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History &
Memories of DD/DDR-715
Great Photos, Facts &
Information |
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Who was WILLIAM Maxwell WOOD? |
Numerous Other Information
about William Maxwell Wood
About Wood -
Page 1 -
About Wood - Page 2 -
Wood's
Portrait
Wood's Career -
Wood's Obituary -
Wood's Retirement -
Note from Jim Thomas |
William Maxwell
Wood--born 27 May 1809 in Baltimore.--was appointed assistant surgeon on 16
May 1829 and,
between 1830 and 1838, served with the t Indies and Home Squadrons, as well as
with the Army during the Seminole wars. He became fleet surgeon with the Pacific
Squadron in 1844 and, upon completion of his tour, was about to return to the
United States when relations between that country and Mexico became decidedly
strained. The commander the Navy's Pacific Squadron, Commodore John D. Sloat,
consequently entrusted certain dispatches to Wood to carry back to the United
States with him. Wood volunteered to travel through Mexico and report upon
conditions there. Accompanied by the American consul from Mazatlan, Mexico, the
former t surgeon commenced his journey across Mexico.
Arriving at Guadalajara on 10 May, Wood and his companion found the
town "in a high state of agitation" owing to the reception there of the news of
the battles between American and Mexican forces at Palo Alto and Resaca de la
Palma, on the Rio Grande River. The surgeon immediately wrote a dispatch to
Sloat at Mazatlan, and it was delivered in five days--an exceptional occurrence
in those days. His message that hostilities with Mexico had actually commenced
was the first tidings of that nature that Sloat had received.
Wood meanwhile continued on his journey across Mexico and
subsequently arrived at Mexico City to be "startled and shocked by hearing
newsboys crying through the streets 'Grand victory over the North Americans.'"
He later learned through a trusted friend of the Mexican minister of war that
General Zachary Taylor's men had, in fact, annihilated the Mexican Army's choice
regiment. Surgeon Wood remained in Mexico City not less than a week and gathered
more information which he sent off to Commodore Sloat, apprising him of the
situation, via Guadalajara.
Wood continued his mission, as he had since the beginning of it, in
civilian clothes--running the risk of being apprehended as a spy--and, while
posing as an Englishman, inspected the defenses of the castle at Chapultepec.
Continuing on to Veracruz, the surgeon carefully took notes on Mexico, its
condition and resources. ultimately, the physician reached a neutral man-of-war
and was taken to the flagship of the American blockading squadron. Sailing on a
vessel especially detached for the purpose, Wood carried the vital intelligence
information to Washington.
Meanwhile, Commodore Sloat took action. As he later recorded in a
letter to Wood, "The information you furnished me at Mazatlan from the City of
Mexico, via Guadalajara, (at the risk of your life) was the only reliable
information I received of that event, and which induced me to proceed
immediately to California, and upon my own responsibility to take possession of
that country, which I did on the 7th of July, 1936."
Sloat considered the performance of Wood's journey through Mexico
"as an extraordinary feat, requiring great courage, presence of mind, and
address. how you escaped from the heart of an enemy's country . . . has always
been a wonder to me."
Following the Mexican War, Wood served in the receiving ship at
Baltimore and later went to the steamer Michigan, operating on the Great Lakes.
He again served as fleet surgeon--this time with the East India Squadron--from
1856, and took part in Commodore Andrew H. Foote's attack upon the Chinese
Barrier Forts--of "enormous strength . . . built of large blocks of granite . .
heavily armed."--at Canton, China, in response to Chinese attacks upon American
shipping.
Wood subsequently served a second tour in Michigan before he became
fleet surgeon for the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. While thus serving,
Wood witnessed the historic battle of the ironclads, USS Monitor and CSS
Virginia (the former USS Merrimack) in Hampton Roads; and later took part in the
assault and capture of Sewall's Point.
After the Civil War, Wood served at Baltimore in 1866 and 1867 and
was President of the Naval Examination Board in 1868 before he became Chief of
the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in 1870. Appointed medical director on 3 Marc
1871, Wood retired later that same year and died in Baltimore on 1 March 1880. |
As
written by Jim Thomas (69-72 RM)
I was in Frederick MD over the weekend for a wedding and had some free time this
morning, so Jennie and I drove over to Owings Mills to check out Dr. Wood's
Rosewood Glen farm and to see if we could find his grave in St. Thomas
Churchyard Cemetery. We were successful on both ventures.
