Private George W. Gould, U.S. Army
Company F, 25th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, XVIII Corps KIA, Friday, June 3, 1864, Cold Harbor, VA., age 31.
George Gould was born in 1832 or 1833 in Providence, Rhode Island. George’s parents were James and Mary Ann Gould. He had a few brothers and at least one sister. One was an older brother James R. Gould who was born in Rhode Island in August 1829. In the 1850 U. S. Census for Blackstone, MA. there was a James R. Gould age 20, baker, born in 
Rhode Island living there with his wife Harriet A. (Darling) Gould, age 22. This James R. and Harriet A. Gould were still there in 1860 and had a daughter Ann C. Gould, age 7. By 1870 James had moved his family to Woonsocket, RI. and has five children, one a 4-year-old son named George. He was still working as a baker and died between 1900 and 1910. He also had a brother William H. Gould who was a lawyer. From letters he wrote to his mother he obviously had other brothers and sisters. Besides that, no other information on George Gould’s birth family has been found.
George Gould moved to Leicester at least by 1848 and lived with the family of Erastus Wheaton. George was a student in the English Department at Leicester Academy, in 1848 and 1851. George’s wife Almira Bemis was born and raised in Spencer. They were married in Leicester on September 21, 1853, George was 21, Almira was 16. He called her Mira. When he got married George was a farmer. When their daughter Ada Lillian Gould was born August 3, 1855 George’s occupation was listed as bootmaker. On October 23, 1857 when their daughter Clara Etta Gould was born, they were living in Grafton and George was working as a boot fitter, and when their daughter Cora Merriam Gould was born September 10, 1859 George was listed as a farmer and living again in Leicester. According to the 1860 U. S. Census they lived three houses away from the family of John and Susan Ball who lived at the end of Sylvester St. near the intersection of Reservoir St., which was at the north end of Lynde Brook Reservoir.
When George was in the army, he wrote home often and several of those letters exist. In one of these letters home to his mother, dated Camp Picket, Hills Point, Washington, NC. October 12, 1863, he wrote of his wife Mira’s death. She had fallen ill on August 27, 1863 and died September 23, 1863 at the age of 26 of typhoid fever. According to another letter he wrote his mother, dated Camp Upton, Newport News, VA., November 3, 1863, his three children were living with their grandmother in Leicester, Tirzah Mead.
George Gould was 29 when he enlisted and mustered in the 25th Massachusetts on July 10, 1862 at Worcester, MA. It is not known if his enlistment was for two or three years. George Gould was a Leicester resident at time of enlistment and was still working as a farmer / laborer. He was 5 ft. 5 ½ in. tall and had light brown hair, blue eyes, and a light complexion. He received a town bounty of $125. This money came from bounty money authorized to be raised at a town meeting held on July 26, 1861. In 1862 his family received $80 in aid from the town of Leicester from a fund set up to aid the dependents of volunteers in service. They received an additional $144 in 1863. On September 23, 1863 his wife Almira A. Gould died of typhoid fever at the age of 26. She died in Paxton, but it is not known if that is where she was residing at the time. Almira was buried at Center Cemetery in Paxton, MA.
The 25th Massachusetts moved to Annapolis, MD. from October 31-November 1, 1861 and were on duty there until January 7, 1862. Attached to Burnside’s Expeditionary Corp they then moved to coastal North Carolina to Hatteras Inlet and Roanoke Island from January 7-February 7, 1862 and were in action at the Battle of Roanoke Island February 8, 1862. They were then in the Expedition to New Bern travelling from March 11-13, 1862. They participated in the Battle of New Bern on March 14, 1862. The 25th Massachusetts was then assigned to provost duty at New Bern until May 9,1862. On May 15-16, 1862 the 25th Massachusetts performed a reconnaissance toward Trenton, NC. and fought a skirmish at Trenton Bridge on May 15, 1862. They then performed picket and outpost duty in the area until July 1862 when they were involved in an expedition to Trenton and Pollocksville from July 24-28, 1862.
