The Centralia Massacre was the killing of the 23 union soldiers, and not the following battle. At the Skirmish of Goslin Lane, as stated before Bloody Bill Anderson had taken union uniforms. Those uniforms were stolen as part of a planned strike against the union soldiers. On the day, September 27 1864, those uniforms would be put to use. Bloody Bill Anderson with 80 of his guerrillas raided the town for supplies. They pillaged the town and soon found whiskey. They stayed in the town drinking the whiskey until it was time. Bloody Bill Anderson ordered some of his men to dress in the union uniforms. They also blocked the train tracks as well. Soon the train was in sight. The engineer was forced to stop in fear of derailing the train. Also the men where in union uniforms so it will be fine. What the engineer did not know was Bloody Bill Anderson's men were behind the uniforms. He would soon realized who those men where. Anderson’s group went through the train quickly and efficiently. Taking money and 23 unarmed union soldiers with them. Those 23 union soldiers were in a line and forced to take off their uniforms at gunpoint. Bloody Bill Anderson asked for the highest ranking officer to step forward. Sergeant Thomas Morton Goodman bravely stepped forward. Expecting to be shot. Then Bloody Bill Anderson executed the 22 other soldiers. This is what is called the Centralia Massacre, the execution of those 22 unarmed soldiers.
This is the only soldier to have survived Anderson's massacre. He would later escape from Anderson's capture, at a river crossing.