George Henry Thomas
In 1863, at age 18, Woodnorth enlisted in the Union Army, joining the 21st Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment as a private. Woodnorth served with the regiment through the Atlanta Campaign. He was commissioned a First Lieutenant in September, 1864, and assigned Chief Clerk for the Brigade Inspector General. He was then attached to the staff of Major General George Henry Thomas. He was brevetted to captain by Thomas for his actions during the Battle of Franklin.