The 25th Massachusetts then returned to New Bern, NC. where they performed picket and outpost duty until December 10, 1862. They fought a small Confederate force on November 11, 1862. They were a part of Foster’s Expedition to Goldsboro, NC. from December 10-20, 1862. During this campaign they were involved in fighting at Kinston, NC. on December 14, 1862 and at Whitehall, NC. on December 17, 1862. When they returned to New Bern they were placed on picket and outpost duty in the area until October 1863.
They marched against a Confederate demonstration of force at Kinston, NC. from March 6-8, 1863 and engaged a Confederate force, the 45th North Carolina, at Core Creek on March 6 and 7, 1862 routing them. They also were involved in skirmishes at Deep Gully in New Berne on March 13-14, 1863 and defended against another Confederate demonstration on Kinston from May 20-23, 1863 with fighting at Gum Creek on May 22, 1863. The 25th Massachusetts was in back to back expeditions in July 1863 first to Swift Creek from July 17-20, 1863 and then to Winton, NC. from July 25-31, 1863. The 25th Massachusetts was then transferred to Newport News, VA. traveling there by steamship from October 16-18, 1863 and were on duty there until January when the enlistments of most of the men in the regiment was ending.
Once at Newport News the army began a reenlistment drive among the veterans and a recruitment drive all over the north. The men who had enlisted in the summer of 1861 were scheduled to be discharged the following summer of 1864. This was the case throughout the army. It is not known if George’s enlistment was for two or three years. He stated in a letter home to his mother, dated Camp Oliver, New Bern, NC, May 14, 1863, that he had 17 months to go. That would put the end of his enlistment in October 1864. Which would be two year and three months from the time he entered the Army. After much deliberation over several weeks Pvt. George Gould decided to reenlist. This may have been more for the money offered than anything else. He was discharged on January 18, 1864, age 31, and reenlisted on January 19, 1864 for a $260.66 bounty at Newport News, VA. A bounty card dated June 18, 1864 states, Receipt of order $ Blank receipt, Memoranda, “*Certificate of reenlistment.” Payee George W. Gould, To be paid $50, Pay D.E. Merriam and his endorsement to John D. Cogswell ??? order.” D. E. Merriam was a Leicester resident and was the cashier of the local bank and had considerable wealth but none of the children were living with him in 1870.
On January 22, 1864 the 25th Massachusetts moved to Portsmouth, VA. and saw duty in the Defenses of Portsmouth until April 1864. On February 29, 1864 Pvt. George Gould went on a 30-day furlough to Massachusetts. He and others from the 25th Massachusetts who were also at home on furlough departed Boston to return to duty on Wednesday, March 23, 1864 around noon. They arrived at Camp Wellington near Portsmouth, VA. on Saturday, March 26, 1864 at about 6:00 in the evening. When they came into camp the regiment was packed and ready to move which they did within hours to Camp Wellington at Getty’s station near Portsmouth, VA. The 25th Massachusetts was moved down to Yorktown, VA. on April 26, 1864. Here they joined the forces that were gathering under Gen. Butler’s operations on the south side of the James River and against Petersburg and Richmond, VA. This was a part of Gen. Grant’s overall plan to move on these two cities. As they advanced, they fought skirmishes and occupied and overran in rapid succession City Point and Bermuda Hundred on May 5, 1864, Port Walthall and Chester Station on May 6-7, 1864, Swift Creek and Arrowfield Church, VA. on May 9-10, 1864. The 25th Massachusetts was in operations against Port Darling, VA. from May 12-16, 1864. The first large action seen was at Drury’s Bluff. Here the fighting raged from May 14-16, 1864. They were then on the Bermuda Hundred front from May 17- 28, 1864.
On May 28, 1864 they began to move to White House, VA. and then on to Cold Harbor arriving there on June 1, 1864. The 25th Massachusetts saw some of the fiercest fighting at Cold Harbor, VA. outside of Petersburg, VA. and suffered heavy casualties. On June 3, 1864 Pvt. George Gould and three other Leicester men from the 25th Massachusetts, Pvt. William H. Kenney, Pvt. Albert S. Hurd, and Pvt. Lyman Moulton, were killed in action at the Battle of Cold Harbor, VA. Several other men from Leicester were wounded in this action also. Pvt. George Gould’s body was returned home to Massachusetts. To return the remains of a fallen soldier home was done so at the family’s expense. It is likely that his brothers and possibly the Meads, all who were fairly well off, paid the costs of retrieving, embalming and transporting his body home. George Gould was buried next to his wife Almira at Center Cemetery in Paxton.
