WOOD, Maj. John H., Beeville Bee, Friday, 22 Jan 1904:

PIONEERS DEATH Major J. H. WOOD, hero of Texas revolution passes away. 

At the great age of 85 years, landed in Texas before Declaration of Independence 
and helped wrest the state from the Mexicans, was a remarkable man.

The remains of Major John H. Wood, who died at his home near Rockport, on 
Saturday evening the 16th, instant, passed through Beeville Sunday morning for 
interment in the Catholic Church in Victoria by the side of his first wife, whom he 
married in 1842, and who was his companion for fifty years. The funeral took place 
from St. Mary's church on Monday morning attended by a large concourse of citizens 
including the local camp of Confederate veterans, who sounded the last taps over the 
grave of their old comrade and veteran of two wars.

Few citizens of Texas have left more impression upon the time in which they lived than 
Major Wood. His residence in the state began one day before its birth as a republic, having 
arrived at Matagorda Island with a military expedition from New York on the first of 
March 1836, and at once taking part in the war for independence. His identity with the state 
and this particular section lacked a few weeks of being sixty-eight years, a span of life 
allotted to few. He was a witness and forceful participant in the foundation and growth of 
the state. It was the exemplary lives of such pioneers as he that formed the notions of law 
and order and engendered a respect for the forms of governments cumulating in the 
developing of state to a place second to none in the union. 

The active years of his life were characterized by thrifty business, coupled with unstintable 
charity and as a result of his farseeing judgment, his declining days made him one of the 
largest individual land and cattle owners in the state. In the possession of a princely estate 
which some years ago he divided among his numerous heirs, starting them in life with 
competitiveness. Few men were more tactful in their relations with their fellow men and few 
have led lives so free from fraction or personal encounter in a pioneer county.

When called to his reward, Major Wood lacked but a few months of having attained his eighty-eighth 
year, having been born near Poughkeepsie, New York, September 6, 1816, his parents being 
Humphrey and Maria Wood, the latter dying when Major Wood was eleven years of age. She was 
the daughter of Richard de CANTILLION, and was connected with some of the oldest families of the 
Empire State. The father of Major Wood had followed the sea as captain of a merchant vessel, later 
engaging in farming and establishing a pleasant home on the banks of the Hudson near Poughkeepsie. 
He died in Genoa, New York in 1878 at the extreme old age of 103 years. Major Wood attended school 
in New York City and afterwards took up the trade of painter. 

Before serving as apprenticeship the cause of the Texans, then in a revolt against Mexico, appealed 
to him and he joined an expedition formed by Stanley and Moore, house emissaries of the revolutionists 
and with one hundred and eighty three others, sailed for Texas on the night of November 25, 1835 in 
the ship Matawompkey. Stopping at the Bahama Islands, infractions of the law, committed by some of 
the crew while ashore brought about legal complications which caused the British authorities to detain 
the expedition for several months, finally reaching New Orleans where the Matawompkey was met by the 
Texas war brig. Brutus and escorted to Paso Caballo, landing there March 1, 1836. The expedition was 
then marched to Matagorda where it was formally mustered into the service of the Texas republic and 
started on it's way to join Houston then retreating from Gonzales to the memorable field of San Jacinto. 
At Casey's crossing on the Colorado, it was met by a courier from Houston and ordered to gather and 
protect scattered families west of the Brazos. After the battle of San Jacinto, Moorehouse and his men 
became a part of Rusk's force which pursued the retreating army of General Fihsola as far as Goliad, 
at which place Major Wood assisted in the military funeral and interment given the charred remains 
of the ill fated Fannin command.

Afterwards, Major Woods was made quartermaster at Victoria and received in payment cattle 
confiscated by the government from Mexican citizens who had resisted the army. This was the 
foundation of his cattle interests. For a few years he tended his herds in Victoria county, then on the 
Lavaca River near present town of Edna. In 1846 when Taylor's army occupied the territory west of the 
Nueces, affording protection from the marauding bands of Mexicans, he moved his cattle to the 
Nueces River. In August 1848 he moved to St. Mary's in Refugio county, where he lived until a few 
years ago, establishing a baronial home in which he dispensed the hospitality characteristic of his 
generous nature, and saw his large family of children grow to adolescence and establish among 
the foremost citizens of various communities in this section.

In the war between the states Major Wood was a supporter of the state whose independence he had 
helped to gain a quarter of a century before, and served through the war in the military operations 
among the gulf, attaining the rank of major in the arm of the service known as the Coast Guards. 
After the war he was one who advocated the peaceful acceptance of its fortunes and though always 
a democrat he was never a politician, yet serving as county commissioner of Refugio county for a 
period of more than twenty years.

His first wife was Miss Nancy Clark, one of the earliest settlers of Victoria County, whom he married in 
1842 and who was his counselor and inspiration for more than fifty years, her death occurring in 1892. 
To their union twelve children were given; Maria, wife of W. C. CARROLL, of Victoria, Catherine, wife of 
Henry D. SULLIVAN of Victoria, and who died in 1867, leaving one son, J. H. SULLIVAN, now a resident 
of Temple, R. H. of Rockport, Agnes, wife of Hon. A. G. KENNEDY of Beeville, James, who died in Goliad 
in 1875, survived by one son J. H., Jr., of Beeville, T. D. of Victoria, J. C. of Beeville, Ida, a member of the 
order of Incarnate Word at Victoria, Julia, wife of W. H. GEORGE, of Beeville, W. A. who died in Victoria 
in 1900, survived by one son and three daughters, and Miram, a member of the order of Incarnate 
Word who died in Victoria in 1891.

In 1898, Major Wood was united in marriage for the second time, his wife being Miss Emma Hunt, an 
estimable lady of Victoria, who survives him.