Orange

GOSS, Story N.

Men of Vermont: Illustrated Biographical History of Vermonters & Sons of 
Vermont. Ullery. Brattleboro: Transcript Publishing Company, 1894, pp 161-162 
(portrait p 162)

Story N. GOSS, of Chelsea [Orange County, Vermont], was born 07 February 1831 
in Waterford [Caledonia County, Vermont], son of Abel and Amanda (HEBARD) 
GOSS. His father was a farmer, and Story remained upon the farm until he was 
twenty-three years old. Educated in the public schools of Waterford and 
later at the academies of St. Johnsbury and Chelsea, he commenced to study 
with Doctors Bancroft and Newell at St. Johnsbury [Caledonia County, 
Vermont], and afterwards with Prof. E. R. PEASLEY of Dartmouth College. He 
graduated in 1856 from the medical department of Dartmouth College and in 
1857 received a degree from the Medical College of New York. Later 
he accepted an appointment as senior physician on the staff of Dr. SANGER at 
Blackwell's Island. [At that time, on Blackwell's Island, located in the 
East River, in the borough of Manhattan, New York County, New York, were 
facilities for treating typhus, ship fever, etc.; a smallpox hospital was 
built there in 1854.] Remaining there one year, he returned to Vermont and 
commenced practice in Georgia [Franklin County], where he continued to live 
until the breaking out of the Civil War.

Dr. [Story N.] GOSS was commissioned assistant surgeon, Ninth Regiment 
Vermont Volunteers, 26 September 1862, and ordered to report to the general 
hospital at Brattleboro [Windham County, Vermont]. Here he remained until 
April, when he received orders to join his regiment in the field, previous to 
which he was presented with a sword by the patients and attendants of the 
Brattleboro institution in token of their high appreciation of his valuable 
services. Continuing with the Ninth Regiment in the vicinity of Yorktown, he 
was compelled to resign in October 1863, as he was stricken down with 
malarial fever. Partially recovering, his zeal for the cause led him to 
re-enlist as acting assistant surgeon, U. S. A., and was ordered again to 
Brattleboro and shortly afterwards to Fairfax Seminary Hospital, Virginia, at 
the time when the battles of the Wilderness were fought [May 1864]. For a 
third time he was stationed at Brattleboro and later at Burlington 
[Chittenden County] until the close of the war [officially ended 09 April 
1865.]

After his discharge from the service he returned to Georgia [Franklin County, 
Vermont] and remained there until 1870, when he settled in Chelsea [Orange 
County, Vermont], and has practiced his profession there ever since. Dr. 
GOSS was one of the original members of Waterson Post, No. 45, Grand Army of 
the Republic. Republican since his youth; was for several years 
superintendent of schools at Georgia and also at Chelsea; stands high in his 
profession as a public-spirited citizen; has for a long time been public 
health officer of the town in which he resides. On 04 January 1858 Dr. 
[Story N.] GOSS was married to Ann Eliza, daughter of Stephen and Phoebe 
(HALE) VINCENT, of Chelsea; four children have been born to them: Arthur 
Vincent, Harry Hale, Walter Story, and Annie E.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly