in fee of the 
premises by his deed under his hand and seal of that date in court to be 
produced, duly registered and acknowledged for the consideration therein ?
appraised, he, the said Aaron did give, grant bargain and sell to the said 
James the aforesaid demanded premises, to hold the same to him the said James, 
his heirs and assigns forever, by virtue of which he, the said James became 
instantly seized of the same lands, on condition however, and the said deed to 
be void if the said Aaron should pay to the said James the contents of two 
certain notes of hand of even date of said deed given by said Aaron to said 
James, one to secure the payment of 37 pounds, 19 shillings and five pence, 
equal to 1260 dollars and 57 cents within two years from the said date of said 
note; and the other of said notes to secure payment of 30 pounds equal to 100 
dollars on or before the 15th day of November next following the date of said 
note with the lawful interest on both of said notes until paid."

"And the said James says the said Aaron has never paid the sums aforesaid and 
the interest thereon secured as aforesaid, and that the deed aforesaid is in 
full force and that the said James right to have possession of the demanded 
premises, but that the said Aaron hath unjustly and without judgement entered 
thereunto and diss__ed the said James, and unjustly de___ him and holds him 
out, therefor to the damage of the said James in the amount of 300 dollars."

Page 212: "This case was entered at the last May term of this court and 
continued from term to term unto this term, and now at this time the said Aaron 
Childs comes and de___ and etc, and reserving to himself the liberty to waive 
his plea and plead anew at the Supreme Judicial Court and agreeing that one 
trial on his part shall be final. Says he never promised the plaintiff in 
manner and form as set form in this writ, by P. Merrick."

"And the plaintiff says the plea aforesaid is bad and insufficient, and he 
therefore prays judgement for his damages and costs by Edward Upham. And the 
said Childs says his plea is good and prays judgement for his costs. All which 
being seen fully by the court, it appears to the court that the plea of the 
said Aaron is an insufficient answer to the plaintiff's declaration. Whereupon 
it is considered by the court that the said Goodale do recover of the said 
Child seizing and possession of the demanded premises unless the said Child pay 
to the said Goodale 191 dollars and 86 cents damages and costs of suit taxed at 
21 dollars and 26 cents within two months, and thereof, and etc."

"After which the said Aaron, by Pliny Merrick, esq, his attorney appealed from 
the judgement of this court to the Supreme Judicial Court to be holden at 
Northampton within and for the County of Hampshire on the last Tuesday of April 
next, and recognizes with sureties for his presenting the same appeal with 
effect."

Hampshire County Court of Common Pleas, Vol. 2, pg. 192:
Sept. 1799, Case No. 292: James Goodale of New Salem in our County of 
Hampshire, gentleman plaintiff, vs. Samuel Hair [Hoar?] and Jacob Goodale 
[James' brother, who married Mary Hoar], both of New Salem aforesaid, laborers, 
defendants, in a plea of the case as by the writ on file. The plaintiff 
appeared by Edward Upham, gentleman, his attorney and the defendants although 
three times publicly called to come into court make default of their 
appearance, whereupon it is considered by the court that the said James do 
recover against the said Samuel and Jacob, sixty dollars, sixty-six cents 
damages and costs of suit taxed at $12.41 and thereof, and etc."

From the 1787-1889 Grantor's Index, page 131:
1802, March 12, James Goodale to Samuel Benson, Book 15, page 518, New Salem. 
27 pounds for 12 acres, Lot 7, 4th Division.

Hampshire County Court of Common Pleas, Vol. 6, pg. 45:
Case No. 399: "James Goodale of New Salem, in said county, gentleman plaintiff, 
vs. Abner Pitts of Orange in said county, saddler defendant. In a plea of the 
case as by writ on file, the plaintiff appears and the defendant makes default 
of appearance here. It is therefore considered by the court that said James do 
recover of said Abner twenty-seven dollars and six cents damages and costs of 
suit taxed at $8.75. Exoniss May 23, 1803.

