Thomas J. Wood Mapping Project
Thomas J. Wood Union Officer
Thomas J. Wood 09-25-1823 to 02-26-1906 (famousbirthdays.com).
Thomas J. Wood was a career United States Army Officer. He graduated from West Point in 1845. Wood served in the Mexican War, and on the plains at Fort Leavenworth. Even more importantly, he served on the Union side during the American Civil War. Wood was a distinguished officer, but his career was not without controversy. Wood followed an infamous, ill-fated order, that he knew would be disastrous at the Battle of Chickamauga.
Thomas J. Wood Union Officer
Thomas J. Wood was a distinguished career military officer who served in the United States Army during the Civil War. Yet, his career was not without controversy, the events at Chickamauga forever tainted his reputation and haunted his career. Historians still debate the events that occurred at Chickamauga even today. To surmise, Wood stood accused of following through on ill-fated orders from William Stark Rosecrans; orders that he realized would result in disaster for the Union side because he feared being reprimanded by Rosecrans. Chickamauga was the most significant win for the Confederacy in the Western Theater, and many historians conclude, that the victory was the result of Wood’s decision to obey an order, one that he knew would be disastrous. [1]
This project's purpose, however, is not to focus on Wood's errors but to present his full story to the public concisely and respectfully. Wood was a brave man and a dedicated lifetime soldier. Therefore, the history of his military career should be appreciated. Thomas J. Wood was a West Point graduate from the class of 1845. He graduated fifth in his class, and his roommate at West Point was none other than Ulysses S. Grant. Wood served during the Mexican-American War, at various posts in Texas, and at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. His regiment helped settle the violent disputes between Free-Soilers and Pro-Slavery advocates in Kansas or what many refer to as “Bleeding Kansas.” [2] He also served in the Utah War in Utah territory, where he engaged Mormon settlers. Wood was then assigned to Fort Washita in Indian Territory, in what would become the state of Oklahoma, in 1859. He then traveled Europe during a leave of absence until 1861, when the military canceled all leaves due to the impending Civil War. [3] Wood was promoted to colonel in the regular army on November 12, 1861. [4]
Wood was then stationed at Camp Nevin, and he trained the Corps of his 2 nd Brigade within the Army of Ohio. Every day he drilled and trained his troops; the only exception was Sunday, their only day off. [5] While Wood was at Camp Nevin, William T. Sherman was replaced by General Don Carlos Buell. As a result of this transition, the Kentucky divisions were revised and Wood’s Brigade was renamed the 5 th by February, Wood was placed in charge of the 6 th Division. Wood and his men were then sent to Munfordville, Kentucky, they were then ordered to the Nashville area. They had not engaged with any Confederate troops at this point, although they realized the enemy was close. Pickets had been killed and Calvary had been involved in skirmishes here and there. [6] On February 25, 1862, the Confederate Army abandoned the Nashville area after Fort Donelson had fallen to Union forces. General Nathan Bedford Forrest burned the L&N railway bridge across the Cumberland River. When fleeing the area, the Confederate forces took whatever they could with them. However, Forrest refused to leave until he saw the Union forces approaching. [7]
Union soldiers were not well received when they arrived in Nashville, yet Buell still insisted on a rather compassionate policy towards the people of Nashville, and he refused to appoint a military governor. Wood and his men remained in Nashville until March 29, 1862, during the Occupation of Nashville. [8] It was Tennessee’s location strategically, that made it of importance to Union forces during the Civil War. Nashville was the first state capital of the Confederacy to be taken over by Union forces. The governor and all other state officials abandoned the capital of Nashville, for Memphis, and western Tennessee fell under the control of Union forces. [9] Nashville was occupied by thousands of Union troops and became an essential Union military hub for operations, depots, supplies, and military hospitals. [10] Confederate morale was significantly impacted by Union forces dominating Tennessee. [11]
On April 6, 1862, Wood and his men were located eighteen miles outside of Savannah he was pressed so hastily by Buell, that they abandoned their ammunition train. Wood and his men reached Shiloh on April 7, 1862, but the fighting had already subsided, and the Battle of Shiloh did not resume the following day as some of Wood’s men had hoped. [12] Shiloh was the largest battle of the Civil War, and the largest battle fought in the Mississippi Valley. [13] Historian James McPherson refers to Shiloh as, “the most ghastly bloodbath in the history of the Western Hemisphere,” at the time. Shiloh was, “America’s baptism in real war.” Shiloh resulted in over 1,700 men being killed on both sides, 16,500 were wounded of which 2,000 would die because of their injuries. [14] The armies departed on April 29, 1862, and Wood stated that his men had endured, “every variety of discomfort that absence of its baggage and transportation in the most inclement weather could produce.” [15]
Corinth held strategic value as it was a railway hub, and General P.G.T. Beauregard and his men had been guarding it. [16] However he did not intend to defend Corinth, he planned to leave as soon as possible. [17] At Corinth Wood and his men fought Confederate forces but only suffered a loss of eleven men, Union forces only suffered losses of 150 men killed or wounded. The First Battle of Corinth, or the Siege of Corinth was won. [18] After the Siege of Corinth, Wood and his men spent the summer protecting and repairing the railways in Northern Alabama and Middle Tennessee. [19] Wood would not witness another dramatic engagement until the Battle of Perryville in Kentucky.
The Battle of Perryville, on October 8, 1862, was the largest and the bloodiest battle fought in Kentucky. [20] Yet, Wood and his men had again just missed the battle. [21] This time they were too far away to rightfully participate. Buell was to the west of the battle, he had also been thrown off his horse that day and sustained injuries, he was rather disjointed according to some historians, and was slow to send needed reinforcements. [22] However, it was Buell’s reluctance to chase down the Confederates as they fled, that cost him his command. On October 24, 1862, the Army of the Cumberland was created in the Western Theater and Major General William S. Rosecrans took control. [23] Wood’s Sixth Division was reorganized into the 1 st Division. Wood now controlled three artillery batteries. Wood trailed Confederate raiders well into November, and then marched on to Lebanon Tennessee where he and his men destroyed a wheat flour mill. By December, Confederate Cavalry raiders led by Forrest, Joseph Wheeler, and John Hunt Morgan had spread themselves too thin to aid Braxton Bragg. This meant a shortage of intelligence and Rosecrans was ready to take advantage of it, he planned to attack Bragg in Murfreesboro. [24] Wood and his men however would soon find themselves embroiled in heavy fighting at the Battle of Stones River.
On December 26, 1862, Wood and his men were attacked by a force of 600 infantry and cavalry, and they retreated to Nashville, he ran into some Confederates at LaVergne, the halfway point to Murfreesboro. They found themselves surrounded by Confederates, but it did not hinder them. After the skirmish, they believed they had the Confederates on the run, but this was not the case. Wood and his men ran directly into Confederates standing at the ready. Wood readied his men for battle, there was a great deal of confusion all the while, and Rosecrans had cancelled the order to occupy Murfreesboro. [25] Wood and his men had already crossed Stones River, on December 29 th , they were pushing enemy pickets back. Wood expected heavy fighting the next day but that did not occur. However, on New Year’s Eve, heavy fighting broke out and Wood was wounded, he was shot in the left heel at around 10:00 in the morning. Wood refused to leave the battlefield and stayed in the saddle until 7:00 PM. He was ordered to Nashville due to his injury. It was recommended that Wood’s left foot be amputated but he refused the surgery. Wood was confined to medical leave on New Year’s Eve, until the 15 th of February 1863. [26] The Battle of Stones River was an expensive victory for the Union, they suffered a casualty rate of thirty-one percent. [27] Wood’s next significant engagement wasn’t until the Occupation of Chattanooga, his division were the first troops to occupy Chattanooga, and on September the 9 th Wood and his men took control of the town. They were now hunting down a demoralized Braxton Bragg, who had made no attempt to defend Chattanooga. [28]
The Battle of Chickamauga as mentioned above, was the battle that essentially ended Rosecrans’ career. While it was the low point of Wood’s military career, and the most controversial as well. On September 20, 1863, Rosecrans gave Wood an order to move his division into what he believed was a gap in the line. Rosecrans had received poor information about a supposed gap near the line of Major General Joseph J. Reynolds, from Captain S.C. Kellogg. Kellogg, to support General Thomas, told Brigadier General John Brannan to shift his men to the Union left. Brannon was already on the front lines, to the left of Wood’s line. Brannon was not yet engaged, and consulted with Reynolds, he told Brannon that he could fill the gap and pulled out to fulfill the desperate order to support Thomas. However, the Confederates attacked and forced Brannon to stay where he was. Kellogg had already informed Rosecrans of the supposed gap that would exist when Brannon moved to support Thomas. Rosecrans then ordered Major Frank Bond his senior aid-de-camp, to write the disastrous order, it was according to historian Robert E. Lowe, “full of mistakes.” [29]
Wood followed the order to shift his men over to close the gap. Wood did so because he did not want to refuse an order. He was also encouraged to do so by Major General McCook who consulted with Wood when the ill-fated order arrived. [30] By following the ill-fated order and shifting his men, Wood created a gap instead of closing one. [31] The series of hastily made orders created mass confusion throughout roughly half of Rosecrans’ army, and Confederates charged through the gap created by Wood, routing Union forces; they were “running for their lives, amid a terrific uproar of musketry and rebel yells.” [32] General James Longstreet had prepared eight brigades to attack the Union line, on a simple lucky gamble, he had ordered his men to move forward. Longstreet was unaware of the breach Wood had made by following the hapless order. [33] Rosecrans in a panic had abandoned the field, he did so to protect the Union’s interests in Chattanooga, but it was still considered by some historians to be “the right wrong choice for the right reasons.” [34] This was, according to author, David A. Powell the “act that doomed him.” [35]
Historians still argue the following points about Wood; that either, Wood was in fact, to blame for the loss at Chickamauga, as described earlier, or that Rosecrans and his “apologists,” and many historians, simply put the blame on Wood. Concluding, that Wood should have recognized the error, and even more importantly, that he should have disobeyed the order. [36] According to historian William M. Lamers, Wood had disagreements with Rosecrans on more than one occasion and was threatened with insubordination. Larmers contends that Wood had previously defied the orders of Rosecrans before the incident at Chickamauga and describes four separate incidents of insubordination. Wood even tried to explain his insubordination away after refusing orders to recon Look-out Valley, by “attempting to justify this insubordination in more than fifty pages of foolscap.” [37] Wood responded rather strongly regarding an order once involving a reconnaissance mission, “I cannot believe General Rosecrans desires such a blind adherence to the mere letter of his order for the general disposition of his forces as naturally jeopardizes the safety of the most salient portions of it, and certainly cripples the force and vigor and accuracy of its reconnaissances.” [38] Yet, one must concede that although, Rosecrans was a religious man, his “volcanic temper,” often got the best of him, and resulted in problems between his superiors and subordinates. [39] Washington chose not to side with Rosecrans, and he was removed from command. [40] Wood faced no disciplinary action whatsoever, but his reputation was forever sullied. [41] While Wood’s career was tainted by his decision to follow the ill-fated orders of Rosecrans, his performance at the Battle of Missionary Ridge and the Battle of Nashville helped remedy this. [42]
The Battle of Missionary Ridge was fought on November 25, 1863, where Wood and his men fought with incredible bravery. They were the first Union troops to reach the top of the ridge. [43] While Wood went on to participate in many battles in Tennessee and Georgia. The most significant battle of all was the Battle of Nashville, from December 15, 1684, to December 16, 1684. This battle greatly improved Wood’s reputation. It was his “Gallant and Meritorious Services at the Battle of Nashville,” that sealed his promotion to Major General in the volunteer Army. The War Department issued General Order no 97, on May 26, 1865, promoting him to Major General of the Volunteer Army. [44]
Wood went on to serve his country during the Reformation of the South, and beyond. Shortly before Wood passed away in 1906, he requested that he be buried at West Point. On March 1, 1906, Wood’s internment ceremony took place, and his requests were respectfully followed. [45] Wood was a lifelong soldier and served his country with distinction. Wood was rewarded for his dedication and bravery throughout his career as a United States Army Officer, on more than one occasion. Wood deserves to be remembered for far more than the series of controversial events, or his decision to follow a hastily written, ill-fated order by his superior at Chickamauga.
Bibliography
Alderman Gary, and Stuart Sanders. “The Battle of Perryville: Polk’s Attack at Perryville.”
November 19, 2020. American Battlefield Trust.
American Battlefield Trust. “Ten Facts: The Battle of Chickamauga.”
www.battlefileds.org/learn/articles/10-facts-battlechickamauga.
Ash Stephen. “Civil War Occupation.” 2021. University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville
Tennessee. tenneseeencyclopedia.net.
Lamers, William M. The Edge of Glory: A Biography of General William S. Rosecrans, U.S.A.
Baton Rough Louisiana: Louisiana University Press, 1989.
Lee, Dan. Thomas J. Wood: A Biography of the Union General in the Civil War. Jefferson North
Carolina: MacFarland and Company, Inc, Publishers, 2012.
Lowe, Robert E. “The Battle of Chickamauga: Leadership Lessons from the Civil War.” Georgia
Quarterly Society, 105, no. 2 (2021): 120-146. America: History and Life with Full Tex
t. http://search.ebscohost.cpm/login.aspx?direct=true&db=31h&AN=141653711
5&site=ehhost-live&scope=site.
McPherson, James M. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. New York: Oxford University
Press, 1988.
McPherson, James M. Ordeal by Fire: The Civil War and Reconstruction, Third Edition. New
York: McGraw-Hill, 2001.
Moore, David G. William S. Rosecrans and the Union Victory: A Civil War Biography.
Jefferson NC: McFarland and Company Inc., 2014.
Powell, David A. The Chickamauga Campaign: Barren Victory: The Retreat into Chattanooga,
The Confederate Pursuit and the Aftermath of the Battle, September 21 to October
20, 1863. Eldorado Hills, CA: Savas Beatie LLC., 2016.
RSquared Communications. American History Central. “Thomas J. Wood. 2023.
americanhistorycentral.com/entries/thomas-john-wood.
