Researching Confederate name & could use help

[scooter748driver]

Hello. I recently purchased a copy of The Volunteers Hand Book that was published in Richmond, VA in 1861. The inside page has the inscription:

Robert H Wood
Natchez (hard to read but an abbreviation for Mississippi?)
1861

Searching for this person on Fold3 and Ancestry so far has not been productive but I'm probably doing it wrong. I am hoping that someone more experienced than me may want to take up this challenge and see if this Confederate (I am assuming he served in the Confederacy) can be found and perhaps learn more about him and his service.

Here's a picture (from the web site - I haven't received the book yet) of the inscription

Thank you in advance for any help anyone can provide!

 

[lupaglupa]

That's definitely Mississippi - they've written it Mifs which was a common way to show a double "s." I'll see if I can dig something up on Robert.

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

Hello. I recently purchased a copy of The Volunteers Hand Book that was published in Richmond, VA in 1861. The inside page has the inscription:

Robert H Wood
Natchez (hard to read but an abbreviation for Mississippi?)
1861

Searching for this person on Fold3 and Ancestry so far has not been productive but I'm probably doing it wrong. I am hoping that someone more experienced than me may want to take up this challenge and see if this Confederate (I am assuming he served in the Confederacy) can be found and perhaps learn more about him and his service.

Here's a picture (from the web site - I haven't received the book yet) of the inscription

View attachment 475506


Thank you in advance for any help anyone can provide!

Probably no connection but interesting.

Robert H. Wood - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[connecticut yankee]

Robert H. Wood was a free-born black man who in 1869 was appointed and then elected mayor of Natchez.

https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/downloads/vh53wz135

 

[scooter748driver]

While that would be interesting if it was the same Robert H Wood, I wonder what free-black man in the deep South Confederacy in 1861 would be doing with a copy of a volunteer handbook?

 

[John Hartwell]

I would read it as "Robert H. Hood." Compare middle initial to first letter of last name -- they are almost identical. (I suppose it could also be be read as "Robert W. Wood.")

There was a Robert Hood in Co. I, 29th Miss.

 

[lupaglupa]

I saw all of the info on the famous Robert H. Wood in Natchez but discounted it -it's just not likely he would have bought that book in that place at that time.

There is a Robert H Wood who shows up in the 1870 Census in Natchez, 26 years old, apparently the son of Robert W. Wood, who is a physician born in Virginia. Could he have been sent back east to school? If so he would possibly have signed up to fight in Virginia.

 

[scooter748driver]

I would read it as "Robert H. Hood." Compare middle initial to first letter of last name -- they are almost identical. (I suppose it could also be be "Robert W. Wood.")

There was a Robert Hood in Co. I, 29th Miss.

You know, looking at the name more closely I think you may be right. I took the Wood name from the description online. The H in the the middle initial and the first letter of the last name do look to be the same.

 

[scooter748driver]

Searching Fold3 and Ancestry for Robert H Hood now without much luck. Anyone else? I would think (wrongly apparently) that it's be easier having a fist name, middle initial, last name and a place.

 

[lupaglupa]

I could not find a record that matched Natchez as his homeplace.

 

[scooter748driver]

Ok - thank you. Is that unusual? Might Natchez be the place he was when he got the book? Guess we might never know for sure which Robert H Hood/Woof it is?

 

[lupaglupa]

I'm guessing he lived in Natchez but didn't serve in the military from Mississippi. Without more information we can't know who it is for sure. There are a number of men with that name. He could be any one if them.

 

[DixieRifles]

I'm guessing he lived in Natchez but didn't serve in the military from Mississippi.

I checked the companies of the 29th Mississippi and it does not appear any were directly recruited from Natchez. A couple of companies dont identify with a county. But one company was raised in Yazoo County which is not far from Natchez.

 

[DixieRifles]

Searching Fold3 and Ancestry for Robert H Hood now without much luck. Anyone else?

Uhh. Yep.

Enlisted in Company "I", 29th Mississippi Infantry Regiment at Hernando (DeSoto County)
Absent -- Sick at private house on road from Corinth to Tupelo.

Another comment stated he was at a hospital.
Deserted Aug 24, 1862.

Quote from history of 29th Regiment for summer of 1862.

During the siege of Corinth a detachment of this regiment and others of the brigade were on outpost duty on the Monterey road, and were in action May 28-29, with a Federal force, which was finally repulsed with the aid of reinforcements under Col. Joseph Wheeler. The regiment had 2 killed and 1 wounded in this engagement at the Russell House.

