My Genealogy Hound

Thomas A. Wood, planter and prominent citizen of Alma Township, has been a resident of Arkansas for fifty-one years, was born in Northeast Georgia in 1829, and is a son of Enoch and Jane (Lovelady) Wood, natives of Carolina. They left their native State for Georgia, and in 1837 moved to Pope County, Ark., where the mother died in 1855 and the father in 1859. Mr. Wood was of Scotch-Irish descent, and a farmer by occupation. The grandfather, John Wood, was a Revolutionary soldier. Our subject was the youngest child of nine, and being reared in Arkansas during the pioneer days, received a meager education. When about twenty years of age he crossed the plains to California with an ox team, and there spent about eight years mining and trading. After remaining about two years he made a short visit home, and returned by the usual water route. He was financially successful, his home trip being made with some stock. In 1859 he married Matilda Howard, who died in 1860, leaving one child. In 1861 he married Julia, daughter of Silas Wright, of Johnson County, Ark. This union was blessed with six children. Mr. Wood was among the first to enlist in the Confederate army in Pope County. He joined Company A, Col. Jack Williamson’s battalion, and operated in Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Georgia. The company was reorganized at Corinth, Miss., in 1862, and was transferred to the Third Arkansas Cavalry, participating in the battles of Chattanooga, Shiloh, Corinth, Murfreesboro and many minor engagements. Mr. Wood was captured near Nashville in the winter of 1863-64, taken to Cairo, Ill., and while on the way to Vicksburg, Miss., made his escape at Milliken’s Bend. He immediately crossed over into Arkansas, and attached himself to Gen. Shelby’s command, with whom he remained until the close of the war. He accompanied him on his raid through Missouri, and was present at the surrender at Clarksville, Ark., in May, 1865. Mr. Wood then made his home in Pope County until 1873, when he came to Crawford County, Ark., and settled on bottom land in River Township, where he still owns a good farm. He also has a fine farm of 200 acres near Alma, owning 700 acres in all. Mr. Wood is one of the enterprising and wealthy citizens of the county, and is largely engaged in stock and cotton raising, having an annual yield of from 150 to 200 bales of cotton. He has been a Democrat all his life, and cast his first presidential vote for Pierce in 1852. He has for twelve years been a member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to the Alma Lodge No. 43. Mrs. Wood is a Methodist. Mr. Wood has always had a disposition not to be outdone in any respect. He is fond of sport, such as hunting, and especially shooting on the wing, for which purpose he makes frequent visits to the Indian Territory, with good success.