Orders, Decorations and Medals

The Peninsula War medal awarded to Lieutenant James Maynard Goodiff, 31st Foot, Acting Engineer at Badajoz where, ‘one of the first up the ladders’ he received a bayonet wound in the head whilst conducting the Forlorn Hope of Picton’s 3rd Division in escalading the castle walls; General Picton, immediately after the assault, ordered a letter to be written to the officer commanding the Thirty-First expressing his approbation of the gallantry displayed by Lieutenant Goodiff in the assault

Military General Service 1793-1814, 9 clasps, Busaco, Albuhera, Badajoz, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse (J. Goodiff, Ensn. 31st Foot.) contact marks and edge bruising, otherwise nearly very fine £5000-6000

James Maynard Goodiff was appointed Ensign in the 31st Foot on 15 August 1809, aged 21. He was promoted to Lieutenant in January 1812 and placed on half-pay in July or August 1817. He served with the 31st Foot throughout the Peninsular campaign, from April 1810 to April 1814, except whilst on special duty as an acting engineer at Badajoz (unique clasp to the 31st) when he received a bayonet wound in the head. He was present at Busaco, the first siege of Badajoz, Albuhera, storming of Badajoz, siege of Burgos, battles of Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes and Toulouse, besides the actions at Garris (St Palais) and Aire.

He subsequently returned to full-pay as Lieutenant in the 98th Foot in August 1824, in the 7th Foot in January 1825, and in the 66th Foot in April 1825. He returned to half-pay as Cornet & Lieutenant in the 18th Light Dragoons in April 1827.

The following account is taken from the regimental history of the 31st Foot:

‘The siege of Badajos which, as stated, began on March 17, was pressed on with astonishing vigour and brought to a successful issue on April 7, through the gallantry and devotion of the army under Lord Wellington. Every soldier should study the story of the assault of Badajos, so that he may realise that to brave men ready to die nothing is impossible. That story must not be told here, for the Second Battalion Thirty-First, being in the covering army, took no part in the siege. They were, however, not altogether unrepresented. Lieutenant James M. Goodliff [sic] of the regiment, one of the line officers acting as engineers, conducted the forlorn hope of the Third Division (Picton's), which, with the Fifth Division, performed the apparently impossible feat of escalading the castle of Badajos. Lieutenant Goodliff was mainly instrumental in dragging the leading ladders up the castle height, and in planting them against the walls. "One of the first up the ladders, he received a bayonet thrust in the head and was precipitated down." The words quoted are from a letter written by the officer commanding the storming party to General Picton's Aide-de-Camp. General Picton, immediately after the assault, ordered a letter to be written to the officer commanding the Thirty-First expressing his approbation of the gallantry displayed by Lieutenant Goodliff in the assault.'

An interesting story was reported in the Illinois newspaper Lawrence Daily Journal-World, 20 June 1930, which gives a glimpse of Goodiff’s later family fortune:

‘COUSINS SCATTERED IN 3 COUNTIES TO INHERIT ESTATE OF AGED HERMITS. Chicago, June 20. - A score of cousins scattered in Great Britain, Ireland, and the United States will inherit the $200,000 estate of two aged hermits who died in Park Ridge, a suburb, four years ago, Probate Judge Henry Horner has ruled.

Of the known heirs, 15 cousins live in Ireland, two in Massachusetts, and one each in England, Montana and Kansas.

The estate was left by John Flynn, who committed suicide after the death of his brother in 1929, The two had lived as hermits and the money was found hidden in mattresses, milk cans and beneath the floor.

Claims of alleged heirs caused an investigation. It was found that the hermits were the sons of John Flynn, who eloped in Dublin, Ireland, with Henrietta Goodiff, daughter of Captain James Maynard Goodiff, an English soldier decorated for heroism in the Napoleonic wars. He had opposed their marriage on religious grounds and had trailed the elopers. They boarded a ship in Liverpool before he could find them.

Goodiff had another daughter, Charlotte, by a previous marriage, who married Alfred Butler. They came to America and settled in Tuscola, Ill. After their early deaths, their sons, James, now of Bird City, Kan., and John, of Marias, Mont., were sent to an orphanage. By coincidence, James was found a year ago visiting his mother’s grave for the first time in 66 years. Thru him the cousins were traced.’