RSquared Communications LLC. “Thomas John Wood.” 2023. ohiocivilwar.com.
RSquared Communications. “Confederate Heartland Offensive.” 2023. Ohio Civil War Central.
https:// www.ohiocivilwarcentral.com/confederate-heartland-offensive/.
Smith, Theodore Clark. The Life and Letters of James Abram Garfield: Volume I 1831-1877.
Yale: Yale University Press, 1925.
Smith, Timothy B. “The Battle of Shiloh: The Civil War in Four Minutes.” January 19, 2019.
American Battlefield Trust.
Woodworth, Steven E. A Deep and Steady Thunder: The Battle of Chickamauga. Abilene TX:
McWhiney Foundation Press, 1998.
Footnotes
[1] American Battlefield Trust, “10 Facts: The Battle of Chickamauga,” www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/10-facts-battlechickamaga.
[2] American History Central, “Thomas J. Wood,” 2023, R. Squared Communications, americanhistorycentral.com/entries/thomas-john-wood.
[3] American History Central, “Thomas J. Wood.”
[4] Ibid.
[5] Dan Lee, Thomas J. Wood: A Biography of the Union General in the Civil War, (Jefferson, North Carolina, MacFarland and Company, Inc., Publishers, 2012), 49.
[6] Dan Lee, Thomas J. Wood: A Biography of the Union General in the Civil War, 51-54.
[7] Lee, 54-56.
[8] Ibid., 55-56.
[9] Stephen V. Ash, “Civil War Occupation,” 2021, University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville Tennessee, tenesseeencyclopedia.net. pg., 1 of 6.
[10] Stephen V. Ash, “Civil War Occupation,” pg., 2 of 6.
[11] Ibid., pg. 4 of 6.
[12] Lee, 54-58.
[13] Timothy B. Smith, “The Battle of Shiloh: The Civil War in Four Minutes,” January 19, 2019, American Battlefield Trust.
[14] James M. McPherson, Ordeal by Fire: The Civil War and Reconstruction, Third Edition, (New York, McGraw-Hill, 2001), 250.
[15] Lee, 61.
[16] “Thomas John Wood,” americanhistorycentral.com.
[17] Lee, 62.
[18] Ibid.
[19] “Thomas John Wood,” americanhistorycentral.com.
[20] Lee, 86.
[21] Gary Adelman and Stuart Sanders, “The Battle of Perryville: Polk’s Attack at Perryville,” November 29, 2020, American Battlefield Trust.
[22] Gary Adelman and Stuart Sanders, “The Battle of Perryville: Polk’s Attack at Perryville.”
[23] “Confederate Heartland Offensive,” RSquared Communications, 2023, Ohio Civil War Central, https://www.ohiocivilwarcentral.com/confederate-heartland-offensive/.
[24] Lee, 91-94.
[25] Ibid., 94-96.
[26] Ibid., 100-101.
[27] James M. McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (New York: Oxford University Press, 1988), 582.
[28] Lee, 127-128.
[29] Robert E. Lowe, “The Battle of Chickamauga: Leadership Lessons from the Civil War.” Georgia Quarterly Society 105, no. 2 (2021):120-146., 133-134.
[30] Robert E. Lowe, “The Battle of Chickamauga: Leadership Lessons from the Civil War,” 134.
[31] Lee, 127-128.
[32] Theodore Clarke Smith, The Life and Letters of James Abram Garfield: Volume I 1831-1877 (Yale: Yale University Press, 1925), 332-333.
[33] American Battlefield Trust, “10 Facts: The Battle of Chickamauga.”
[34] Lowe, 139.
[35] David A. Powell, The Chickamauga Campaign: Barren Victory: The Retreat into Chattanooga, the Confederate Pursuit, and the Aftermath of the Battle, September 21 to October 20, 1863. (El Dorado Hills, CA: Savas Beatie LLC., 2016), 128.
[36] Lowe, 139.
[37] William M. Lamers, The Edge of Glory: A Biography of General William S. Rosecrans, U.S.A. (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, 1989), 307 and 341.
[38] David G. Moore, William S. Rosecrans and the Union Victory: A Civil War Biography (Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company Inc., 2014), 103.
[39] Robert E. Lowe, “The Battle of Chickamauga: Leadership Lessons from the Civil War,” 125.
[40] Lee, 128.
[41] Steven E. Woodworth, A Deep and Steady Thunder: The Battle of Chickamauga (Abilene, TX: McWhiney Foundation Press, 1998), 81.
[42] “Thomas J. Wood,” americanhsitorycentral.com.
[43] Lee, 164-169.
[44] “Thomas John Wood,” 2023, Rsquared Communications LLC., ohiocivilwar.com.
[45] Lee, 247.