Military Service of Thomas Jefferson Goforth

Thomas Jefferson Goforth mustered into US Service for three years on Dec. 23, 1863, at Columbus, Kentucky (PVT, Co. C, 14th Regt. Iowa Infantry). The regiment, organized at Davenport, Iowa in late 1861, moved in June 1863, from Cairo, Illinois to Columbus, Kentucky and remained there on garrison duty for seven months. On Jan. 24, 1864, the regiment embarked on steamers bound for Vicksburg.

During its campaigns, the 14th sustained the loss of 5 officers and 59 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded. An additional one officer and 138 enlisted men died as a result of disease or other non-battle causes. Colonel William T. Shaw of the 14th was dismissed from the service, apparently after a letter he wrote to a friend telling of the drunken cowardice of Generals Dwight, Emory and McMillian at the Baffle of Pleasant Hill, April 1864, was printed in the Anamosa Eureka, New Orleans newspaper.

Time lines pertinent to the enlistment of Thomas Jefferson Goforth are as follows:

• Enlisted Dec. 22, 1863 at Columbus, KY
• Operations around Jackson, TN Dec. 20, 1862 to Jan. 4, 1863
• Movement to St. Louis, MO Jan. 10, 1863
• Meridian, MS Campaign Feb. 2 - Mar. 2, 1864
• Skirmishes, Meridian, MS Feb 14, 1864 and Marion, MS Feb. 15-17, 1864
• Skirmish, Canton, MS Feb. 28, 1864
• Banks' Red River Campaign, LA Mar. 10 - May 22, 1864
• Engagement and Capture, Fort DeRussey, LA Mar. 14, 1864
• Occupation, Alexandria, LA Mar. 16, 1864
• Combat, Henderson's Hill, LA Mar. 21, 1864
• Engagement, Pleasant Hill, LA Apr. 9, 1864
• Engagement, Cloutersville and Cane River Crossing, LA Apr 22-24, 1864
• Operations about Alexandria, LA Apr. 27 - May 3, 1864
• Skirmishes, Moore's Plantation, LA May 5 - 7, 1864
• Engagement, Bayou Boeuf, LA May 7, 1864
• Skirmish, Bayou LaMourie, LA May 12, 1864
• Retreat to Morganza, LA May 13 -20, 1864
• Engagement, Mansufa, LA May 16, 1864
• Engagement, Yellow Bayou, LA May 18-19, 1864
• Movement to Memphis, TN by way of Vicksburg, MS May 20 - Jun. 10, 1864
• Engagement, Lake Chicot, Ditch Bayou, Grand Lake, Grand Village, AR Jun. 6 - 7, 1864
• Smith's Expedition to Tupelo, MS Jul. 5 -21, 1864
• Skirmish, Pontotoc, MS Jul. 11, 1864
• Engagement, Camargo's Cross Roads near Harrisburg, MS Jul. 13, 1864
• Engagement, Tupelo, MS Jul. 14 - 15, 1864
• Combat, Old Town, MS Jul. 15, 1864