Hampshire County Court of Common Pleas, Vol. 6, pg. 45:
Case No. 341: "James Goodale of New Salem in said county, gentleman plaintiff, 
vs. Calvin Eaton of Greenwich in said county, trader, also gentleman defendant. 
In a plea of the case as by writ on file this action was entered in this court 
at the last term and continued to this term ____ the plaintiff appears and the 
defendant makes default of appearance here, it is therefore considered by the 
court that said James do recover of Calvin twenty-three dollars damages and 
costs of suit taxed at $8.17, and thereof, etc.
November 14th, 1803."

From the 1787-1889 Grantee's Index, page 113:
1803, June 15-James Curtis to James Goodale, Volume 18, page 316, New Salem.

From the 1787-1889 Grantor's Index, page 131:
1803, July 30-3 pieces-40 acres, Lot 4, 4th Division, Lots 2 and 5, 10 acres, 
4th Division, James Goodale to Aaron Childs, Book 18, page 443 New Salem.

From the 1787-1889 Grantor's Index, page 131:
1803, Sept 21-James Goodale to John King, Book 18, page 588, New Salem.

From the town records, of the Town of Wendell, on pages 224 and 225:
"Be it remembered that on this twenty-fourth day of December, AD, 1803, [Elisha 
Washburn had died in June 1803] Joshua Green, Nathan Brewer and David Whitaker, 
Trustees of a lot of land, No. Twenty-seven, called and known by the name of 
Erving's Gift, lying in Wendell in the County of Hampshire, as described by the 
annexed lease to Elisha Washburn, dated the first day of April AD 1792, in 
consequence and by reason of the non payment of five years rent amounting to 
thirty six pounds one shilling and three pence equal to one hundred and twenty 
dollars and twenty one cents, which was due and unpaid on the first day of 
April last past, the same having been lawfully demanded, did enter into and 
upon, and did take and have, full, quiet and peaceable possession and seizing 
of the said Lot No. twenty seven, and every part thereof, and its 
appurtenances, by twig and turf. To have, hold, retain, and enjoy the same 
again to us and our successors as trustees, as in our first and former estate, 
according to the purpose, intent and meaning of this lease, and hereto let our 
hands the day and year first above written" etc.

This indenture of lease made the 2nd day of January, 1804, between Joshua 
Green, Nathan Brewer and David Whitaker in the capacity of trustees of a lot of 
land, bequeathed to the Town of Wendell in the County of Hampshire and 
Commonwealth of Massachusetts by William Erving Esquire for the purpose of 
schooling on the one part, and RUTH WASHBURN, widow, and Rufus Washburn [her 
stepson], yeoman, both of said Wendell, (and James Goodale of New Salem in the 
County aforesaid, Gentleman, as surety for the said Washburns) of the other 
part; to summarize 120 acres, location described, free from all taxes, for the 
term of 987 [this is not a typing error!] years, paying rent yearly at the rate 
of thirty two dollars and thirty four cents in gold or silver.

James' sister, widowed once again, this time RUTH [GOODALE] TYRER WASHBURN was 
aided by her stepson Rufus Washburn and her brother James Goodell.

From: "Among the Dry Bones":
"James Goodale [JONATHAN's son, RUTH's brother] was a pew-holder at the First 
Church in 1793, but by 1804 he was a Universalist [From Timothy Page to 
JONATHAN GOODALE and others, interest money on the ministry, right of land, 
December 14, 1804, Page Papers, #68.15, Swift River Valley Historical Society. 
Presumably GOODALE switched from the First Church to the Universalist Society 
sometime between 1800 and 1804]."

From the 1787-1889 Grantee's Index, page 113:
1805, February 26-James Curtis, to James Goodale, Volume 20, page 618, New 
Salem.

From the Franklin County Courthouse in Greenfield, MA, the Grantor Book, Volume 
22, page 530-531:
Know all men by these presents, that I James Goodell of New Salem, County of 
Hampshire, gentleman, in consideration of thirteen hundred dollars paid by 
Thomas Mellen, Junior of Hopkington in the County of Middlesex, yeoman, do 
hereby give, grant, sell and convey unto the said Thomas Mellen?"

