Private Goode Taurman, A Marine's Story
Private Goode Taurman, A Marine's Story
Goode Taurman was born in 1877 and raised in Gayton, Virginia, where he grew up on a farm just outside of town.
On November 17, 1897, Private Taurman enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was assigned to Company D, 1st Marine Battalion. In the spring of 1898, his unit deployed aboard the USS Panther as part of the American expedition to Cuba during the Spanish–American War.
The battalion landed at Guantánamo Bay on June 10, 1898, establishing a beachhead at Camp McCalla. Two days later, on June 12, 1898, Marines advanced against an enemy-held position overlooking the bay. During the action, Private Goode Taurman fell from the steep cliffs surrounding the fort and was killed. The terrain, marked by sheer drops of nearly thirty feet, proved as dangerous as the enemy position itself.
Private Taurman was initially buried at Camp McCalla in Cuba. In 1899, the U.S. Navy ordered the repatriation of American remains from the campaign. He was returned to Virginia and laid to rest in the family cemetery at the Taurman farm, known as “Valhalla,” near Gayton.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
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