(from: Fulton Daily Sun-Gazette, Monday, Oct 22, 1934)

CONFEDERATE VETERAN DIES AT FULTON HOME
Capt. William Jesse Gooldy Passes at Home of Son Sunday
A GALLANT SOLDIER
Once marched more than 100 miles with both arms in slings

Capt William Jesse Gooldy, 96 years old, one of the few remaining Confederate 
veterans of Callaway County and former collector of the Kingdom, died at 3 
o'clock Sunday morning at the home of his son, City Marshall Charles R Gooldy 
on East Fifth Street. Mr. Gooldy had been seriously ill for several weeks 
following a rapid decline in his health and grew gradually worse until the end.

He was one of Callaway's most interesting and distinguished citizens and for a 
number of years was a patriarchal figure of Fulton streets where he interestingly 
told of narratives of the Civil War and early days of Callaway.

Funeral services will be conducted at the Gooldy home at 2:00 o'clock Tuesday 
afternoon, the Rev. J. N. Boyd, pastor of the Court Street Methodist Church of 
Fulton officiating, and burial will be at the Grand Prairie cemetery, northwest 
of Auxyasse. Capt. Gooldy will be buried in his Confederate uniform.

Mr Gooldy was born in Bedford County, Virginia, December 28, 1837, a son of the 
late Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Gooldy, and was married first in 1867 to Miss Carnella 
Craighead. They came that same fall by train to St Louis and there took a boat 
for Portland. They disembarked there and went to the Tom Halley farm east of 
Fulton. Fulton was his home on several occasions, including the period he was 
county collector. He was chosen in 1900 and served in 1901 and 1902, the terms 
at that time being two years. He then returned to his farm at Auxvasse. Mrs. 
Gooldy preceded him in death in 1891. He subsequently married Miss Alice Mosely 
of South Callaway and Mrs. Katherine Liter of Bowling, both of whom also preceded 
him in death. For the last fifteen years he has been making his home with his son 
in Fulton.

Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Gooldy and seven of theses are living. 
They are Charles R Gooldy of Fulton, Mrs. A P Cunningham of Sarcoxie, Mrs. Maude 
Wilson of Los Angeles, Calif.; P. L. Gooldy of Savery, Wyo., Mrs. Ed Jones of 
Lorena, Tex, A. Y. Gooldy of Denver, Colo., and E. H. Gooldy of St Louis, The 
last two named were twins. He also leaves one brother, James Gooldy of Fulton. 
Among the survivors are sixteen grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren.

Capt Gooldy enlisted in the Confederate army April 1, 1861, from Bedford County, 
Va. and was ordered to Lynchburg. His first baffle was at Manassas where the 
Confederates defeated McDowell and his forces and routed the Federals. He remained 
around Manassas until the next year doing picket duty and skirmishing but no real 
fighting.

In March 1862 he was ordered with the army to Yorktown and participated in the 
battle of Williamsburg. During this engagement the colonel was captured and Capt 
Gooldy, with two others, was commanded to go after him, and they succeeding in 
overcoming their captors and rescuing the colonel.

The army fell back near Richmond and there fought the battle of Gainesville. Gen. 
Pickett was wounded severely but recovered. During the last day of May and the 
first day of June they were at Seven Pines. Next the Battle of Frazier Farm was 
fought, where the enemy was routed again. On December 18, 1862, Capt Gooldy's 
organization, again routed the enemy at Fredericksburg, led by Burnside who had 
crossed the Rappahannock River. The ground was covered with dead bodies. The 
Confederates lost heavily, but not as many as the Union army.

They went into winter quarters about January 10, 1863, after spending many weary 
days, through inclement weather, and hardships. About February 6, the army was 
ordered to Washington, D C.  Though the trip was made through mud and snow in 
about three weeks, they failed to capture the city and then were ordered to 
Suffolk, Va. During the marches they had no tents, no clean clothes, so Mr. 
Gooldy said, "I took off my shirt and washed it in a gully by the roadside."

July 1, 2, 3, 1863 from Suffolk they were ordered to make the Pennsylvania 
campaign, fought the battle of Gettysburg where Capt. Gooldy was wounded in 
his left hand and right arm.  He walkedfrom this place to Stanton, Va., a 
distance of 140 miles, with both arms in slings.  All bridges were burned 
and no trains were running.  From this time on he did duty at Cold Harbor, 
Chester Station, and Hatcher's Run.  At the last place his captain and third 
lieutenant were both killed.  He was first lieutenant in that battle and there 
he was also made captain.

On April 6 at Sailor's Creek he and his command were captured and he was in 
prison in Washington at the time President Lincoln was assassinated.

From the prison he was sent to Johnson's Island and was discharged June 18, 
1865.

Capt. Gooldy lived through the terms of all but five presidents of the United 
States, the exceptions being Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe.

Capt. Gooldy was a man who retained his wonderful memory to the last.  Even as 
late as a month ago he walked about and enjoyed life.  Quite naturally his 
greatest interest was in recounting stories of the Civil War, in which he took 
an active and gallant part on the Confederate side.  No one was ever found to 
tire of listening to Capt. Gooldy, as he had the capacity to retell his stories 
well and entertainingly, and especially the younger generation was fond of his 
narratives.