"A certain tract or parcel of land situate and lying in the north part of New 
Salem, containing by estimation, thirty two acres? it being the grantor's home 
farm, bounded as follows, viz. Beginning at the northwest corner of John King 
Junior's land on the south bank of Miller River, thence southerly on the west 
line of said King's land and out eighty-one rods to a stake and stones, then 
south three rods to Daniel Burnett's land, then westerly on the north line of 
said road to said river, then up said river to the corner first named?

"In witness whereof, I, the said James Goodell and Eunice, his wife, in token 
of her consent to these presents and acquittance of her right of dower in the 
premises have hereunto set my hand and seal, the 24th day of June in the year 
of our Lord, 1805. James Goodale, Eunice, her mark, Goodale.

From the Grantee's Book, Volume 22, page 402-403:
Know all men by these presents, that I, James Curtis of New Salem in the County 
of Hampshire, yeoman, in consideration of thirty dollars paid me by James 
Goodell of New Salem, gentleman? I do hereby do give, grant, bargain, sell and 
convey unto the said James Goodell? gentleman?"

"A certain tract or parcel of land situate and lying in the southerly part of 
new Salem, containing sixty acres and a half acre, it being the east part of 
Lot No. 115 in the 4th Division of land in said town, bounded as follows, viz, 
beginning on the east line of the said Goodell land, then extending east the 
whole breadth of said lot, until six acres and a half are constituted?"

"In witness whereof, I, the said James Curtis and Eleanor, his wife, in token 
of her consent to these presents and in Acquittance of her right of dower in 
the premises, have hereunto set our hands and seals the 31st day of December in 
the year of our Lord 1805.

From the 1787-1889 Grantee's Index, page 113:
1806, April 4-Joseph Putnam to James Goodale, et al, Volume 21, page 600.

1806, April 4-Samuel Curtis to James Goodale, Volume 21, page 601.

From the 1787-1889 Grantee's Index, page 119:
1806, April 4-James Curtis to James Goodell, Volume 22, page 402, New Salem.

From the Franklin County Courthouse in Greenfield, MA, the Grantor Book, Volume 
23, page 269:
"Know ye that I, James Goodale of New Salem, in the County of Hampshire, 
gentleman? for and in consideration of the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars 
paid before the ensealing hereof by Oliver Taylor of New Salem, yeoman? Have 
granted, sold and conveyed unto him, the said Oliver Taylor?"

"One half of two small pieces of land quantity and quality lying in the town of 
Orange. One piece lays on the north side of the turnpike road and the other on 
the south side of said road near a bridge that is known by the name of 
Kingsbridge over Miller River, and there is on said land, a dwelling house, 
barn and store and blacksmith shop, it being the one half of all the land that 
Edward Barton and myself hold by a deed from Joseph Putnam, lying in the Town 
of Orange, reference being had to his deed to said Barton and Goodale for the 
particular description and bound of said land?"Etc. April 5th, 1806. Witnessed 
by Edward Barton and Ezekiel Kellogg.

From the Franklin County Courthouse in Greenfield, MA, the Grantor Book, Volume 
24, page 322:
1807, August 4-From James Goodale to Eliphalet Gay, in consideration of 9 
pounds, 10 shillings, a certain 5th Division Lot No. 24, in the north part of 
New Salem, known as Ervin's Grant.

From the Franklin County Courthouse in Greenfield, MA, the Grantor Book, Volume 
31, page 239:

1813, July 26-From James Goodale to Martha King-in consideration of 3 dollars, 
in the north part of New Salem, Lot 23, 30 rods, formerly belonging to John 
King, deceased.

From the 1787-1889 Grantee's Index, page 113:

1813, October 9-James Curtis to James Goodale, Volume 31, page 314, New Salem.

1813, December 6-John Hascall to James Goodale, Volume 31, page 391, New Salem.

1813, December 6-James Curtis to James Goodale, Volume 31, page 392, New Salem.

1814, May 28-Elihu Pearce to James Goodale, Volume 33, page 22, New Salem.

1814, May 28-Elihu Pearce to James Goodale, Volume 33, page 23, New Salem.