A bounty card dated April 10, 1865 states, “Soldier, George W. Gould (deceased), See files of 1865, April 11, 1865 $28.66, $40, $142, and $6.57 sent check. Letter from D. W. Haskins, Abstract, Referring to application of George Gould for bounty due soldiers.” It is not known who D. W. Haskins is. In the 1870 census there is a Daniel W. Haskins, age 42, living in Ward 5 of Worcester who was a relatively wealthy house builder. However, none of the Gould children were living with his family. He is the only Haskins the comes close to matching the name on the bounty card.
[Art courtesy of Library of Congress.]
George W. Gould’s Children and Other Biographical & Genealogical Information
What became of his children is as follows: There is a Worcester County Probate Record dated 1864 for George W. Gould, record type Probate Administration, case no. 24965, last place of residence Leicester. Exactly what this record pertains to is not known, but probably has to do with his children. George S. Bond of Leicester was the administrator of George Gould’s estate. He would take in and raise one of George’s daughters.
Ada Lillian Gould
George and Almira Gould’s oldest daughter Ada Lillian Gould was living with the Marshall Mead family in Leicester in 1865. Marshall’s wife Terza was Ada’s grandmother. They placed her in an orphanage within the next few years. Ada is enumerated in the 1870 U. S. Census as one of 27 children living in an orphans’ home owned and run by 56-year-old Miss Tamerson White in Worcester. In the 1880 census this home was listed as the Children’s Friend Society; this orphanage still exists under that name. Ada was probably still there when she died in 1872. On November 19,1872 Ada passed away at the age of 17 of typhoid fever and was buried next to her parents in Paxton.
Marriage, intention filed December 9, 1842, Leicester and Spencer, MA.
Marriage, December 28, 1842, Spencer, MA.
Marshall S. Mead
Terzah W. Bemis of Spencer
1855 Massachusetts State Census, Leicester, MA., September 4, 1855
Marshall S. Mead, age 45, b. MA., farmer Turzah W. Mead, age 49, b. MA.
Charles T. Mead, age 8, b. MA.
George W. Mead, age 4, b. MA.
Sally Green, age 75, b. MA.
Mary Sylvester, age 80, b. MA.
1865 Massachusetts State Census, Leicester, MA., (Living at 75 Whittemore St. at the present-day Johnson farm.)
Marshall S. Mead, age 53, b. Medford, MA., farmer
Tirsa W. Mead, age 59, b. Spencer, MA.
Charles T. Mead, age 17, b. Leicester, MA., student
George W. Mead, age 14, b. Leicester, MA.
Ada L. Gould, age 9, b. Leicester, MA.
1870 U. S. Census, Orphans’ Home, Ward 6, Worcester, MA., July 9, 1870 Ada Gould, age 14, b. MA., at school.
Ada L. Gould, d. November 19, 1872, age 17, Worcester, MA., typhoid fever, born MA. father George W. Gould, b. RI, mother Almira A. Gould, b. MA., buried Center Cemetery, Paxton, MA.
Clara Etta Gould
George’s middle daughter Clara Etta Gould was adopted by Charles C. Hatch and his wife Sarah Jane Hatch of Leicester and her name was changed to Nellie Elizabeth Hatch.
NOTE: Probate Records
Case No. 24944, Clara E. Gould, res. Leicester, Guardian 1864, also see Ada L. Gould case 24929, for records see bond and letter in Vol. 356 pg. 157, Appeal in Vol. 356 pg. 217 Case No. 24943, Clara E. Gould, res. Leicester, Adoption and change of name 1864, for records see Nellie E. Hatch res. Leicester case 28211, adoption.
Nellie E. Hatch, Case No. 28211, res. Leicester, adoption and name change 1864
Case No. 28211, Petition, Citation, and Decree for Adoption and Name Change, Nellie Elizabeth Hatch, Clara E. Gould, filed September 6, 1864, recorded vol. 341, pg. 74.
