Gaston, Joseph.  "The Centennial History of Oregon, 1811-1912."  Vol. 4. 
Chicago, Clarke Publishing Co., 1912. p. 421.
 
ALBERT J. GOODBROD

     Is one of the best known among the early pioneers of this state, in which
he has spent the major portion of his long and active life.  He is indeed one of
the battle-shattered veterans of the civil war and notwithstanding the hardship
of his early pioneer days and the all but death-dealing experiences through
which he passed as a defender of the stars and stripes, he is still an active
member of society and one of the successful agriculturists and fruit-growers of
Union county.
     He was born at Wittenberg, Germany, February 27, 1844, and is the son of
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Goodbrod, both of whom were natives of that country.Thomas
Goodbrod with his wife and two children emigrated to America in 1852 and on
reaching the new world he established his home at Newark, New Jersey, where he
maintained his residence for many years and where five of the nine children born
to himself and wife were called in one year from the fireside of their parents'
home to the land beyond, the cause of their death having been the result of an
acute and malignant attack of measles.
     Albert J. Goodbrod was reared in his father's home and received his early
education in the public schools.  After coming to America he became an
apprenticed baker and continued in that work until he had acquired a complete
knowledge and understanding of the trade, and for some years gave his entire
time to the pursuit of that vocation.  At the age of seventeen years he heard
the cry of his adopted country calling for volunteers in defense of her flag and
on the 3d day of January, 1862, he enlisted in Company B, Eleventh New York
Volunteer Cavalry, which later in army parlance was nicknamed "Scott's Nine
Hundred," with Colonel James P. Swine in command.  He was mustered out into the
United States service in New York city and left at once with his regiment for
Washington, D. C., where for a brief time only the personnel of the regiment was
maintained.  Some of its companies were commissioned to do duty in Maryland,
others were distributed through various places where the army was in the field
and some were retained in Washington.  Company B, to which Mr. Goodbrod
belonged, was first engaged at Muddy Branch and in various part of Maryland,
also doing patrol duty at Washington, D. C.  It has the distinction of having at
one time served as a bodyguard to President Lincoln.  Later it was transferred
to New Orleans and in June, 1863, Company B and Company L, of the old New York
regiment, were sent to Virginia for the purpose of heading off a part of Lee's
army.  On that expedition they encountered the enemy at Fairfax Courthouse, June
27, 1863, and at once gave battle.  Acting on the offensive, they assaulted by
a desperate charge their well protected and half-hidden foes, who immediately
responded with true southern valor and fury and in vast and overwhelming
numbers.  The repulse of the Federal troops in that engagement was complete and
Mr. Goodbrod was numbered among the many wounded and dead left upon the battle
field.  In retreating with his command he was shot in the back, the bullet
piercing his left lung and passing out through his shoulder, leaving that part
of his body broken and shattered.  His wound was too severe for further attempt
to escape and he fell, a helpless German-American soldier boy, among his dead
and wounded companions on the battlefield.  There he lay for several days,
suffering and struggling against the violence of his wound for an added lease of
life, as the Confederate troops passed over the ground so recently covered by
the enthusiastically fighting Federal forces but now a plain of confederate
victory covered with the spoil of Union sacrifice.  Mr. Goodbrod was only
disturbed by having his weapons of warfare removed from his person and he was
left as one dead among the many others of his silent comrades.  In that
condition he was later found by a squad detailed from his own command to bury
their dead and by them rescued and later removed to a hospital in Washington, D.
C., where he remained for several months.  In the engagement above described
those of his command who did not escape or die upon the field were taken
prisoners by the Confederate troops.  Mr. Goodbrod eventually recovered from his
wounds and completed the term of his enlistment in doing duty in the ranks at
Washington, D. C.  On the 30th day of September, 1865, he was honorably
discharged and mustered out of service at Memphis, Tennessee, but March 1, 1866,
he reenlisted in Company D. of the First United States Cavalry and with his
command was sent to San Francisco, doing detached duty.  His company was sent to
Camp Lyons where its purpose was in part to release Company B of the First
Oregon Volunteer Cavalry, and on the way to that camp they encountered a band of
three wagons and sixty-seven Chinamen who were moving across the country to
Silver City, Idaho.  The Chinamen were allowed to travel and camp with the
