Henry Gooden

The gravestone of Henry Gooden in the Gettysburg National Cemetery.

NPS Photo.

Quick Facts

Significance:

First African American to be buried in the Gettysburg National Cemetary

Place of Birth:

York, Pennsylvania

Date of Birth:

1822

Place of Death:

Gettysburg, PA

Date of Death:

1876

Place of Burial:

Section 13, Row D, Site #30

Cemetery Name:

Gettysburg National Cemetery

Section 13, Row D, Site #30

Henry Gooden was from nearby York, Pennsylvania. In August 1864, he enlisted as a private in Company C, of the 127^th United States Colored Infantry (USCT). At the time of his enlistment, he was 42 years of age, stood 5’3” in height, and was a laborer. He served for the duration of the war, including during the Appomattox Campaign, and was discharged on September 8, 1865, while stationed at Brazos Santiago, Texas. He died at the young age of 55 in 1876. Initially, his remains were buried in the Alms House Cemetery, north of Gettysburg, but in 1884, his remains were disinterred and reburied in the U.S. Regulars’ plot in the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. Presumably, he was the first African American veteran to be interred in the Gettysburg National Cemetery.