Green’s Dictionary of Slang

to receive a beating, punishment.

1840		N.O. Picayune 29 July 2/4: Six victims to report this morning — nothing important — offences trivial — loafing and drunkenness. Some of them got gos, and some got nothing [DA].
1844		C. Cist Cincinnati Misc. 13: I incurred [...] the displeasure of the proprietors of that house, and was informed [...] that I should catch goss, on the first suitable opportunity [DA].

to beat, to dole out punishment.

1845		G.W. Harris ‘The Knob Dance’ Spirit of the Times (N.Y.) XV July in Inge (1967) 49: Giv him goss – no giv him a horn and every time he stops repeat the dose.
1851		‘Doing a Sheriff’ in T.A. Burke Polly Peablossom’s Wedding 99: Ef I don’t, the old man (the judge) will give me goss when I go back.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict. Goss 146: [...] ‘to give a man goss,’ to requite an injury, to beat, or kill him.
1865		M.L. Byrn Adventures of Fudge Fumble 98: If I don’t give him the ‘goss’ the next time I catch him out, then my name ain’t Fumble, but a fool.
1865		G.A. Sala My Diary in America II 246: Give her goss, and let her rip!
1873		Sl. Dict.
1914		J.H. Applegate Recollections Boyhood (1934) 60: The joke was on Andy, and ‘Give her goss, Andy,’ was a favorite joke among the boys long after [DA].