From the Franklin County Courthouse in Greenfield, MA, the Grantor Book, Volume 
33, page 4:

1814, June 6-From James Goodale to Benjamin Merriam, in consideration of 325 
dollars, 32 and ½ acres of Lot 106 in _th Division, bounding on a town road.

From the Franklin County Courthouse in Greenfield, MA, the Grantor Book, Volume 
34, page 193:

1815, May 2-From James Goodale to Lemuel Rawson-in consideration of 10 dollars, 
1 acre, bounded by Thomas Atherton's line.

From the Franklin County Courthouse in Greenfield, MA, the Grantor Book, Volume 
33, page 456:

1815, May 9-From James Goodale to Thomas Atherton, Volume 33, page 456.

From the Franklin County Courthouse in Greenfield, MA, the Grantor Book, Volume 
39, page 109:

1818, January 24-From James Goodale to Elenor Curtis-in consideration of 30 
dollars, 6 and ½ acres in the north part of New Salem, part of Lot 115 in the 
4th Division, and in consideration of 180 dollars, 2 pieces of land purchased 
from James Curtis

From the Franklin County Courthouse, in Greenfield, MA Grantee's Books, Volume 
33, pages 456-457:
"Know all men by these presents, that I, James Goodale of New Salem, in the 
County of Franklin, gentleman, in consideration of fifteen hundred dollars paid 
by Thomas Atherton of New Salem aforesaid, yeoman? do hereby give, grant, sell, 
and convey unto the said Thomas Atherton a tract of land lying in the north 
part of New Salem containing by estimation, ninety acres be the same, more or 
less, bounded as follows, viz.:"

"Beginning at a stake and stones which is the southwest corner of Lot No. 115 
in the 4th Division, thence northerly fifty-seven rods to a stake and stones, 
thence West 20 degrees north to the Pond, thence northerly on the east side of 
said Pond, 160 rods to a stake and stones, thence east 4 degrees north, 31 rods 
and a half rod to a stake and stones, thence south 1 degree and 30 minutes, 
east 34 rods to a stake and stones, thence east on Noah Phinney, junior's land 
51 rods to the town road, thence south on said road 16 rods and one half rod, 
thence crossing said road said road to a stake and stones on the east side 
thereof, thence easterly on the south line of Joseph Ganson's land, 70 roads 
and one third of a rod, to a black birch tree, then South 24 rods to a stake 
and stones, then east 3 rods to a stake and stones, thence southerly 55 rods to 
a stake and stones, thence easterly about 42 rods to a stake and stones, thence 
southerly 51 rods to a stake and stones, then westerly 52 rods to a stake and 
stones, then northerly 51 rods to a stake and stones, thence westerly 107 rods 
to the place of beginning. The town road through such premises is excepted and 
not conveyed. To have and to hold, etc. In witness whereof, I the said James 
Goodale and Eunice, his wife in token of her consent to these presents and in 
acquittance of her right to dower in the premises have hereunto set our hands 
and seals this 27th day of May, in the year of our Lord, 1814. James Goodale, 
Eunice Goodale, her mark."

From the Franklin County Courthouse, in Greenfield, MA Grantor's Books, Volume 
49, page 35-36:
"Know all men by these presents, that I, James Goodale, gentleman, and Eunice 
Goodale, wife of the said James of Concord, in the County of Niagara and state 
of New York, in consideration of ten dollars paid by Amos Curtis [brother of 
Eunice Curtis Goodale] of New Salem, County of Franklin, yeoman, have revised, 
released and forever quitclaimed? unto the said Amos Curtis?"

"A certain tract of land in New Salem being one undivided ninth part of the 
north half of a 3rd Division Lot numbered 94, containing fifty acres? bounded 
south by Braddyll Smith's land and north by Stephen Upton's land? In witness 
whereof, we the said James and Eunice Goodale have hereunto set our hands and 
seals, this 3rd day of September, in the year of our Lord, 1820."

This land deed could be the missing link to indicate whether JONATHAN GOODALE 
ever gave any land to his children, or it could be land that Eunice Curtis 
Goodale's father left this land to his children. The term "one undivided ninth 
part of" is a phrase used when a parent is giving or leaving land to his or her 
children, indicating that there were nine children involved. According to our 
records and JONATHAN's will, he had only 8 children.

