Wood, Hiram B.
Birth
Hiram B. Wood was born in about 1840 in Berne, Albany County, NY.[1] He was the son of Joseph Wood (B. Dec 9, 1802, D. Feb 9, 1892) and Anna Thorne (B. Feb 26, 1808, D. Feb 6, 1891).[2][1][3][4][5] He had a younger brother Henry D. Wood, who was born in about 1846 in Rensselaerville.[1]
Marriage & Children
Hiram did not marry before his death.
Occupation
Hiram worked as a farmer like his younger brother before he enlisted in the 7th Heavy Artillery Regiment.[1]
Military Service
| Name: | Hiram B. Wood |
| Term of Enlistment: | 3 years[2] |
| Bounty Received: | $50.00[2] |
| Enlistment Date: | 2 Aug 1862[1][6] |
| Enlistment Place: | Westerlo, New York |
| Enlistment Rank: | Private[1] |
| State Served: | New York |
| Regiment: | 7th Regiment NY Heavy Artillery[6][7] |
| Company: | Company K[1][6][7] |
| Captured at: | Petersburg, VA[1][7] |
| Captured on: | 16 Jun 1864[1][7] |
| Imprisoned at: | Andersonville, GA[1][7] |
| Died on: | 19 Apr 1865[1][6] |
| Died at: | Jacksonville, FL[1] |
| Additional Remarks: Enlisted at the age of 22.[1] His younger brother Henry D. Wood followed in his footsteps and also enlisted in Co. K of the 7th HA two years later.[1] Hiram and Henry were captured on the same day at Petersburg and both sent to Andersonville. Hiram died while still a POW, but Henry survived the war.[1][8] "Taken Prisoner before Petersburg June 16, 1864. Confined at Andersonville prison and died while there."[2]
born in Westerlo, Age 22, Laborer, Black eyes, Black hair, Dark complexion, 5'6" tall.[9] |
| Sources Used: Ancestry.com, American Civil War Soldiers; Annual Report of the Adjutant-General of the State of New York for the year 1898; Keating, Robert, Carnival of Blood: The Civil War Ordeal of the Seventh New York Heavy Artillery, Published by Butternut and Blue, Baltimore, Md 1998; Town and City Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War |
Life
Hiram and his brother Henry were two of eleven children of Joseph Wood and his wife Anna Thorne.[2][1][3][4][5] Hiram's father had various occupations including shoemaker, Methodist Preacher and farmer, but in general the family was quite poor and they moved frequently.[10] Hiram was born in Berne in about 1840, while his brother Henry was born in 1846 in Rensselaerville. By 1850 their family was living in Broome, Schoharie county, NY.[2][4] In 1855 the frame house that they lived in Berne, Albany county, NY was only valued at $75.[5] Hiram's family continued to live in Berne at least up until his brother Henry's enlistment in the Civil War in February of 1864.[1]
Military Service
Hiram enlisted on 2 Aug 1862 in Westerlo.[1] He served in Company K of the 7th Heavy Artillery Regiment, which until the spring of 1864 had a relatively comfortable assignment of protecting the nation's capital Washington, DC. In the spring of 1864 they were sent into battle where within the next few weeks they saw some of the heaviest fighting of the entire war. Hiram and his younger brother Henry apparently fought together as they were both captured on 16 Jun 1864 at Petersburg, Virginia. They then were both sent to Andersonville prison.[11] From there the story gets a bit confusing, but Andersonville prison records show that Hiram was part of a prisoner exchange on April 1, 1865.[7] Hiram then definitely died as a result of his physical health from conditions at Andersonville prison, but the day of that death is in question.
Death
Hiram B. Wood died on April 19, 1865 in Jacksonville, Florida[12] while a prisoner of war.[1] Note: Data in Robert Keating's book on Hiram Wood is conflicting as he also says that Hiram died July 5, 1865 and was "the last man in the Regiment to die as a direct casulty of the Civil War."[1]
Obituary
Carnival of Blood
Keating, Robert, Carnival of Blood: The Civil War Ordeal of the Seventh New York Heavy Artillery, Published by Butternut and Blue, Baltimore, Md 1998
- Page 292
"The death of Private Hiram Wood was unusual. The records show that he was captured on June 23 near Petersburg, but they fail to indicate where he was held. It is almost certain that he was interned first at Andersonville, and then probably transferred to other camps in the South during the early months of 1865. There is also no information on when or where he was released, nor any explanation of why he was kept so long. But he is reported to have died from disease aboard the transport Western Metropolis on July 5, 1865, earning the distinction of becomeing the last man in the Regiment to die as a direct casulaty of the Civil War."
Additional Research Notes
Additional Media
Town and City Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War
Taken Prisoner before Petersburg June 16, 1864. Confined at Andersonville prison and Died while there
Sources
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 Keating, Robert, Carnival of Blood: The Civil War Ordeal of the Seventh New York Heavy Artillery, Published by Butternut and Blue, Baltimore, Md 1998
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Town and City Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bernehistory.org
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 1850 US Census, Broome, Schoharie Co, NY
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 1855 NY State Census, Berne, Albany Co, NY
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Ancestry’s Military Databases, www.ancestry.com
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Andersonville Prisoners of War, www.ancestry.com
- ↑ 1890 US Veterans Census, Middleburgh, Schoharie Co, NY
- ↑ NY Civil War Muster Roll Abstracts, Ancestry.com Military databases
- ↑ US Censuses
- ↑ Civil War Prisoners of War Records, www.ancestry.com
- ↑ Civil War Pension Records @ Fold3.com
