William H. Goddard, a prominent old pioneer of Morgan County, Mo., was born in Knox County, Tenn., December 17, 1817, and came to Morgan County in 1847, locating at Versailles. His parents, T. C. and Mary (Cunningham) Goddard, were born in the "Old Dominion," and died in McMinn County, Tenn., at the age of ninety-three and eight-four years, respectively. The latter was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at the time of her death. William H. Goddard was reared on a farm, and learned the tanner's trade in his youth, but has never followed the latter occupation to any great extent. From 1841 to 1847 he was employed by the Rice & Fitzgerald Clock Company, and during this time traveled all over Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas, his headquarters being at Jackson, Miss. In l847 he came to Morgan County, Mo., where he took the agency for a clock company, and was engaged in this occupation until the fall of 1849, when he clerked in a general mercantile establishment for several years, and then became a partner in the business, remaining as such until 1856, when he was elected by the Democratic party as sheriff and collector of Morgan County, and held the office by reelection until 1860. When the war broke out he enlisted in Company D. Col. Kelley's regiment, Missouri Home Guards, and afterward joined the Confederate service under Col. Burns, and during his four years' service participated in the following battles: Boonville, Carthage, Wilson's Creek, Lexington, Springfield, Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, Helena, Little Rock and others. After a time he was appointed quartermaster and commissary at Dangerfield, Tex., which position he held until the close of the war. In July, 1865, he came to St. Louis, and after remaining several weeks returned to Versailles, and was engaged in clerking three months. Since 1866 he has resided on his farm, with the exception of from 1874 to 1880, when he served as sheriff and collector of Morgan County. He has been a Democrat all his life, and socially is a member of the A. F. & A. M. January 27, 1853, he was married to Miss Mary E. Chaney, a native of Cooper County, Mo., by whom he is the father of eight children: Julia Ann, wife of T. Duff, of Versailles; Harriet, wife of A. M. Estes, of Versailles; Henry T., John J., Sterling P., Joseph H., James O. and Lucinda C. Mr. Goddard enlisted in the Mexican War, being captain of a company, and went to the front, but was sent back to the frontier to settle some Indian troubles, and assisted in moving some of the Indians to their reservation. He was in the service ten months.
History of Cole, Moniteau, Morgan, Benton, Miller, Maries and Osage Counties, Missouri, Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889.