In the latter part of July, the brigade was moved to Chattanooga, with the Army of the Mississippi, and thence they advanced into Kentucky through Middle Tennessee.
September 12, Walthall with his regiment and Ketchum's Battery was detached to sieze the Louisville & Nashville Railroad at Proctor's Station, whence he rejoined the brigade at Cave City, on the same road. Walthall had a part in Chalmers' desperate assault upon the works at Munfordville, September 4, carrying into battle a total of 307 and losing 5 killed, 36 wounded. Colonel Walthall reported that after several changes of position under fire, they received orders for a bayonet charge. "I gave the command and the charge was attempted, but without success, the earthworks being about ten feet high and surrounded by a deep ditch about eight feet wide." After ten or fifteen minutes in this position Colonel Walthall withdrew his regiment to shelter. On the 17th, Wilder surrendered to Bragg's army, and the brigade was ordered to occupy the works, as a recognition of bravery.

 

[DixieRifles]

BTW, the 29th Mississippi trained at Grenada (Yalobusha County). I don't see any connection with Natchez. The date on the book appears to be 1861. The History states: "This regiment was organized at Grenada, and field officers elected Aril 11, 1862."

I can only assume he bought the book to prepare to enlist.

 

[Salterr]

I would read it as "Robert H. Hood." Compare middle initial to first letter of last name -- they are almost identical. (I suppose it could also be be read as "Robert W. Wood.")

There was a Robert Hood in Co. I, 29th Miss.

Agreed. That's the first thing I noticed too, looks like they're the same letter

 

[farrargirl]

Hello. I recently purchased a copy of The Volunteers Hand Book that was published in Richmond, VA in 1861. The inside page has the inscription:

Robert H Wood
Natchez (hard to read but an abbreviation for Mississippi?)
1861

Searching for this person on Fold3 and Ancestry so far has not been productive but I'm probably doing it wrong. I am hoping that someone more experienced than me may want to take up this challenge and see if this Confederate (I am assuming he served in the Confederacy) can be found and perhaps learn more about him and his service.

Here's a picture (from the web site - I haven't received the book yet) of the inscription

View attachment 475506


Thank you in advance for any help anyone can provide!

Wow… looks like you got a real treasure! Congrats..

 

[Story]

Searching Fold3 and Ancestry for Robert H Hood now without much luck. Anyone else? I would think (wrongly apparently) that it's be easier having a fist name, middle initial, last name and a place.

There's two approaches - 1) the smart and exact way and 2) the stupid & sloppy way.

Be more sloppy - fix on "R.H. Wood", then search WOOD last name for the MS rosters.
Amongst all those Woods, find the right combination of first name/initial middle name/initial

Point being you might find R. Henry Wood or some other variation that you'd never thing of as actually being your man.

Remember, Armies never change
(and the joke here is that it's an Israeli tank)

 

[Championhilz]

I checked the companies of the 29th Mississippi and it does not appear any were directly recruited from Natchez. A couple of companies dont identify with a county. But one company was raised in Yazoo County which is not far from Natchez.

Natchez is over 125 miles from Yazoo County.

 

[DixieRifles]

Natchez is over 125 miles from Yazoo County.

Correct. I have not studied the history of the 29th Miss to see where they trained.
I have studied the 22nd Mississippi and one company traveled from Carroll County to Corinth to look for a regiment that was forming and then on to Memphis where they were sworn into the Confederate service.

Quote from Rowland's History.

This regiment was formed at Iuka in the summer of 1861 of companes that were early organized but had not been able to get into regiments for active service. They were requireed to enlist "for the war." Company E was mustered into the Confederate service at Liberty July 25, and then went to the camp at Iuka. Company D was mustered in at Corinth by Colonel Posey and sent to Iuka. Company G, after its organization, waiting vainly for orders, lost many members who joined other commands in the field; after the battle of Manassas reorganized and enlisted for the war, arrived at Iuka July 30, expecting to join the Twentieth Regiment. It being full, Captain Reid and Captain Nix went to Richmond and secured the enrollment of their commands as independent companies. September 10 they were ordered to Memphis, Tenn., where Colonel Bonham had gone with his incomplete regiment, the Twenty-Second. These reminiscenses illustrate the formation of the regiment.
On July 1 Governor Pettus reported that Bonham's Regiment was raised "for the war," but this appears to have been anticipatory. Adjutant-General Cooper telegraphed to General Clark at Corinth July 31, 1861, "Capt. James D. Caulfield's company, Liberty Guards, accepted by President to be part of one of the two Mississippi regiments at Iuka. Order these regiments as soon as organized to Lynchburg."
Bonham's Regiment was completed at Memphis, and on September 23{1861} reported to General Polk at Columbus, Ky.,