From the Franklin County Courthouse, in Greenfield, MA Grantee's Books, Volume 
80, page 248:
"To all people to whom these presents shall come, Greeting. I, Eleanor Curtis 
of New Salem, in the County of Franklin, etc, widow, for and in consideration 
of two thousand four hundred dollars? to me, paid in hand, by James Curtis and 
Sumner Curtis of New Salem, aforesaid? by these presents do freely? give, 
grant, bargain, sell, alien, release convey and confirm unto them, their heirs 
and assigns forever:"

"Five several tracts of land in said New Salem, viz.: One tract containing 
fifty acres more or less conveyed to the grantor by deed from Sarah Ingalls 
dated the 13th day of August, 1806. Also four other tracts of land in said New 
Salem containing thirty-seven acres and fifty-eight rods, be it more or less, 
conveyed to the said grantor by deed from JAMES GOODALE dated the 7th day of ?
Jan. 1814, recorded in Book 39, page 110; one other tract containing twenty-one 
and seven-eighths acres conveyed to the said grantor by deed from William 
Whitaker dated the 6th day April, 1822 and recorded in Book No. 56, page 124; 
one other tract containing six and a half acres conveyed to the said grantor by 
deed from James Goodale dated the 19th day of January, 1811 and recorded in 
Book No. 39, page 109; also one other tract of land containing twenty-five 
acres more or less, conveyed to the grantor by deed from Noah Phinney, junior, 
dated the 19th day of February, 1816 and recorded in Book 39, page 107. Also 
two other tracts of land situate in Erving Grant in said county, viz. One tract 
containing about fifty-one acres more or less conveyed to the grantor by deed 
from Elisha Alexander dated the 20th day of February, 1828, recorded in Book 
No. 73, page 317; the other tract containing forty acres more or less conveyed 
to the grantor by deed from Brigham Gage dated the first day of April, 1828 and 
recorded in Book No. 73, page 318; reference being had to the seven 
aforementioned deeds for the particular bounds and descriptions of the afore-
granted premises. Signed, Eleanor Curtis, 13th day of April, 1831, received May 
8, 1832.

This next story is related here, because this Goodell person in Concord, Erie 
Co, NY was left unnamed, and I cannot identify him as yet. James Goodell WAS 
NOT a drifter or vagabond, and therefore is NOT the person who committed the 
murder.

From the History of Concord, NY, page 247:
"The Vosburg Murder Case"
"Early in the fall of 1835, one Joseph Carter was conducting an ashery on what 
is now East Franklin Street, near Main Street, Springville, for the manufacture 
of potash. At this time the 'Big Mill' was being built by Manly Colton, of 
Buffalo. Mr. Colton had in his employ- one Vosburg, of Buffalo, as foreman of 
the mason work on the mill. Vosburg made the acquaintance of Carter, and was 
accustomed after his day's work was done to repair to the ashery, where Carter 
kept up a fire during the night in the arch under the huge caldron in which he 
prepared the potash. Here the two men would indulge in card-playing by the 
light of the fire. On the night of the supposed murder, Carter and Vosburg were 
joined in their pastime at the ashery by a vagabond character named GOODELL, 
who had no fixed home or occupation. On the night in question it appears the 
trio indulged freely in the ardent."

"The next morning the lifeless body of Vosburg was found outside of the ashery 
building, his clothing saturated with the black salts from the boiling 
cauldron, and signs that he had been dragged from the inside of the building to 
the outside. At once a very general impression prevailed that the man had been 
murdered by his two companions either by striking on the head with some 
murderous weapon and then throwing the body into the caldron to cover suspicion 
or by the more horrible method of throwing him by force into the boiling salts."

"Carter and GOODELL claimed that Vosburg fell accidentally into the caldron and 
so met his death. They were arrested for the murder, tried in Buffalo in the 
proper Court and acquitted, the evidence submitted by the prosecution being 
necessarily circumstantial."

