Complex sentence: In 1830 Fort Snelling was the birth place of John Taylor Wood, who later became known as a lieutenant in the Confederate navy, serving on board the noted "Merrimack" at the Battle of Hampton Roads.
Split into simpler sentences: In 1830 Fort Snelling was the birth place of the famous Confederate lieutenant John Taylor Wood. Wood served on board the famous "Merrimack" at the Battle of Hampton Roads.