First, we located Rosewood Lane off of the Reiserstown Rd, and we drove through
the Rosewood Center, a mostly closed facility for the mentally handicapped. The
state of MD obtained the Rosewood property sometime after the death of Dr. Wood
in 1880 and his wife Rose Carson Wood in 1885. Rosewood Center was opened in
1888 and was closed during the era when mental institutions across the country
came under attack for mistreatment of patients.
Anyway, the property is huge and is mostly rolling hills and forest. It must
have been very scenic back when Dr. Wood and his family had their farm there
between the end of the Civil War and the mid 1880's. We have read that the state
of MD had sold some of the property for residential development. There are
houses and apartments along Rosewood Lane between Rosewood Center and the
Reiserstown Road. My guess was that property was originally part of Rosewood
Glen. We took about a half hour to drive through the property and estimate that
Rosewood Center still consists of 500-600 acres, and now that the Center is
closed and the many buildings on the campus are
shuttered, it looks like prime property for residential real estate development.
We never found Dr. Wood's house or any of his farm buildings. But, we could
pretty much visualize where the house might have been, as there is a main
Rosewood Center building at the top of a ridge as you enter the service road. My
guess is it was there, unless it was actually closer to the Reiserstown Road as
part of the area with the homes and apartments. We were looking for signs of an
older building with Italianate architecture as we knew Dr. Wood was fond of that
style and his previous home in Erie Pa is done in Italianate style. The house in
Erie still stands and is an historical site, and I have been in contact with the
historical society in Erie and they would love to host us for a future reunion.
Although some of the buildings clearly were built when the center opened in
1888, and are now in poor condition, they were clearly institutional buildings
and did not appear to be a private home.
After leaving Rosewood Center we drove back out Rosewood Lane, and turned left
on the Reiserstown Road and drove about a quarter mile to St. Thomas Lane, made
a left there and drove back to St. Thomas Church. Dr. Wood and his family were
members of that church and they have a family plot in the churchyard cemetery
there. We passed the Garrison Forest apartments on the left as we drove back St.
Thomas lane, and the name reminded me that Dr. Wood had been president of the
Garrison Forest Farmers Association for a number of years during his retirement
from the Navy.
Jennie and I pulled into the church parking lot and began to search for Dr.
Wood's grave in the sections closest to the church, as the graves on the other
side of the parking lot and school looked to be newer grave markers. We searched
and searched for about 20 minutes or so, on both sides of the church and
immediately behind it. Lots of graves there from the mid 1800's to around 1900
but did not immediately find Dr. Wood's grave. We were looking for a smaller
size headstone and the one I had seen in photos did not look large. We were
getting close to the point where we had to leave in order to get to the wedding
on time, and finally I found the headstone and the Wood family plot just behind
the rear entrance to the church. The headstone is quite large. I would estimate
6 feet horizontal and about 4 feet high and 2 feet thick. It must be a very
heavy stone. There was a large bronze plaque on the face of the headstone
reading "Here lies William Maxwell Wood, MD, Surgeon General, Inited States
Navy, born in Baltimore MD, June 27, 1809, died March 1, 1880 Owings Mills MD.
He served his country well.". The plaque also describes Rose Mary Carson Wood,
Dr. Wood's wife who is also buried in the family plot. On the other side of the
headstone is a similar plaque with information of two other family members
buried in the plot. Hannah Moore Wood, Dr. Wood's daughter with his first wife
Hannah Sexton Moore Wood, was buried in the family plot at the age of 73 in
1910. In addition, Dr. Wood's son, Peter Bryson Wood MD is also buried in the
plot. Peter died at the age of 45 in 1904.
I rendered a salute to Dr. Wood in behalf of the Wood Association as I stood
before his grave. It was great to finally visit the grave in behalf of the
Association. But, I missed his 200th birthday by 11 days. I'm sure Dr. Wood
would be proud and honored to know the shipmates of the USS William M Wood. who
continue today to hold reunions as a brotherhood of Willie Wood shipmates,
continuing the legacy of Dr. Wood and the ships that bore his name and served in
the service of our nation.
I'm sure there is much more to learn about Dr. Wood, and I hope to continue to
do research as I can, so that the Wood Association can know the story of this
great man who's name graced our ship.
Jim |
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