"The defense proved that it was possible for a man to fall into such a place 
and get out before death would occur-such an instance having occurred some time 
previous in Sardinia."

This researcher would like to pursue this case, to see if the transcripts still 
exist at the Erie County Courthouse, or at least, to learn the first name of 
this "vagabond character named GOODELL" and establish his line of descendancy!

"State of New York, Erie Co} On this 5th day of December, 1832, personally 
appeared in open court before the Court of Common Pleas now sitting at Buffalo 
in said county, James Goodell, a resident of Collins in the county of Erie and 
the state of New York, aforesaid, aged 74 years; who being first duly sworn 
according to law, doth on his oath, make the following declaration?"

"That he enlisted in the Army of the United States in the year 1777 with 
Sergeant Hiliard and served in the 5th Regiment of the Massachusetts line, 
under the following named officers; enlisted for three years on the 5th day of 
May in the year 1777 and served in Capt. Daniel Shay's Company in Col. Putnam's 
Regiment in Gen'l Nixon's Brigade, the whole period of three years, and was 
discharged at a place called Soldier's Fortune about three miles from West 
Point, on the 5th day of May, 1780, by Col. Rufus Putnam, which discharge has 
been destroyed. That he was in the Battle at Saratoga at the surrender of 
General Burgoyne and in some skirmishes with the Indians in the North River at 
Ford Edward, at Cornelius Creek and in that vicinity. That since the Revolution 
he has resided in Franklin County Massachusetts, until he moved into this 
County, and that her has resided in the town of Collins his present residence, 
for eighteen years past..." Subscribed this 5th day of December, 1832. James 
Goodell."

"Declaration. State of New York, Erie County. On this 19th day of Sept, 1844, 
personally appeared before the subscriber, a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas 
in and for said county, Eunice Goodell, a resident of the town of Collins in 
said county of Erie, aged 84 years, who being first duly sworn according to 
law, doth on her oath make the following declaration?:"

"That she is the widow of James Goodell, late of the town of Collins, who was a 
Revolutionary soldier and a Revolutionary pensioner; that his pension 
certificate is hereunto annexed. She further declares that she was married to 
the said James Goodell on the 8th day of August in the year seventeen hundred 
and eighty (1780) by Joel Foster, a minister of the Gospel inn the town of New 
Salem in the state of Massachusetts; that her husband, the aforesaid James 
Goodell, died on the 16th day of March last, 1844. That she was not married to 
him prior to his leaving the service, but the marriage took place previous to 
the 1st of January 1794, viz, at the time above stated. Sworn to and subscribed 
on the day and year above written. Eunice Goodell, her mark. Before me, Bela H. 
Colgrove, a Judge of Erie County. I also certify that the applicant, Eunice 
Goodell, cannot, from bodily infirmity, attend the court. Bela H. Colgrove."

"James Goodale and Eunice Curtis, both of New Salem, were joined in marriage 
August 8th, 1780, by me, Joel Foster, pastor."

"I hereby certify that the above is a true copy of the record of the marriage 
of James Goodale and Eunice Curtis as entered on the town records of New Salem. 
A. Harding, Jr, Town Clerk, New Salem, August 25, 1844. "

