Letter from Corporal James Henry Gooding to the President Lincoln

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Description

In this letter, Cpl. James H. Gooding of the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts Infantry complained to President Abraham Lincoln about the unequal pay situation. He argued that the men of the 54th Massachusetts did not enlist under the “contraband act” and thus should receive pay equal to that of white soldiers.

Citation

This primary source comes from the Records of the Adjutant General's Office.

National Archives Identifier: 594707

Full Citation: Letter from Corporal James Henry Gooding to the President; 9/28/1863; Consolidated File for Corporal James H. Gooding, 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment (Colored); Letters Received, 1863–1888; Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, Record Group 94; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/document/letter-corporal-gooding-to-president-lincoln/, April 4, 2026]

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