He was born in April 1830 (23; 11 (34 in 1863), 17 (32 in 1861), 21 (85 at death in 1914), 23 (70 in 1900), 24 (82 in 1911)). He was born in New York, New York (17, 24).
In 1849/50, he married Aletha Wood (22, 23). In 1900, she reported having had five children, one of whom was alive (23).
When he enlisted, he was a seaman, and was living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (11).
When he enlisted, he was 5 feet 7 inches tall, and had a dark complexion, hazel eyes, and black hair (11, 17).
He enlisted and was mustered into service, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 25 September 1861 (1, 11, 12 [23 Sep], 15 [25 (?) Sep], 17 [25 Sep], 20 [18 Sep]). He enlisted for three years (11, 17). He was mustered in as fifth corporal, in company D (1, 11, 14, 15 (promoted to corp), 25 (pvt)). He had gun number 73 (14).
He was transferred to company H (10, 11, 15, 24).
He was promoted to fifth sergeant on 20 May 1862, replacing Andrew Steinmetz (14; see also 11).
He fought at the Battle of Gettysburg (18).
On 28 July 1863, he was reported as having been dropped because he was missing in the campaign (probably after 11 June 1863) (4).
He may be the John Wood whom Sinex reported on 8 September 1863 was in Philadelphia and able to rejoin the regiment, and requested his return (2).
He was reported deserted on 16 November 1863 (7). On 20 November 1863 he was reported returned from desertion (8).
He was present in arrest from 20 November 1863 to 21 December 1863 (5, 6). On 22 December 1863, he was reported released from arrest by order of Lieutenant Colonel Sinex (9).
He reenlisted as a veteran volunteer on 26 December 1863, at Bealton, Virginia (1, 11).
On 28 March 1864, he was reduced to the ranks for absence without leave (3). He was reduced to the ranks because of "cowardice and absence without leave" (14). The Company H List of non-commissioned officers also claims that he "has always been a Hospital", but the next word is lost in the binding (14).
He was discharged at McClellan Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 23 May 1865 on surgeon's certificate of disability (1, 11, 13 [8 Mar], 16, 17, 19, 20). The company H register of men discharged claims that the discharge was "supposed to be on account of his cowardly reputation [?]" (16). And the company H descriptive roll claims that he "was a government loafer and ought to have been court martialed and shot for cowardice long ago" (17). (Of course, I do not know whether those claims were true.) He had served for 43 months (24). He was a private, in company H (25).
On 15 February 1870, he applied successfully for a pension (20).
In 1890, he was living at 633 West Cumberland Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (12, 13). He was an engineer (13).
In 1900, he was living at 2552 Marshall Street, ward 19, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (23). He was living with his wife Aletha and children Mamie and John (23). He was a stationary engineer (23).
He again applied for a pension on 23 September 1909 (13).
On 15 December 1911, he was admitted to the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers (24).
On 27 May 1912, he was discharged from the Southern Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers (24). He was receiving a pension of $20 per month (24).
He died on 8 February 1914, at the Soldiers Home in Kearny, Hudson County, New Jersey (20 [Martinsburg WV], 21, 22). He died of cerebral softening (21). On 12 February 1914, he was buried, in Northwood Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (21, 22).
1 Bates, Samuel Penniman. History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5. Harrisburg: B. Singerly, state printer, 1869-71. 5 volumes. 'Ninety-first regiment', volume 3, pages 186-233. (In the roster)
2 letter, Sinex to Marvin, 8 September 1863 [possible reference; it may be to the other John Wood]
3 special order 28, HQ 91st PA, 28 March 1864
4 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 28 July 1863 (Pri Wood)
5 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 20 November 1863 (not named)
6 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 21 December 1863 (not named)
7 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 16 November 1863 (Sergt John Wood)
8 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 20 Nov 1863 (Sgt Jno Wood)
9 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 22 December 1863 (Sgt Wood)
10 company D, register of men transferred, entry 19 (John Wood)
11 Civil War Veterans' Card File, available at the Pennsylvania State Archives, searched 10 August 2004 (John Wood [co.H])
12 1890 US census, veterans schedule, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, supervisor's district 1, enumeration district 390, page 1 (image 867 on Ancestry), lines 2-3 (John Wood)
13 1890 Gopsill's Philadelphia directory (John Wood)
14 company H, list of non-commissioned officers (John Wood [3 entries])
15 company H, register of men transferred (John Wood)
16 company H, register of men discharged, #48 (John Wood)
17 company H, descriptive roll, #20 (John Wood)
18 Pennsylvania Memorial, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (John Wood)
19 consolidated morning report, 91st Pennsylvania, 30 May 1865 (Privt Wood)
20 pension index, by regiment, 91st PA Infantry, company H (John Wood)
21 transit permit and undertaker's certificate, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 8 February 1914 (John Wood)
22 Find A Grave (accessed 17 June 2009) (John Wood)
23 1900 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, ward 19, supervisor's district 1, enumeration district 397, microfilm series T623, film 1461, page 41 = 6 B handwritten (John Wood)
24 Report of the Board of Managers of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1912. Serial Set volume 6473, Session volume 107, 62nd Congress, 3rd Session, House Document 1009. Page 475 (John Wood)
25 index to compiled service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Pennsylvania (John Wood)
| line | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 |
| street | Marshall Street | |||
| house number | 2552 | |||
| dwelling number | 114 | |||
| family number | 132 | |||
| name | Wood John | - Aletha [?] | - Mamie | - John Jr |
| relationship | Head | wife | daughter | son |
| color | W | W | W | W |
| sex | M | F | F | M |
| birth date | April 1830 | April 1839 | July 1883 | July 1853 |
| age | 70 | 61 | 16 | 46 |
| married? | M | M | S | Wd |
| # years married | 50 | 50 | ||
| mother of how many children? | 5 | |||
| # of children living | 1 | |||
| birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| father's birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| mother's birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| immigration year | ||||
| # years in USA | ||||
| naturalized citizen? | ||||
| occupation | Engineer - stationary | |||
| # months not employed | 0 | |||
| # months in school | ||||
| can read | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| can write | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| speaks English | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| owned/rented | R | |||
| free or mortgaged | ||||
| farm/house | H | |||
| # of farm schedule | ||||