company until they reached Dry creek, on the Winnemucca stage route, and at that
place Major Hunt, who was in command of Company D of the First United States
Cavalry, ordered the Chinamen to separate from the  shelter of his troops on
account of insufficient water with which to supply so large a company moving in
the same direction.  He accordingly directed the Chinamen to move on to the
Owyhee river by a new route, the distance for water for their party being
only seven miles away, promising them at the same time to rejoin them on the day
following.  Company B started on its march early in the morning following the
departure of the Chinamen and on entering the canyon they found a dead Chinaman
who had been recently killed by Indians, having been shot to death by arrows
from the red men's bows.  Major Hunt immediately detailed a portion of his
command to make a careful and vigorous search in and about the environs of the
canyon and the scouting party very soon came upon the battlefield, where they
found sixty-five dead Chinamen, only one among their original number having
escaped with his life, the entire party having been attacked by the savage Piute
Indians and in their defenseless condition had become the helpless victims of
the native wild Indian of the west.  Two of the bodies of the women had been
horribly mutilated but the men had been spared the degradation of being scalped,
which is the final tribute of the savage red man to his pale-faced brother.
This refusal of the Indian to take the Chinamen's scalp was no doubt occasioned
by the Chinaman's queue, which in some respects simulates the custom of the
Indian's manner of wearing the hair.  The massacre as above recited occurred on
May 6, 1866.  Mr. Goodbrod remained in the service under the command of the
famous Indian fighter, General Crook, during nearly the entire time of his
second enlistment and with his command took part in all the engagements under
that famous general in suppressing the Indian at that time in the inter-mountain
territory.  On March 1, 1869, he was honorably discharged from duty and mustered
out of service at Camp Lyons, after which he settled in eastern Oregon,
spending, however, some time in Pendleton, Walla Walla and Baker City.
     In 1876 Mr. Goodbrod located in Union, where he was engaged for five
continuous years in the operation of the Centennial Hotel.  He later sold this
property and located his present home on a most picturesque spot at the south
end of the Grande Ronde valley, where he is now engaged in the cultivation and
growing of apples and small marketable fruit.  In this business he has been very
successful and in addition to the other improvements upon his place he has built
a perfectly equipped cider mill and is engaged in the manufacture of cider, a
portion of his product being converted into high grade vinegar.
     Mr. Goodbrod was united in marriage December 10, 1890, to Louisa Shoemaker,
of Oregon, and to them three children have been born:  George A. and Adrian, who
are students in the high school at Union; and Miriam E., who died in infancy.
     Mr. Goodbrod has served for three terms as city marshal and as councilman
for two terms.  He has, however, avoided as far as is consistent with good
citizenship political positions of any kind.  He is a member of the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows and in that fraternal society has maintained an
uninterrupted membership for the past twenty-eight years.  He is also a member
of the Improved Order of Red Men and Preston Post, No. 18, G.A.R.,  and has
passed through all of the chairs in the post and state, serving in 1900 as
department commander of this state.  He has been twice a member of the council
of administration and is a member of the National Encampment.
     Mr. Goodbrod as a pioneer of this state, a veteran of the Civil war and a
private citizen of Union county, has so lived among his associates and friends
as to be understood and recognized by them to be one of the most honored,
respected and useful citizens of Oregon.  By virtue of his loyalty to the flag
and his adopted country and his consistent interest in the nation's welfare he
has for many years past been known in this portion of the state as General
Goodbrod, a title which he honorably bears as an evidence of the high respect in
which he is held by his generous countrymen and comrades of the Grand Army of
the Republic.  Though his years are now leading him into the sunset days of his
earthly pilgrimage he is nevertheless deeply interested in every matter of
public interest that concerns the welfare of his country and his state and he is
always enthusiastically identified with every measure of a public character that
seeks to improve the condition of the people with whose business life and
society he has for such a long period been closely identified.



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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in October 2005 by Diana Smith. Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.