This request was submitted to the Worcester County Probate Court on August 8, 1864. Also signing the document and giving consent to the adoption was Clara’s grandmother Terzah W. Mead, her grandfather James Gould, and her uncle James R. Gould. They appeared before the Worcester County Probate Court on September 6, 1864 and the adoption and name change was approved by the court.
Marriage, October 28, 1858, Leicester, MA.
Charles Cheney Hatch, b. June 14, 1828, Leicester, MA., parents Cheney Hatch and Eliza Hall Sarah Jane Richardson, b. April 14, 1839, Shrewsbury, MA., parents William and Mary Fowler
1870 U. S. Census, Leicester, MA., July 2, 1870
Charles C. Hatch, age 42, b. MA., personal estate $4,200, retail merchant
Sarah J. Hatch, age 32, b. MA., keeping house
Nellie E. Hatch, age 12, b. MA., at school
Marriage, June 27, 1877, Worcester, MA., by Clergyman George S. Chadboume Nellie E. Hatch, age 19, b. Grafton, MA., res. Worcester, MA., parents Charles E. and S. Jane Hatch Stillman H. Moulton, age 37, b. November 1842 Albany or Groton, VT., res. Worcester, MA., merchant, parents Michael and Mary Moulton.
1880 U. S. Census, 8 Madison St., Worcester, MA., June 2, 1880
Charles C. Hatch, age 51, b. MA., both parents b. MA., dry goods clerk
Jenny Hatch, age 41, wife, b. MA., both parent b. MA., keeping house, ailment dropsy of the head
Stillman Moulton, age 40, b. VT., both parents b. VT., fancy goods dealer
Nellie Moulton, age 22, b. MA., both parents b. MA., boarder
Julia Strong, age 30, b. MA., both parents b. MA., servant, single
Harriet N. Albro, age 78, b. MA., both parents b. MA., widow
Charles Cheney Hatch, d. June 5, 1889, age 60 years 6 months 20 days, Worcester, MA., cardiac dropsy, Hope Cemetery, Worcester, MA.
Sarah Jane (Richardson) Hatch, d. July 12, 1915, age 77 years 2 months 28 days, 3 Hookset Ter., Worcester, MA., paralysis agitan with anaemia, funeral July 14, 1915 Hope Cemetery, Worcester, MA.
Stillman H. Moulton, d. March 7, 1918, age 77 yrs 4 mths, Worcester, MA., Hope Cemetery, Worcester, MA.
Nellie Elizabeth (Hatch) Moulton (Clara Etta Gould), d. January 15, 1920, age 62 years 2 months 23 days, Worcester, MA., Hope Cemetery, Worcester, MA.
Cora Merriam Gould
George and Almira’s youngest daughter, Cora Merriam Gould went to live with the family of George S. Bond in Leicester. She is recorded in the 1870 census at age 10 with the Bond family who had moved to Chester, MA. in Hampden County. Sometime before 1880 Cora married a man named Stone. No record of this marriage has been found. In the 1880 census she was again living with George and Aliza Bond now in Warren and was ill with epilepsy. Although she was listed as married her husband was not living there. By 1886 she was living in Worcester when, at the age of 27, she married James McKinstry. There is no record of them having any children. They were at Martha’s Vineyard in August 1897 when her husband James died. It is likely that they were there for the annual religious gathering at the Martha’s Vineyard Camp-Meeting Association which was held in August. Cora passed away the following month from complications of her epilepsy. Both are buried at Pine Grove Cemetery in Leicester in the family plot of George S. Bond.
Marriage, intention filed March 25, 1837, Leicester, MA.
George Sumner Bond, b. June 10, 1815, Brimfield, MA., parents George Bond and Esther Taylor Eliza Lamb, b. Brimfield, MA.
Mariah E. Bond, b. February 3, 1839, Leicester, MA.
Issac Lamb Bond, b. March 31, 1841, Leicester, MA.
