Where did all the goblins go?

[littlemanpoet]

Originally Posted by me

But I have proof that orcs outlived Sauron: Tolkien in his Letters to his son Christopher repeatedly referred to "orcs on both sides of the war" and such like; apparently, they merged with the races of Men.

Believe it or not, someone lacking the intestinal fortitude to identify himself challenged me on this, claiming there was no such evidence in Tolkien's Letters for it. So, From a letter to Christopher Tolkien dated 6 May 1944 (FS 22):

...For we are attempting to conquer Sauron with the Ring. And we shall (it seems) succeed. But the penalty is, as you will know, to breed new Saurons, and slowly turn Men and Elves into Orcs. Not that in real life such things are as clear cut as in a story, and we started out with a great many Orcs on our side . . . . Well, there you are: a hobbit amongst the Urukhai.

Pish. That was too easy.