Erie County, NY, Wills, #8269:
"To the Surrogate of the County of Erie: The petition of Elisha Washburn of the 
town of Collins of the County, respectfully showeth:
"That James Goodell, late of the town of Collins in the said county of Erie, 
deceased, died in the said town of Collins on or about the 16th day of March, 
1844, being at that time an inhabitant of the County of Erie; That he died 
leaving a last will and testament, which is now produced in the Surrogate's 
Court of the said County of Erie, before the said Surrogate, which bears date 
the 15th of October in the year of Our Lord 1838, and by which said last will 
and testament by the executor thereof;
"That the said deceased died possessed of real and personal estate in the said 
county of Erie, and that the following named persons are all heirs-at-law, 
widow and next of kin of the said deceased, and their respective ages and 
places of residence are as follows:
Eunice Goodell, testator of the County of Erie; [his wife]
Asa Goodell, of Fort Ann, in the County of Washington; [he was James brother]
Ezekiel Goodel of the County of Erie; [He was a son of James' brother, Ezekiel]
James Tyrer of the same place; [he was a son of James' sister, Ruth]
Joseph Gifford and Mary Ann, his wife;
Warren Tyrer, and Mary, his wife of the same place; [he was a grandson of 
James' sister, Ruth]
Kendall Johnson, and Lucinda, his wife, of the same place;
Rufus Washburn, Jr;
Jacob P. Barden, residence unknown;
Charles Barden, residence unknown and all of full age;
Caroline Barden of the county of Chautauqua;
Gilbert Barden, Fanny Barden and Elisha Barden, all of the County of Erie, and 
minors under the age of 21, and who have no general guardian;
Solomon Valentine and Maria, his wife;
James Goodell of Junius, Seneca County; [he was a son of James's brother, 
Ezekiel]
Leonard Briggs and Sally, his wife, of Dansville, Livingston County; [she was a 
daughter of James' brother, Ezekiel]
Joel Goodell, whose residence is unknown, all of full age. [He was a son of 
Ezekiel, James' brother]
Dated April 12, 1844, Elisha Washburn

"Your petitioner further showeth that he is desirous of having the said will 
admitted to probate, and of having letters testamentary granted thereon, and 
also of having the said will proved and recorded according to law, as a will of 
personal and real estate; and therefore prays that the same may be so proved 
and recorded as aforesaid, and that all such process and proceedings may be had 
and taken thereon, for that purpose, as are just and proper and as the law may 
require, etc. Dated April 12, 1844, Signed Elisha Washburn, [junior].

On a page labeled Petition for Citation for Settlement which was wrongly filed 
under the probate for a Samuel Goodell, there are these handwritten comments by 
Elisha Washburn:

"That to the best of my knowledge and belief, Ezekiel Goodell and James Tyrer 
of Concord in the County of Erie, and the heirs-at-law of John [implying that 
John was deceased], and William Tyrer, whose residence is unknown, and LUTHER 
and Asa TYRER of Wisconsin, and James Goodell of Junius, Onandaga County, NY; 
are all the persons interested in the estate of said deceased and in the 
settlement of his accounts. Dated September 5, 1848."

This is a very revealing statement, in that it tells us that John Tyrer and 
William Tyrer lived to adulthood and possibly lived long enough to have borne 
heirs, and that William might still be living in 1848, without the knowledge of 
Elisha Washburn, junior and the other New Yorkers. It is also the best proof 
that we have that RUTH TYRER was first RUTH GOODALE/ GOODELL, the sister of 
James Goodale/ Goodell, since her children are listed as heirs-at-law to James 
Goodell.

Next follows some of the signed receipts, received of Elisha Washburn, 
administrator of the estate of James Goodale:

"Buffalo, Sept. 17, 1844-Received of Elisha Washburn, ex. of James Goodale, 
deceased, thirty-eight cents, surrogate's ___ ___, oath ?testamentary. Thomas 
G. Love by Thom. J. Tirer"

"August 1, 1846-Received of Elisha Washburn, administrator of James Goodale, 
fifty dollars, in full. Collins. Warren and Mary Tyrer."

"Collins, April 24th, 1847. Received of E. Washburn, executor of James Goodale, 
deceased, on bed and bedding according to his will. George W. Vallentine, Mary 
Vallentine."

[I am not sure if this index reference is to the above Letter of testament]
http://files.usgwarchives.net/ny/erie/wills/indexes/lt/v2.txt
PROBATE: Index to Letters of Testamentary, Vol. 2 (1832-1850); Erie Co., New 
York
"GOODALE, JAMES NTL 2-143"

James Goodell is buried in the Marshfield Burying Ground in North Collins, NY, 
as is his wife, Eunice. Her stone is broken off, and has been moved to the side 
of the cemetery. His is a plain, unadorned 'J. Goodell,' slate slab. His stone 
deserves recognition as a soldier of the American Revolution.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ny/erie/bios/goodellg1150gbs.txt
This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/nyfiles/

File size: 92.0 Kb