1855 Massachusetts State Census, Leicester, MA., September 4, 1855 George S. Bond, age 40, b. MA., farmer Eliza L. Bond, age 37, b. MA.
Maria E. Bond, age 16, b. MA.
Issac L. Bond, age 14, b. MA.
George Nikols, age 17, b. MA., boot maker
1860 U. S. Census, Leicester, MA., June 13, 1860
George S. Bond, age 45, b. MA., farmer, real estate value $550, personal estate $500 Eliza Bond, age 43, b. MA.
Isaac L. Bond, age 19, b. MA, school teacher
Emma L. Halliday, age 10, b. MA., attended school
1865 Massachusetts State Census, Bond St., south of old school, Leicester, MA.
George Bond, age 50, b. Brimfield, MA.
Eliza L. Bond, age 47, b. Spencer, MA.
Issac L. Bond, age 24, b. Leicester, MA., student
Cora M. Gould, age 5, b. Grafton, MA.
1870 U. S. Census, Chester, MA. Huntington Post Office, Hampden County, August 7, 1870
George S. Bond, age 55, b. MA., tanner, real estate value $2,850, personal estate $5,750
Eliza L. Bond, age 53, b. MA., keeping house
Isaac L. Bond, age 29, b. MA., shoe maker, personal estate $2,300
Cora M. Gould, age 10, b. MA., at school.
1880 U. S. Census, Warren, MA., Worcester County, June 21, 1880
George S. Bond, age 65, b. MA., both parents b. MA., boot bottomer
Eliza L. Bond, age 62, b. MA., both parents b. MA., house worker
Cora M. Stone, age 20, b. MA., both parents b. MA., boarder, married, sick with epilepsy.
NOTE: No record of Cora’s first marriage has been found.
George S. Bond, d. August 25, 1906, age 91 years 2 months 15 days, 12 Page St., Worcester, MA., acute bronchitis, la grippa plus general debility and senility, feeble for a year, buried Leicester, b. Brimfield, informant daughter Maria E. Kent.
Eliza (Lamb) Bond, d. January 8, 1899, age 81, Worcester, buried Leicester, b. Spencer, parents Isaac Lamb and Abigail White
Marriage, June 12, 1886, Worcester, MA., by Clergyman D. H. Stoddard
Cora M. (Gould) Stone, age 27, b. Leicester, res. Worcester, at home, parents George W. and Almira A. Gould, second marriage.
James A. McKinstry, age 47, b. 1838 Northbridge, res. Worcester, bootmaker, parents Andrew J. McKinstry and Mary A. Dicky, first marriage.
James A. McKinstry, d. August 16, 1897, age 58 years 7 months 28 days, Cottage City, Martha’s Vineyard, malaria, liver, heart, and kidneys plus exhaustion, res. Worcester, burial Pine Grove Cemetery, Leicester, MA., soap and bluing dealer.
Cora M. (Gould-Stone) McKinstry, d. September 18, 1897, age 38 years 8 days, epilepsy and catalepsy plus heart failure, Worcester, burial Pine Grove Cemetery, Leicester, MA.
In a letter to George’s mother after his death from Almira Wheaton Mars?, dated Leicester, June 12,1864, she replies about George’s bounty pay for reenlisting. In the letter she refers to Christopher. There was a Christopher Wheaton who married Almira Sibley on August 11, 1841 in Leicester, both being from Leicester.
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Maternal grandmother of George W. Gould and Almira Gould’s daughters
Tirzah Tucker
Marriage, October 20, 1836, Spencer, MA.
Amasa Bemis, 2nd
Tirza Tucker, b. October 15, 1806 (based on age at death), parents Jonathan and Betsy Tucker (from death record)
NOTE: Although no record of birth of any children of Amasa and Tirzah (Tucker) Bemis has been found, the adoption records of Cora M. Gould states that Tirzah W. (Bemis) Mead was her grandmother. It is highly likely that Amasa Bemis, 2nd and Tirzah (Tucker) Bemis are Almira Bemis’ parents. Given Almira (Bemis) Gould’s exact age at death her birthday was August 2, 1837.
Terzah remarried in 1842 and Almira shows up living with Terzah and her new family in Leicester in the 1850 U. S. Census.
