Aunts & Uncles~Through War and Loss: The Enduring Spirit of Alice Boan Goodwin

The “Aunt & Uncle” series of biographical sketches are Artificial Intelligence (AI) compiled narratives of selected individuals from my Genealogical database.  The selected AI will used the RootsMagic Individual Summary from my Genealogical Software, Roots Magic. All genealogical data is my research material acquired over the past 46 years of research. Today's Biography of  Alice (Boan) Goodwin (1820-1880+) was compiled with the assistance of Claude Sonnett 4 and is entitled:

Through War and Loss: The Enduring Spirit of Alice Boan Goodwin

Early Life and Family

Alice Boan was born around 1820 in Chesterfield District, South Carolina, during a time when the region was still recovering from the Revolutionary War and establishing itself as an agricultural community. She was the daughter of Archibald Boan (1771-1840) and Mary Boan (1785-?), who had built their lives in the rural landscape of the South Carolina upcountry.

Alice grew up in a close-knit family alongside her sister Effa (or Effy). The Boan family appears to have been established in Chesterfield County for some time, with roots deep in the Carolina soil. Her father Archibald passed away when Alice was about twenty years old, leaving her mother Mary to head the household.

Life with Her Mother

After her father's death, Alice remained devoted to her mother Mary. The 1850 census shows the three women—Mary, Effa, and Alice—living together in Chesterfield. At age 30, Alice was still unmarried, which wasn't uncommon for women who stayed home to care for aging parents. The Boan women maintained their household through the challenging years of the antebellum South, when life for independent women required both resourcefulness and determination.

This living arrangement continued through the 1850s, with Alice helping to manage the household and care for her mother, who was in her sixties by this time.

Marriage and the Civil War Years

On August 17, 1859, at nine o'clock in the morning, Alice married Alexander Goodwin at her mother's residence near Cheraw. She was about 39 years old—quite a bit older than the typical bride of that era. The ceremony was performed by Reverend John Burdine, and the announcement appeared in the Cheraw Gazette a week later, referring to her as "Miss ALICE BONE."

Alice's married life with Alexander would be heartbreakingly brief. The couple appears together in the 1860 census, living with Alice's mother Mary. Alexander was 22 years old at the time—seventeen years younger than his wife—which was an unusual age difference for that period.

The joy of their marriage was overshadowed by the chaos of the Civil War. Tragically, Alexander's fate was sealed by the Civil War. He enlisted on January 1, 1862, and served until he was captured at Morris Island, South Carolina. He was wounded on July 10, 1863, and after being released on oath, was transferred to the notorious Elmira prison camp in New York on August 16, 1864. Just as he was being transferred to Point Lookout for exchange on October 11, 1864, his health failed him. Alexander died on October 15, 1864, from chronic diarrhea—a common killer in the unsanitary conditions of Civil War prison camps. He was buried in Grave 517 near the Point Lookout prison camp, far from his home and his wife. Alice was left a widow after only five years of marriage, at about 44 years old, with her husband's remains in a distant Northern grave.

Later Years as a Widow

After Alexander's death, Alice's life took a turn that was practical for the times but must have been emotionally complex. She went to live with her late husband's family—specifically with her brother-in-law William Thomas Goodwin and her sister Effa, who had married William. The 1870 census shows Alice, now about 50 years old, living as a "sister-in-law" in William and Effa's household in Cheraw. This arrangement meant the sisters were reunited, and Alice had family support during Reconstruction.

The household also included the family of P. Ingram and several African American individuals who were likely employees or tenant farmers—a common arrangement in the post-war South as the region adapted to life after emancipation.

By 1880, Alice was still living with William and Effa in Cheraw. Now about 60 years old, she continued to make her home with her sister and brother-in-law. William was farming, and the household also included William's elderly mother Sarah. This multi-generational living situation provided mutual support during the challenging economic times of the late Reconstruction era.

Historical Context

Alice's life spanned some of the most turbulent decades in American history. Born during the Era of Good Feelings, she witnessed the rise of cotton culture in South Carolina, the growing tensions over slavery, the devastating Civil War, and the difficult years of Reconstruction. Chesterfield County, located in the northeastern part of South Carolina near the North Carolina border, was primarily agricultural, with cotton as its main crop.

The town of Cheraw, where Alice spent her later years, was an important trading center on the Pee Dee River. During the Civil War, it served briefly as a Confederate supply depot and was one of the last towns in South Carolina to fall to Union forces in 1865.

Final Years

Alice Boan Goodwin died sometime after 1880 in Chesterfield County, having lived into her sixties. Records suggest she may have passed away around 1883. She left no children, but she had maintained strong family bonds throughout her life—first with her mother and birth sister, then with her husband's family after his death.

Her story is one of loyalty, resilience, and adaptation through extraordinary times. She represents countless women of her generation who navigated war, loss, and economic hardship while maintaining the family connections that gave their lives meaning and stability.

Alice (Boan) Goodwin is my 2nd Great Grand Aunt.

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1. 1850 U S Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, Page 108B (stamped), Line 13, Dwelling 152, Family 152, Household of Mary BONE; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 5 January 2013); citing  National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 851.

2. 1860 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page: 130 (stamped); Line 26, Dwelling 513, Family 512, Household of and Mary BONE; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : Viewed 5 January 2013); citing National Archives Microfilm M653_1217.

3. Land Deed - John C. Evans to James Eddings; 5 November 1862; Deed Book #BURNT; Page(s) 166-167; Register of Deeds; Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; July 2025.

4. 1870 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Cheraw, Chesterfield, South Carolina, Page: 261A(stamped); Line 31, Dwelling 194, Family 201, Enumerated with P. INGRAM; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 8 June 2016); citing  National Archives Microfilm M593_1491.

5. 1880 U S Census, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Cheraw, Chesterfield, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 002, Page 268D(stamped); Line 6, Dwelling 117, Family 118, Household of William GOODWIN; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 3 May 2016); citing  National Archives Microfilm T9-1225.

6. "Marriage: Mr. ALEXANDER GOODWIN and Miss ALICE BONE," The Cheraw Gazette, Cheraw, SC, 24 August 1859, Image/Page 2, Col. 5. accessed on http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/.

7. Ancestry, "Civil War Service Records" database, Military Service Records (https://www.fold3.com/ : accessed ), entry for Alexander Goodwin, Private; 21st SC Infantry Regiment.; Confederate.

8. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed  5 January 2013); Memorial page for Pvt Alexander Goodwin; (1838–15 October 1864); Find a Grave memorial # 27562855, Citing Point Lookout Confederate Cemetery; Scotland, St. Mary's County, Maryland, USA.