Luther Goodrich was born on July 9, 1815, in New York to Luther Goodrich and Rhoda Calkins. He grew up and attended school in Cayuga County, New York. He married Jerusha A. Lathrop on April 29, 1840, and they had at least five children: Milan, born on January 2, 1843; Willis, born on March 31, 1846; Cynthia, born on July 1, 1850; Charles, born on September 5, 1854; and Lillian, born on May 7, 1861. The family lived in Auburn, New York, and Goodrich worked as a farmer. In 1850, he owned $5,000 in real estate. A decade later, he reported $300 in personal property.

 

Goodrich enlisted in the Union army on September 17, 1861, in Auburn, New York. He mustered in as a captain in Company E of the 75^th New York Infantry Regiment on November 26. The army stationed the regiment in Florida, and they occupied Pensacola from May until August 1862. The regiment then moved to Louisiana, and it took part in operations against Port Hudson in March 1863. He was detailed to work in the local Provost Marshal’s office. Then, in August 1863, he was on detached service recruiting African American soldiers. He was arrested soon afterward and ordered to remain in Carrollton while he awaited a court martial. The details of the case are unclear, but he was apparently acquitted. He was promoted to colonel of the 88^th USCT Infantry Regiment in January 1864 and spent the next few months performing garrison duty in Port Hudson. He required a leave of absence in March 1864, observing that he had “been on duty constantly in this department since the 13^th day of December 1861,” and his “health is suffering from the influence of climate.” He returned home to New York, and he received a 20-day extension of his leave in April. He finally resigned from the military in May 1864. His health, however, apparently never recovered, and he died around December 1865.

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