Charles Carroll Wood

Charles Carroll Wood
Wood as a cadet at RMC
Born(1876-03-19)19 March 1876
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Died11 November 1899(1899-11-11) (aged 23)
Belmont, South Africa
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service / branch British Army
Years of service1892-99
RankLieutenant
UnitRoyal Military College of Canada
1st North Lancashire Regiment
Battles / warsSecond Boer War

Lieutenant Charles Carroll Wood (born 19 March 1876 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada – died 11 November 1899 in Belmont, Orange Free State) was the first Canadian Officer to die in the Second Boer War.[10] As a member of a family that had distinguished itself in America, his great grandfather being Zachary Taylor, 12th President of the United States, he was buried with full military honours.[28]

Wood's promising military career was cut short.[31] Also known as Lieut. C. C. Wood, on the news of his death, Queen Victoria wrote a letter of condolence to his family and, at the Queen's request, Lieut. Wood's portrait was sent to her at Windsor.[36] Robert E. Lee Jr. was among others to send his condolences to Wood's family having met Wood in Halifax, Nova Scotia, three years earlier.[32]

Lieut. Wood's memorial service at St. Luke's Cathedral in Halifax, Nova Scotia, was attended by Lord Seymour, then Commander of the British Troops in Canada, the British Services and the Canadian Militia, in uniform.[5] Lieut. Wood's memorial service was officiated by Bishop Courtney.[5]

In addition to being the descendant of a President, he was the son of John Taylor Wood and a grand-nephew of Jefferson Davis who served as President of the Confederate States of America from 1861 to 1865.[42] His brother was Zachary Taylor Wood.[43][44][45] On his maternal side, Wood was a descendant of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a signatory of the American Declaration of Independence.[39][46] An obituary stated that the 'lamented death of this promising young officer, when fighting in defence of the Mother Country, will be deeply felt by all, and will be an enduring example of the Colonial sons of the Empire'.[47]

After his death, Chaswood, Nova Scotia, was named in his honour to 'perpetuate the memory of Charles Wood, a native of Halifax and the first Canadian soldier to be killed in action in the South African War'.[7][15]

Lieut. Wood's name was the first on the roll of honour to be carved on a statue designed by Hamilton MacCarthy in Halifax, Nova Scotia, commemorating Canadians who died in the Boer War.[53] The cornerstone of the monument was laid in October 1901 by the Duke of Duchess of York and Cornwall, the Duke later reigning as King George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions.[54] Wood also has a commemorative plaque on the memorial staircase at the RMC Club in Kingston, Ontario, and his memory is recorded on a statue in Toronto.[55][56][57]

