David Wood 6th MSM Cavalry

[Borderruffian]

David Wood was born on August 25, 1851 to Samuel and Margaret Wood, at Mount Gilead, Ohio. In 1854, Samuel moved his family to the Kansas Territory to help the "Free Staters" keep slavery out of the region. In April 1861, Samuel raised a company for the 2nd Kansas Infantry and served as their captain. He fought at the Battle of Wilson's Creek, then raised a battalion in Missouri which became part of the 6th Missouri Cavalry.
While stationed at Rolla, Samuel was joined by his family, including his ten-year-old son David, who repeatedly begged his father to take him on his frequent scouting trips. On one such trip, Samuel, sensing something was going on behind him, found David riding on a pony in the center of a group of soldiers.
David later related that,
"He didn't say much to me. I guess he realized he might as well yield to the inevitable. From then on he kept me with him, and on January 1, 1862, at Rolla, I was regularly enlisted. My duties were principally that of an orderly, carrying dispatches here and there and sometimes going where grown men could not go."
David later became desperately ill with malaria and pneumonia, and Colonel Wood was forced to leave his son with a farm family. Although Samuel feared he would never see his son alive again, David received good care, recovered, and was retrieved by his father and returned to Council Grove, Kansas, ending his career in the army.

David Wood was the son of Lt. Col. Samuel N. Wood, of Sixth MSM. Enlisted as a musician, he served as orderly and was given a fancy uniform (note the officer's sholder straps)​

David's father S.N. Wood, Commanded Company I, 2nd Kansas Volunteers "The Kansas Rangers" at Wilson's Creek and later the 6th MSM Cavalry.

 

[atuttle32]

Awesome story! Thank you for the post!!

 

[donna]

Very interesting story. Thanks for post.

 

[donna]

After reading the story, thought I try to find out more on David Wood. Found a lot on Samuel Wood. He is on find a grave plus his wife and two children named. Couldn't find any more on David. Do you know what happened to him later in life and where he finally lived and died? Thanks

 

[rhp6033]

I found a little more about David Wood on Ancestory.com. His full name was David Walker Wood. He moved to Colorado and started a freight fowarding business which supported the railroad construction. In 1881, at age 30, he build the "Dave Wood Road" through the San Juan mountains. In 1884 he married Mary Dill in Topeka Kansas. A year later she died in childbearth while bearing one child, Margueritte Wood. In 1888 he re-married to Frances "Fannie" Parker, a Kentucky native, who bore him seven children.

David Wood's freight business eventually failed, and in 1893 at age 42 he went into farming in Ouray County, Colorado. He died in Montrose, Colorado in 1944 at the age of 92.

 

[donna]

rhp6033 Thanks for additional information on David Wood. Also welcome to forum if I missed your first post. Good to have you aboard.

 

[jumpmastereast]

great stuff and thanks for sharing