Charles Carroll Wood

Charles Carroll Wood DSO CD (b. c.1874-11 November 1899) was a Canadian army officer, a lieutenant who was notable as the first Canadian to die in the Second Boer War in South Africa. He is the namesake of the Chaswood, Nova Scotia.^[1]

Early life and education

Charles Carroll Wood was the youngest of eleven children of Captain John Taylor Wood and his wife. A former US Navy officer, John Wood had sympathized with his grandmother's southern family. After the American Civil War began, he resigned his commission and became a Captain in the Confederate Navy. He was the great-grandson of Zachary Taylor, 12th President of the United States (1849-1850).

Wood's family were based in Bedford, England for a number of years and Wood was educated at the Bedford Modern School in England (1886-89).^[2] He then enrolled at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario.^[3] His student number at RMC Kingston was 352 and he graduated in 1896.

Military career

Wood joined the army and served with the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. He died on 11 Nov 1899 of wounds suffered in action during the South Africa Anglo Boer War. He was the first Canadian Officer to fall in battle during the Boer War. He is commemorated on the RMC Memorial Arch.

Royal Military College memorial

Relatives

His oldest brother, Zachary Taylor Wood CMG (1860–1915) was acting Commissioner of the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) and Commissioner of the Yukon Territory of Canada. His nephew Stuart Taylor Wood later served as Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

References

External links

• Biography of Zachary Taylor Wood at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online