More than 4,500 British and United States soldiers served at Fort Mackinac between 1780 and 1895. One of my favorites is Captain Greenleaf A. Goodale of the 23^rd Regiment of Infantry which occupied the fort from 1884 to 1890. Goodale was a Civil War veteran who began his military career as a private and worked his way into the officer corps through hard work and dedication.  Goodale never forgot his roots as and enlisted man and became reform-minded officer who cared deeply about the welfare of his soldiers.

Goodale joined the Maine Volunteers as a private at the beginning of the Civil War.  He was subsequently promoted to corporal and sergeant and fought in multiple battles including the Siege of Yorktown, Second Bull Run, and Gettysburg.  In 1864 he accepted a commission as a lieutenant with the 77^th United States Colored Infantry.  Goodale was appointed to the 23^rd Regiment of Infantry after the war and served at several western posts before being transferred to Fort Mackinac in 1884.  

Goodale commanded the island post from 1886-1890 and instituted several changes designed to improve the lives of his soldiers.  This included creating the Post Canteen in 1889, where soldiers could play billiards, read the latest magazines, and enjoy sandwiches and beer.  That same year, the army installed the first flush toilets at Fort Mackinac. While pleased to offer his men the modern convenience, Goodale provided detailed instructions to use only “soft paper’ and avoid throwing matches, toothpicks and cigar stumps in the privy bowls. Violators, he warned, would be forced to use the old privies. Goodale also had several buildings painted brown instead of white in order to reduce the glare on his men’s eyes while drilling on the parade ground. 

Goodale subsequently served in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War and commanded the 3^rd Battalion, 23^rd Infantry through several actions in 1899. Goodale retired from the army as a Brigadier General in 1903 after 42 years of active service. 

To learn more, read The Soldiers of Fort Mackinac, An Illustrated History, by Phil Porter, published by Michigan State University Press, 2018, available at Mackinac State Historic Parks online bookstore.

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