Father: Seth R Godwin
Mother: Nancy M. Vestal
12/11/1850 - Farmer (lived with parent & sibs, District No. 19, Maury Co., TN - indexed in the 1850 U. S. Census as David Godwin)
- Commissioner of Agriculture under the Buchanan Administration
1860 - M.D. degree, Medical Department of the University of Nashville, Nashville, TN (from: Santa Fe, TN)
07/14/1860 - Practiced medicine, District No. 19, Maury Co., TN (indexed in the 1860 U.S. Census as D.G. Godwin)
11/26/1861 - Enlisted, 2nd Lt., 51st TN Infantry, Shelby Depot, TN
04/22/1862 - 2nd Lt., 51st TN Infantry
04/23/1862 - Promoted to 1st Lt., 51st TN Infantry
06/30/1862 - Brevet 1st Lt., Co. I, 51st TN Infantry
10/07/1862 - 1st Lt., Co. I, 51st TN Infantry
12/08/1862 - In a letter to Dr. David Geo. Godwin, 1st Lt., 51st Regt. Tenn., by D. W. Yandell, President, Army Board of Medical Examination, Murfreesboro, Tenn., "Sir: Your examination before the Army Board of Medical Examiners has been satisfactory; and you will be recommended to the Secretary of War for the position of Assistant Surgeon, P.A.C.S."
12/08/1862 - Assumed the position of Asst. Surgeon, 51st TN Infantry
12/11/1862 - In a letter to Col. George W. Brent, A.A. Genl. & Chief of Staff, "Sir, Having passed a satisfactory examination before the Army Board of Medical Examiners at Murfreesboro on the 8th Inst. for the Position of Asst Surgeon. I have the honor to tender to you my Resignation as 1st Lt., Company I, 51st Regmt Tenn Vol to be unconditional and to take effect immediately. Very Respectfully, Your Obt Servt, D. G. Godwin, 1st Lieut. Co. I, 51st Tenn Regt, Camp Murfreesboro, Tenn"
02/28/1863 - Asst. Surgeon, 51st TN Infantry
05/05/1863 - Asst. Surgeon, Shelbyville, TN
06/02/1863 - Appointed Asst. Surgeon, Provisional Army of the Confederate States, to rank from 12/08/1862.
06/02/1863 - Ordered to report to Gen. B. Bragg
10/31/1863 - Asst. Surgeon, 51st TN Infantry
01/30/1864 - Confirmed as Asst. Surgeon from TN by the Confederate States Senate
04/30/1864 - Asst. Surgeon, 51st TN Infantry
05/31/1864 - Asst. Surgeon, 51st TN Infantry
07/11/1864 - Asst. Surgeon, 51st TN Infantry
08/26/1864 - Asst. Surgeon, 51st TN Infantry, Gen. M.J. Wright's Brigade, Gen. B.F. Cheatham's Division, Gen. W.J. Hardee's Corps, Army of TN, Atlanta, GA
04/00/1865 - Paroled as Asst. Surgeon, Tillman's Tennessee Regt. (?41st TN Infantry), Greensboro, NC
05/01/1865 - Paroled as Asst. Surgeon, 3rd Consolidated Regiment Tennessee Infantry, Greensboro, NC
08/29/1865 - Married, Elizabeth Susan "Bettie" Douglas (1840-1924), Shelby Co., TN, whose brother was Dr. J. P. Douglas
02/02/1870 - Mother, Nancy M., died, Maury Co., TN
08/04/1870 - Farmer & physician, 1st Civil District, Shelby Co., TN (lived with wife, E.S., and three children - indexed in the 1870 U.S. Census as G.D. Goodwin)
1874 - Practiced medicine, Shelby Depot, TN
09/27/1876 - Father, Seth R., died, Obion Co., TN
06/02/1880 - Practiced medicine, Mt. Zion, Tipton Co., TN (lived with wife, Bettie, two daughters, and two sons - indexed in the 1880 U.S. Census as David G. Godwin)
11/08/1899 - Died at his home, Arlington, Shelby Co., TN

Note: An obituary for Dr. Goodman is in The Bolivar Bulletin (Bolivar, Tenn.), 10 Nov. 1899. The content has been abstracted in the above biography. Thanks to Kendall Sparkman for this obit.

This biographical sketch is from:
Hambrecht, F.T. & Koste, J.L., Biographical
register of physicians who served the
Confederacy in a medical capacity.
03/09/2016. Updated 07/02/2016.
Unpublished database.