Goochland County Historical Society Seeks to Identify Black Revolutionary War Soldiers

The Goochland County Historical Society posted a blog on Feb. 19, 2026 seeking to identify Black men tied to Goochland County who served in the Continental Line or Goochland militia. “While we do not know the exact number of Black men from Goochland who served, the Goochland County Historical Society is seeking to identify those associated with the county who joined the patriotic cause and served in either the Continental Line or Goochland militia,” the society wrote.

The blog presents a partial roster of 17 names: Jacob Banks, John Banks, James Brandon/Brandom, Henry Cockran, James Cooper, John Cooper, Francis Cousins, James Cousins, John Cowage/Cowigg, Benjamin Farrow, John Farrow, Philip Going, James Johns, Issac Howell, Joseph Lucas, James Mealy, and George Tyler. The society prefaces the list with “Following is a partial list of Black soldiers who fit this description, as evidenced by military, pension, tax, census, manumission, or other records.”

The post outlines the kinds of documentary evidence used and warns of archival limitations. “As records were written by hand, some are difficult to read, while there may be misspellings in others; therefore, more than one spelling of a name may appear in this list of Black soldiers,” the society noted, explaining why variants such as Brandon/Brandom and Cowage/Cowigg appear on the roster. The blog makes clear the list is not exhaustive and that some men “lived in the county prior to the Revolution, others moved to Goochland following the war.”

The society is actively soliciting public assistance and plans further coverage. “If you would like to learn more about Goochland soldiers, the Goochland County Historical Society will be posting individual stories of some of the soldiers in the coming years so please subscribe to the blog to find out what some of these brave individuals did during the war. If you have any information regarding any of the above men or other Black soldiers who served in the American Revolution, please contact the Society,” the post says. The entry also includes two image filenames, DSCN1382, and tags including American Revolution, Continental Line, Goochland, history, and slavery.

Institutional context accompanies the research appeal. The Goochland County Historical Society, founded in 1968 and organized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, describes its purpose as “created and operated for the presentation, preservation, and protection of Goochland County heritage and tradition.” The Society’s Cabell Library collects local records strong in colonial history, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and Anglo-American slave trade materials, and the Society “offers a limited research service to members and non-members.” The blog reiterates the research-service limitation: “The service is limited in its scope, and is not intended to duplicate the work of a professional genealogist.”

The Feb. 19, 2026 blog also announces a publishing milestone: “In the fall of this year, the Goochland County Historical Society will be publishing the 45th volume of our magazine,” and says the Society will repost material from Volume 1, No. 1, including Helene Barret Agee’s short county history. As the society prepares individual soldier profiles and its fall 2026 volume, it is asking anyone with documents or family knowledge connected to the named men to contact the Goochland County Historical Society.