BIOGRAPHIES, HARRISON COUNTY, WV: GEN. NATHAN GOFF ********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. THIS BIOGRAPHY WAS DONATED TO THE HARRISON COUNTY WVGenWeb PROJECT/ARCHIVES ONLY: ********************************************************************** Hardesty's 1882 Biographical Atlas of Harrison County GEN. NATHAN GOFF JR. - was born in Clarksburg, February 21,1842 and received his early education in the schools of the town. At the breaking out of the war of the states, he was a student of Georgetown College, and after graduating he entered the Federal service as second lieutenant of the 3rd West Virginia Infantry; was subsequently promoted to first lieutenant and adjutant, and early in 1864 was made a major of the 6th West Virginia Cavalry; was shortly afterward captured, and remained a prisoner at Richmond and at Salisbury, North Carolina, for a period of about eleven months. After the war, he attended a law school in New York City and prepared for practice of that profession, which he commenced in his native town, soon gaining a wide spread reputation for ability. In 1866, he was elected a member of the house of delegates of the West Virginia legislature; re-elected in 1867; in 1868, appointed by President Johnson United States District Attorney for the district of West Virginia, serving as such until 1881, having been sucessively reappointed at the end of each term, by President Grant and Hayes. In 1881, President Hayes appointed him Secretary of the Navy, to fill the vacancy which occured by the resignation of Hon. Richard Thompson. President Garfield reappointed him United States district attorney in 1881, which position, owing to a pressure of private business, he resigned in 1882. Shortly afterward, he was nominated by the Republicans of the First Congressional District of West Virginia, for Congress, to which position he was elected, by a majority of 1,800 votes, having overcome a previous Democratic majority of 1,400. He is recognized as one of the leading criminal lawyers of the state. Submitted by Sandra Reed , May 1999 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume II, pg. Hon. Nathan Goff. In the public service of state and nation perhaps no West Virginian had longer and more distinguished service than the late Nathan Goff. He was one of the first volunteers in the war for the Union, in which he rose to the rank of major. From the close of the war he practiced law, was an officer of the state and federal governments, a cabinet officer, congressman, federal judge and United States senator, and in these varied responsibilities was almost continuously active until a short time before his death. He was born in the City of Clarksburg, which always remained his home, on February 9, 1843. His first American ancestors were New England settlers. His great-grandparents were Nathan and Mary (Potter) Goff, who was married at Coventry, Rhode Island, in 1746. His grandfather, Job Goff, was born at Coventry, Rhode Island, November 22, 1760, and was reared in Vermont. He was one of the volunteers from Vermont to the American forces in the Revolutionary war. subsequently he removed to Otsego County, New York, and in 1804 settled in what is now Harrison County, West Virginia. he lived there until his death on December 8, 1845. The parents of the late Judge Goff were Waldo Potter and Harriet Louise (Moore) Goff. His father was born in Otsego County, New York, and died at Clarksburg, September 17, 1881. He was a farmer and merchant, held several county offices and was a member of the Virginia Senate. At Clarksburg in 1839, he married Harriet Louise Moore, a daughter of Thomas Preston and Rachel (Pindall) Moore. Their children were named: Gay, Henry, Clay, Nathan, Thomas Moore, Charles James, May, Flora, Lizzie, and Hattie. Nathan Goff acquired a liberal education, attending Northwestern Academy at Clarksburg and the Georgetown College in the District of Columbia. He left Georgetown College to enlist as a private in Company G of the Third Virginia Infantry at the very beginning of the war, and remained in service until the close. He was promoted to lieutenant and finally to major, and at his discharge was brevetted a brigadier-general of volunteers. He received his honorable discharge January 20, 1864. He was once a prisoner of war and spent four months in Libby Prison. After leaving the army he studied law in the University of the City of New York, from which he received his LL. B. degree. Georgetown College conferred upon him the honorary degree LL. B. in 1889. He admitted at the bar in 1866. and began practicing that year at Clarksburg. In 1867 he was elected a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates and reelected in 1868. In 1869 President Grant appointed him district attorney for the District of West Virginia, and he held that office for twelve years, until 1881, when, toward the close of the administration of President Hayes, he resigned to become secretary of the navy in President Hayes cabinet. In the meantime he had been one of the prominent republican leaders in his state; was candidate for Congress in 1870 and 1874, and for governor in 1876. During 1881-82 he was again United States district attorney. In 1882 he was elected to Congress, serving three term, from1883 to 1889. In 1888 Judge Goff was again his party’s candidate for governor, and on the face of returns was elected by a plurality of one hundred and thirty votes, but the election was contested by the democratic candidate, who was seated by a majority vote of the Legislature. In 1884 and 1888, Judge Goff was chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. In 1892 he was appointed by President Harrison judge of the United States Circuit Court, Fourth Division, and he was on the bench for a period of nineteen years and during 1912-13 was judge of the United States Circuit Court of Appeals. In 1913 Judge Goff left the bench to become United States Senator from West Virginia, and served out his six year term, ending in March, 1919. He has been in some branch of public service for over half a century, and had earned some of the finest distinctions as soldier, lawyer, judge, and statesman. Through all these years he was exceptionally loyal as a citizen of Clarksburg. A monument to his enterprise as a business man and as a citizen include his splendid residence in that city, the Goff office building and the Waldo Hotel. November 7, 1865, Judge Goff married Laura Despard. Two sons were born to this marriage, Guy D. and Waldo Perry Goff. Guy D. Goff took up his father’s profession, and is now assistant United States attorney-general. Waldo P. Goff is a prominent physician and business man of Clarksburg. On August 28, 1919, Judge Goff married Miss Katherine M. Penney. She survives him and lives at Clarksburg. Judge Goff died April 23, 1920, at the age of seventy-seven.