Lieutenant Charles Carroll Wood (19 March 1876 – 11 November 1899) was the first Canadian Officer to die in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

. As a member of a family that had distinguished itself in America, his great grandfather being

Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military officer and politician who was the 12th president of the United States, serving from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States ...

, 12th President of the United States, he was buried with full military honours. Wood's promising military career was cut short. Also known as Lieut. C. C. Wood, on the news of his death,

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

wrote a letter of condolence to his family and, at the Queen's request, Lieut. Wood's portrait was sent to her at

Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places *Detroit–Windsor, Michigan-Ontario, USA-Canada, North America; a cross-border metropolitan region Australia New South Wales *Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area Queen ...

Robert E. Lee Jr. Robert Edward Lee Jr. (October 27, 1843 – October 19, 1914) was the sixth of seven children of Confederate General Robert E. Lee and Mary Anna Randolph Custis. He became a soldier during the American Civil War, and later was a planter, bus ...

was among others to send his condolences to Wood's family having met Wood in

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...

, three years earlier. Lieut. Wood's memorial service at St. Luke's Cathedral in

, was attended by Lord Seymour, then Commander of the British Troops in Canada, the British Services and the Canadian Militia, in uniform. Lieut. Wood's memorial service was officiated by Bishop Courtney. In addition to being the descendant of a President, he was the son of

John Taylor Wood John Taylor Wood (August 13, 1830 – July 19, 1904) was an officer in the United States Navy and the Confederate Navy. He resigned from the U.S. Navy at the beginning of the American Civil War, and became a "leading Confederate naval hero" ...

and a grand-nephew of

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the only President of the Confederate States of America, president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the Unite ...

who served as

President of the Confederate States of America The president of the Confederate States was the head of state and head of government of the unrecognized breakaway Confederate States. The president was the chief executive of the federal government and commander-in-chief of the Confederate A ...

from 1861 to 1865. His brother was Zachary Taylor Wood. On his maternal side, Wood was a descendant of

Charles Carroll of Carrollton Charles Carroll (September 19, 1737 – November 14, 1832), known as Charles Carroll of Carrollton or Charles Carroll III, was an American politician, planter, and signatory of the Declaration of Independence. He was the only Catholic signatory ...

, a signatory of the

United States Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America in the original printing, is the founding document of the United States. On July 4, 1776, it was adopted unanimously by the Second Continen ...

. 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'.''The Bury and Norwich Post'', England. Tuesday, 14 November 1899, p.8 After his death,

Chaswood, Nova Scotia Chaswood (formerly named Taylorville) is a rural community in the Musquodoboit Valley northwest of Middle Musquodoboit in Nova Scotia, Canada. Chaswood is named in honour of Charles Carroll Wood. Chaswood is located in the Halifax Regional Mu ...

, 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'. Lieut. Wood's name was the first on the roll of honour to be carved on a statue designed by

Hamilton MacCarthy Hamilton Thomas Carlton Plantagenet MacCarthy (28 July 1846 – 24 October 1939) was one of the earliest masters of monumental bronze sculpture in Canada. He is known for his historical sculptures, in particular his Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons ...

, commemorating Canadians who died in the Boer War. 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.''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 Wood also has a commemorative plaque on the memorial staircase at the RMC Club in

Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the northeastern end of Lake Ontario. It is at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River, the south end of the Rideau Canal. Kingston is near the Thousand Islands, ...

, and his memory is recorded on a statue in Toronto.

Life

General_Lord_William_Frederick_Ernest_Seymour_KCVO

Charles Carroll Wood was born in

where his father,

, had resided since the end of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

having served as a

Confederate Officer A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

. Charles Carroll Wood was a grandnephew of

and a great-grandson of

, 12th President of the United States. His great-great-grandfather was Colonel Richard Taylor, an Officer in the Continental Army of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. Wood's mother was Lola Mackubin Wood and his brother was Zachary Taylor Wood. Wood's mother hailed from the Carrolls of Carrollton.

was a signatory of the

. Charles Carroll Wood was educated in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

Bedford Modern School Bedford Modern School (often called BMS or simply Modern) is a Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference independent school in Bedford, England. The school has its origins in Bedford Charity, The Harpur Trust, born from the financial endowme ...

between 1886 and 1889, and later entered the

Royal Military College of Canada The Royal Military College of Canada (), abbreviated in English as RMC and in French as CMR, is a Military academy#Canada, military academy and, since 1959, a List of universities in Canada#Ontario, degree-granting university of the Canadian ...

, graduating in 1896. When his father left the United States for

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

after the

, Wood remained a British Subject of Canadian birth and was commissioned into the 1st Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. He served in India before being sent to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

at the outset of the

and was made Lieutenant in 1899. On 11 November 1899, Charles Carroll Wood was killed at Belmont, near

Orange River The Orange River (from Afrikaans/Dutch language, Dutch: ''Oranjerivier'') is a river in Southern Africa. It is the longest river in South Africa. With a total length of , the Orange River Basin extends from Lesotho into South Africa and Namibi ...

, having 'been wounded in the head and chest with his face to the foe'. Wood's Colonel, Cecil Edward Keith-Falconer of the

Northumberland Fusiliers The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Raised in 1674 as one of three 'English' units in the Dutch Anglo-Scots Brigade, it accompanied William III to England in the November 1688 Glorious Revolution and ...

, was killed at the same time. Corporal Lincoln, who had been involved in the skirmish at Belmont, stated in his diary that it 'had been a splendid victory for the British arms completely defeating the Boers on their own chosen position which was one of great natural strength'. Lieut. Wood was the first Canadian born Officer to die in the

. Wood and his Colonel were buried in the same veldt with full military honours. Shortly after Lieut. Wood's death, a memorial service was held in his honour at St. Luke's Cathedral in

. The service was attended by Lord Seymour, then Commander of the British troops in Canada, the British Services and the Canadian Militia, in uniform. The memorial service was officiated by Bishop Courtney. In its description of the eulogy, an article in ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'' stated that the 'edifice was crowded. The lectern and pulpit was draped with the British flag'. On the news of his death,

wrote a letter of condolence to his family and, at her request, Lieut. Wood's portrait was sent to her at

was among others to send his condolences to Wood's family having met Wood in

, three years earlier.

was named in Lieut. Wood's 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'. Lieut. Wood's name is carved on a statue in

, designed by

and commemorating Canadians who died in the

. Wood also has a commemorative plaque on the memorial staircase at the RMC Club in

. In a public expression of sympathy, the children of Morris Street School honoured Charles Wood by planting a tree in the public garden of

, with a commemorative plaque. An obituary of Lieut. Wood 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'. He was remembered forty and fifty years after his death in Canadian newspapers.Remembrance in ''

The Vancouver Sun The ''Vancouver Sun'', also known as the ''Sun'', is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The newspaper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network, and is the larg ...

'', ''Fifty Years Ago'', ''Lieut C. C. Wood of Halifax was the first reported Canadian fatality of the South African War''. 15 November 1949, p.5

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wood, Charles Carroll Family of Zachary Taylor Military personnel from Halifax, Nova Scotia 1876 births 1899 deaths Loyal Regiment officers British Army personnel of the Second Boer War Royal Military College of Canada alumni People educated at Bedford Modern School Canadian military personnel killed in the Second Boer War