  1. ^ Obituary in The New York Times, LIEUT. C. C. WOOD'S CAREER, 13 November 1899, p.2
  2. ^ Obituary in The Los Angeles Times, Monday 13 November 1899, p.2
  3. ^ Obituary in The Morning Post, London. Monday, 13 November 1899. p.5
  4. ^ a b Obituary in The Washington Star, Lieut. Wood of American Descent, Washington, District of Columbia, USA. 13 November 1899, p.2
  5. ^ a b c The Sun, New York, USA. Memorial Service for Lieut. Wood, Tuesday 21 November 1899, p.1
  6. ^ BULLETINS FROM BULLER, Col. C.E. Keith-Falconer and Lieut. C. C. Wood Were Killed, The Windsor Star, Ontario, Canada. Monday 13 November 1899, p.1
  7. ^ a b Hamilton, William Baillie (1 January 1996). Place Names of Atlantic Canada. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 9780802075703 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ The Times, London, UK. Western Frontier, Skirmish Near Belmont, 13 November 1899, p.7
  9. ^ "Library of World History: Containing a Record of the Human Race from the Earliest Historical Period to the Present Time; Embracing a General Survey of the Progress of Mankind in National and Social Life, Civil Government, Religion, Literature, Science and Art". Western Press Assoc. 16 May 1914 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]
  11. ^ Daily News, London, Tuesday 14 November 1899. p.7
  12. ^ a b Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh (28 April 1975). Burke's Presidential Families of the United States of America. Burke's Peerage. ISBN 9780850110173 – via Google Books.
  13. ^ Mellish, Annie Elizabeth (2 May 1900). "Our Boys Under Fire, Or, Maritime Volunteers in South Africa". Printed at the Examiner Office – via Google Books.
  14. ^ Obituary in the Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. A DESCENDANT OF CARROLL. Tuesday 9 January 1900, p.4
  15. ^ a b c Thurston, Arthur (28 April 1989). Arthur Thurston's Tallahassee skipper: the biography of John Taylor Wood, Merrimac gunner, soldier-at-sea, guardian of the Confederate treasury, adopted Nova Scotian. A. Thurston Publications. ISBN 9780921596028 – via Google Books.
  16. ^ a b Veterans Affairs Canada (20 February 2019). "Page from book: - Books of Remembrance - Memorials - Remembrance". www.veterans.gc.ca.
  17. ^ Salt Lake Telegram, Utah, USA. Friday 28 March 1902, p.4
  18. ^ Obituary in the Boston Globe, Descendant of a Signer Killed in Africa, Thursday 18 January 1900, p.8
  19. ^ The Washington Times, District of Columbia, USA. Sunday 4 May 1902, p.8
  20. ^ The Freeman’s Journal, Dublin, Ireland. Wednesday 15 November 1899, p.5
  21. ^ Obituary in The Aberdeen Journal, 13 November 1899, Scotland, p.5
  22. ^ John Bell. Confederate Seadog: John Taylor Wood in War and Exile. McFarland Publishers. 2002. p. 59
  23. ^ ""Arrival of Police in the Yukon", 1904 - Migration to New Worlds - Adam Matthew Digital". www.migration.amdigital.co.uk.
  24. ^ Office, Great Britain War; Maurice, Sir John Frederick (8 May 1906). "History of the War in South Africa, 1899-1902". Hurst and Blackett limited – via Google Books.
  25. ^ Doyle, Arthur Conan (1 March 2011). The Great Boer War. The Floating Press. ISBN 9781775452027 – via Google Books.
  26. ^ Wilson, H. W. (5 April 2018). With the Flag to Pretoria. BoD – Books on Demand. ISBN 9783732652488 – via Google Books.
  27. ^ Amery, Leopold Stennett; Childers, Erskine; Williams, Basil (8 May 1902). "The Times History of the War in South Africa: 1899-1902". S. Low, Marston, Limited – via Google Books.
  28. ^ [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]
  29. ^ Mackenzie, George Norbury (28 April 1966). "Colonial Families of the United States of America: In which is Given the History, Genealogy, and Armorial Bearings of Colonial Families who Settled in the American Colonies from the Time of the Settlement of Jamestown, 13th May, 1607, to the Battle of Lexington, 19th April, 1775". Genealogical Publishing Company – via Google Books.
  30. ^ "The Cyclopedic Review of Current History". Garretson, Cox & Company. 28 April 1900 – via Google Books.
  31. ^ [4][12][15][16][29][30]
  32. ^ a b CONFEDERATE SEADOG, John Taylor Wood in War and Exile, by John Bell, p.59. Published by McFarland & Company Inc., Publishers of Jefferson, North Carolina and London, 2002 ISBN 0786413522
  33. ^ General Zachary Taylor: The Louisiana President of the United States of America by James Joseph Alcée. Louisiana's Part in the War with Mexico. Published by Louisiana State Museum, 1937, p.48. Queen Victoria acknowledged receipt of Lieut. Wood's portrait on Jan.17, 1900
  34. ^ The Times-Democrat, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Thursday, 9 January 1913, p.10: 'When Lieut. Charles Carroll Wood of the English army, aged twenty-three, was killed in Belmont in November, 1899, during the late Boer War, Queen Victoria wrote a letter of sympathy to his family, and at her request Lieut. Wood's portrait was sent to her at Windsor'.
  35. ^ Marquis, Thomas Guthrie (8 May 1900). "Canada's Sons on Kopje and Veldt: An Historical Account of the Canadian Contingents Based on ... Despatches of Lieutenant-Colonel W. D. Otter and ... Other ... Officers ... on the Letters of ... War Correspondents ... C. Frederick Hamilton ... [and Others]". Canadian Son's Publishing Company – via Google Books.
  36. ^ [32][33][34][35]
  37. ^ Detroit Free Press, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Lieutenant Charles Carroll Wood. Tuesday 21 November 1899, p.4
  38. ^ "Roll of Honour - Bedfordshire - Bedford Modern School Memorials". www.roll-of-honour.com.
  39. ^ a b Obituary in the Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. A DESCENDANT OF CARROLL. Tuesday 9 January 1900, p.4
  40. ^ Zorn, Walter Lewis (28 April 1955). "The Descendants of the Presidents of the United States of America". Mich. – via Google Books.
  41. ^ "Confederate Veteran". Sons of Confederate Veterans. 28 April 1989 – via Google Books.
  42. ^ [37][38][39][40][41]
  43. ^ Zachary, Taylor (1 January 1908). Letters of Zachary Taylor, from the battle-fields of the Mexican war. Best Books on. ISBN 9781623761202 – via Google Books.
  44. ^ Zachary, Taylor (1 January 1908). Letters of Zachary Taylor, from the battle-fields of the Mexican war. Best Books on. ISBN 9781623761202 – via Google Books.
  45. ^ Museum, Louisiana State; Fortier, James Joseph Alcée (28 April 1937). "General Zachary Taylor: The Louisiana President of the United States of America. Louisiana's Part in the War with Mexico". Press of T.J. Moran's Sons – via Google Books.
  46. ^ Staley, Helene Hinson (1 June 2004). Appendices Of To Escape Into Dreams. Xlibris Corporation. ISBN 9781413408782 – via Google Books.
  47. ^ The Bury and Norwich Post, England. Tuesday, 14 November 1899, p.8
  48. ^ The Eudora Weekly News, Kansas, USA. Blood Will Tell. Thursday, 3 April 1902, p.1
  49. ^ "Halifax Military Heritage Preservation Society". hmhps.ca.
  50. ^ The Oregon Daily Journal, Portland, Oregon, USA, Nova Scotia Unveils Monument To Her Dead, Saturday 24 May 1902, p.6
  51. ^ Omaha Daily Bee, Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Tuesday 25 March 1902, p.6
  52. ^ Asbury Park Press, New Jersey, USA. 4 March 1902, p.5
  53. ^ [48][49][50][51][52]
  54. ^ CONFEDERATE SEADOG, John Taylor Wood in War and Exile, by John Bell, p.60. Published by McFarland & Company Inc., Publishers of Jefferson, North Carolina and London, 2002 ISBN 0786413522
  55. ^ Canada, Veterans Affairs (20 February 2019). "Charles Carroll Wood - The Canadian Virtual War Memorial - Veterans Affairs Canada". www.veterans.gc.ca.
  56. ^ "» Our History".
  57. ^ Parkhouse, Valerie B. (28 January 2015). Memorializing the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902: Militarization of the Landscape: Monuments and Memorials in Britain. Troubador Publishing Ltd. ISBN 9781780884011 – via Google Books.