Confederate Military Records and Conscription in Hill County, Texas The Battle of Shiloh was costly and showed that the Confederate Army needed more men.  In April 1862, the CSA voted in conscription which was basically a draft that forced me between the ages of 18 and 50 to enlist immediately.  The Wood family and their sons-in-law owned no slaves but were forced to enlist or face punishment.  While John Wood was a single man, many of the men who enlisted in Hillsboro, Texas on March 28, 1862 had families and farms.  These farms were managed by their wives and children “for the duration of the war” if they were lucky.…

Background Evidently, James Wood purchased land in Erath County from Richard Kimball (the land agent).  I have letters between Monroe Frazier and James Wood about selling land in Erath County, but I don’t know if this is the same property or not.  Other letters indicate that Monroe and Jane Wood Frazier lived in Erath County for a while before the outbreak of the Civil War. The Record Filed March 25, 1858 Richard B. Kimball Deed To: James Wood Filed in my office for record March 25 at 10 o’clock a.m. 1858 W.W. McNeil Clerk, C.C.E.C. Filed for record June the 1st A.D. 1870 at 10 o’clock a.m. and was duly…

Background Again, this letter is written by Hugh Wood to his sister, Isabella.  It appears that Isabella’s friend, Ell, is Hugh Wood’s sweetheart.  It is a heartbreakingly sweet letter.  I don’t know who Ell is…yet.  Still searching for her in letters and census reports. The Letter Camp Scott May 19th 1858   Dear Sister, I pen these few lines as a token that you are still remember by your brother.  I hope it is the same with you.  May the distance that separates us never alienate our affections for each other.  I wrote to Ell last __________________ with deepest regret that I think of that time and distance that separates…

Background It is sad to me that we were told that Hugh Wood left home and was never heard from again.  This is untrue and paints an unflattering portrait of the young man.  What I have found, is that he loved his family.  He had hopes and dreams for his future.  Hugh had a sweetheart back home in Texas who he hoped to marry.  While his end was tragic, Hugh’s letters show how much he cared for and longed to be with his family and how strong his faith in God was.  He was a beautiful soul. This letter tells of his initial time in the Utah Territory.  Upon writing…

Background Not long after arriving in Texas, James and Isabella’s eldest son, Hugh, left home in search of either adventure or work or possibly both.  In this letter, he is in New Orleans waiting to go to Nicaragua as a mercenary.  He never went to Nicaragua as the action there ended before he could leave New Orleans.  When I transcribe a letter, I leave dashes if I can’t make out a word, and I try to leave the original spelling…but sometimes spell check corrects it anyway. The Letter New Orleans May 13, 1857 My Dear Mother, I write once more to you from this place and it is uncertain when…

Background The following is a newspaper article about the Colony or City of Kent.  I believe that this article pertains to the Wood family for the following reasons: 1,  The organizer of the colony was Sir Edward Belcher.  In a letter from Hugh Wood to his brother, James, Hugh states that he has heard that money previously invested in land in Texas can be returned if James petitions Sir Edward Belcher after he returns from South America.   Our family history states that James and Isabella arrived in Texas to find that they didn’t own the land they had paid for and that they had been swindled.  Well….not exactly.  I believe…

Background I search the Internet all the time for information about my ancestors.  For months, there will be nothing new and I will believe that I have all that there is to find.  And then something new will show up.  Jerry did a Google search for “James and Isabella Wood” and that search found a newly created website called “Heart of Texas Tales“.  This website is a project done by the Ft. Graham Chapter, Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (of which I am a member!).  The ladies who built this website received an email after its launch from a man in Scotland who asked if they would…