Amasa Bemis 2nd, d. May 8, 1839, Spencer, MA.
Marriage, intention filed December 9, 1842, Leicester and Spencer, MA.
Marriage, December 28, 1842, Spencer, MA.
Marshall S. Mead
Terzah W. Bemis of Spencer, b. October 15, 1806 (based on age at death), parents Jonathan and Betsy Tucker (from death record)
1850 U. S. Census, Leicester, MA., September 2, 1850 Marshall S. Mead, age 39, b. MA., farmer, real estate value $3,000 Terzah Mead, age 42, b. MA.
Charles T. Mead, age 3
Almira A. Bemis, age 13, b. MA., attended school
Tirzah W. Mead, d. November 23, 1889, age 83 years 1 month 8 days, housewife, Holden, MA., cancer of the bowels, buried Paxton, MA., parents Jonathan and Ruth both b. Spencer, MA.
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Marriage, intention filed November 2, 1817, Leicester, MA.
Erastus Wheaton, b. September 19, 1793, Leicester, MA., parents Christopher Wheaton and Abigail Brewer
Betsey Silvester
1850 U.S. Census, Leicester, MA., September 3, 1850
Erastus Wheaton, age 56, b. MA., farmer, real estate value $800
Betsy Wheaton, age 57, b. MA.
George W. Gould, age 18, b. RI, farmer
Delia Norcross, age 73, b. MA.
1850 U. S. Census, Leicester, MA., September 2, 1850
Marshall S. Mead, age 39, b. MA., farmer, real estate value $3,000
Terzah Mead, age 42, b. MA.
Charles T. Mead, age 3
Almira A. Bemis, age 13, b. MA., attended school
Marriage, September 21, 1853, Leicester, MA. by Minister of the Gospel A. C. Dennison
George W. Gould, age 21, b. Providence, res. Leicester, farmer, parents James and Mary Ann Gould
Almira A. Bemis, age 16, b. Spencer, res. Leicester, parents Amasa and Levina Bemis
Ada Lillian Gould, b. August 3, 1855, Leicester, MA.
d. November 19, 1872, age 17, Worcester, MA., typhoid fever
Clarra Etta Gould, b. October 23, 1857, Grafton, MA.
Cora Merriam Gould, b. September 10, 1859, Leicester, MA.
NOTE: This was a two-family house. Both Marshall Mead’s and George Gould’s families lived here. 1855 Massachusetts State Census, Leicester, MA. Town, September 4, 1855 Marshall S. Mead, age 45, b. MA., farmer Turzah W. Mead, age 48, b. MA.
Charles T. Mead, age 8, b. MA.
George W. Mead, age 4, b. MA.
Sally Green, age 75, b. MA.
George W. Gould, age 23, born MA., bootmaker Elmire N. Gould, age 18, born MA.
daughter, Gould, age 1 month, born MA. (no first name given, must be Ada Lillian)
Clara Tucker, age 23, b. MA.
1860 U.S. Census, Leicester, MA., June 20, 1860 George W. Gould, age 27, b. RL, personal estate $50 Elmire N. Gould, age 21, b. MA.
Ada L. Gould, age 4, b. MA.
Clara E. Gould, age 2, b. MA.
Cora M. Gould, age 8 months, b. MA.
NOTE: The Gould’s were living three dwellings from the family of John and Susan Ball who lived at the north end of Lynde Brook Reservoir on Sylvester St. near the intersection of Reservoir St.
Almira Allen Gould, d. September 26, 1863, age 26yrs lmth 24days, Paxton, MA., typhoid fever
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Pvt. George W. Gould Soldiers Monument
Leicester Town Hall
Washburn Sq.
Leicester, MA.
Pvt. George W. Gould Center Cemetery Richards St.
Paxton, MA.
Old Section, Lot 88 (was listed lot 83)
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NOTE: This written account, including the detailed biographical and genealogical records, were kindly supplied by Patrick McKeon, a local historian and member of the Leicester Historical Commission, based upon his own research. I remain extremely grateful to Patrick for his help and support with this project.
Resurrecting Lost Voices 