Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1898-09-17

Ing us. In fact. after the battle he
waited a number of hours In the neigh.
bOrhOOd with the hope Of meeting the
support. Though we did nil that men
could do. our position against such odds
was almost hopeless, ana we were In
the end completely routed. Not. how.
ever. before the ranking officers Of the
regiment were killed or disabled almost
to a man. Indeed, II II actually true
that there was no officer left to make u
report Of the fight to headquarters, nnd
while the confederate records have a
full account. the northern records have
almost nothing about II. After this
fight the regiment was 80 diminished
that II never went back to Merritt's
command rs regiment. but was made
Instead to serve as escort to General
Sheridan.
Il was shot early In the fight. MY
horse was killed and ! lay on the field
with bullet through my abdomen.
After time the surgeon Of the regl.
ment found me and sent me to a stone
farmhouse In the neighbOrhOOd. where
lay for some time In u flower bed un.
able to move. Soon was forced to
get up. A rebel charge was made down
the road In front Of my place OF refuge.
ana In the heat Of the conflict almost
lost my life. pOwerless AZ was To pro.
tect myself. ! remember a biz burly
captain waving his sword ut me, ana
then the voice Of some other officer tell.
Ing him not to strike. as was hurt
enough already. When the fight was
over the cOnfederates were very kind
to me. One OF their surgeons cut the
bullet out Of my back, though he had
no anaesthetics to give nfe. was
taken Into the farmhouse. where, with
few other wounded soldiers, I was
kindly treated by tho two girls who
were the only members Of the family
left there. They had nothing but milk
and -four to give us, but they shared
that glndly. Then was given an In.
dlvidual parole, the only one. believe,
that was given on that field, ana was
left for the time to get along rs best
could. 1t was two months before I
was able to he moved. and then went
north to recover my health and wait for
an exchange"
Before the end Of the year Lieuteu.
ant Wood was again In the ranks. this
time as an officer Of New York vOlun.
teers. 10 enable him to do this he &c.
cured leave of absence from his own
regiment, with permission to return to |
1t later. He was first made major of
the Fifteenth New York cavalry. Then
he was commissioned colonel OF the
Second New York mounted rifles. NotI
mastering a full regiment. he went
south as lieutenant colonel In com.
mand OF his men. He served through
the remainder Of the war under Sherl.
dan and was present with General
Grant Mt the time of the surrender. He
was one Of the officers detailed to es.
cort Grant back from the field at this
time. by this time Colonel Wood had
been commissioned as first lieutenan mt
Or regulars, ana had been brevettel
for bravery on the field. He
went back to the Sixth cavalry and
served with General Sheridan In New
Orleans. His company was the first
Dn hand at the time OF the Mechanics
Institute riots In that city. ana he had
great part In stopping the massacre
IF negroes. At the time of his resigna.
Ion In 1867 he was in command OF
General SheNdan's escort. For the
leXt ten years Colonel Wood was en-.
gagged as a railroad contractor I'm New
York, ana In 1877 he came to Chicago
lnd entered the service of the Alton
Railroad.
Colonel Wood has been a lifelong
republican and has been active In
work on many occasions. He
Ook an especially prominent part inl
preaching sound money among rail-
Dad men during the last political cam
'aign. He has, however, never held
'oiitlcal office. although having been
epeatedly urged to accept nomina-
Ions. He was appointed an aid onI
he stan OF j. T.. s. Goblin, comma nder-
n-chief of the Grand Army of the Re-
ublic, and he Ia member of the
ieOrge IL. Thomas Post, G. A. r. He
elOngs also to the Loyal Legion. the
Western Society Of the Army of the
'otOmac and the Aztec Club of NewI
DIRK, the last named being an organ.
satiOn Of officers who were present att
he surrender of the City of MexicoI
nd their descendants. Colonel Wood
'as married In 1867 to Miss Nary
Vare of Dubuque. He has threeI
aughters and one son. /,