Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-12
Communicated
>r I0hrr r. WOoda. Of AIbcyn N rIa

This gentleman died on the 9th in
slant at Holkham, in Albemarle, in the
seventy-frst year of his age. Thus has
passed from existence another of the
prominent links between the present
and the honorable past Of Virginia. In
the prime of his active and useful life
few men were more generally known in
the State. He was an ardent and en-
tbusiastic Wing, a warm personal and
political friend Of Mr.. Clay, whom he
had visited at his home, Ashland, in Ken
lucky. In the olden time few great State
or National Wing Conventions were held
at which he was not a conspicuous
actor. He was devoted to the Union
of the States, and was known all
through Virginia to be an earnest and
outspoken opponent Of secession, and
he foresaw and predicted many of the
results that arose from this move.
Yet, when the ordinance of secession
passed, like patriot he cast his lot
with equal earnestness with his own
people; and one of the early volun-
teers of. the war was his Oldest soma
youth Of barely seventeen-who left
college with his fathers hearty consent
to enter the Confederate service.
But perhaps the greatest sphere Of
DR.. WoOds's usefulness and prominence
was in the field Of agriculture.
He was by inheritance a large land
owner and the master Of many slaves.
lie made his farm in Albemarle one Of
the garden spots Of Virginia. He was
a scientific experimentalist, and he de-
lighted in testing all new seeds and i'm
plementS and methods incident to sue
cessful agriculture. He imported from
England many fine horses, cattle, and
sheep, and it is not saying too much to
say that the absence of DIR. Woods and
his fine stock from State Fair prior to
the war would have been regarded as a
State calamity, and would have been a
matter of comment throughout the Com
monwealth.
For nearly twelve years, a period
running from about 1858 till after the
war, DR.. Woods was one of the stock
holders directors Of the Virginia Gen.
trail railroad, and this brought him to
Richmond SO frequently that he was al
most as widely known here in Rich
mond as in Albemarle.
He served from 1865 to 1872 as
member of the Board Of Visitors of the
University of Nirginia-an institution
he loved with peculiar enthusiam-and
where he and his brothers were edu-
Gated and to which he sent his own
sons.
DR.. Woods, though possessing to
marked degree the respect and conf
dence Of his own people, never con-
sented to enter the political arena but
once, when in 1865 he responded to a
call made on him by large number of
citizens of his district and announced
himself candidate for Congress. But
being finally satisfied that his inability
to take the iron-clad oath would prevent
him from taking his seat if elected, he
Withdrew from the canvass.
But the browning glory of his life
was his Christian rectitude and charac-
ter. From his youth he was deeply
imbued with the truths of religion un-
der the training Of his pious mother,
who was model Virginia matron of
the olden time. He joined the Baptist
Church in 1866, and to the time Of his
death was devout and consistent mem
Der Of that denomination. He was a
positive believer in the divinity of
Christ, and he loved his Saviour with
undoubting devotion.
The closing days Of his life were rem
dered doubly happy by the arrival of
his son-a naval cadet-who had been
absent on the Mediterranean for two
years; and for more than a week his
mind has been revelling in the reminis-
cences of his youth and the happy past.
Only the day before his death he read
to his wife several of the melodies of
Moore.
DR.. Woods was a man of command
ing height and presence. He had strong
and positive convictions on all the cur
rent topics of the day, and expressed
them fearlessly. He despised all that
was false and hypOcritical.
He has left pure and unsullied
name-an honor to his family and to
his State.
Requiescot in pace.