The following brief letter was written by Oliver Paul Gooding (1835-1909) of Greenfield, Hancock county, Indiana. At 18, he entered West Point and graduated in 1858. After various assignments to military posts, he entered the Civil War as an officer in the 31st Massachusetts (converted to 6th Massachusetts Cavalry), and then was promoted to command the 3rd Brigade of the 3rd Division, 19th Army Corps. On the Red River Campaign, in 1864, he commanded the Fifth Brigade, Cavalry Division, Department of the Gulf, and at the end of that campaign was assigned to the command of the division. In command of the Union Troops at Campti, on the north bank of Red River, the 4th day of April, 1864, General Gooding, in a hotly contested cavalry action, defeated the enemy under General Siddell. At the Battle of Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, in command of his brigade, the 9th day of April, 1864, General Gooding gallantly fought and held the enemy in check till the Union Army came into position, his hat being shot off his head, the bullet grazing his scalp.

Note: This letter and image is from the personal collection of Kyle A. Williams and was made available for transcription and publication on Spared & Shared by express consent.

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Headquarters 5th Brigade, Cavalry Division [Dept. of the Gulf]
Morganza, Louisiana
May 26th, 1864

Officers & Soldiers of the 2nd N. Y. Veteran Cavalry,

It is with extreme regret that I part with you. Though not of a personal nature, still there are few associations in life more dear than that between a commander and his command, formed during a campaign in a common cause. Such has been our association. For the gallant fighting you have done under my command, accept the grateful thanks of a soldier. And wherever the fortunes of war may lead you, rest assured that my heart will follow you, my comrades of the 2nd New York—farewell.

— Oliver P. Gooding, Col. Commanding