Mark Wood (September 22, 1839 – July 11, 1866) was an American soldier who fought in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. Wood received his country's highest award for bravery during combat, the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

, for his role in the celebrated Great Locomotive Chase. Wood and a fellow participant in the raid, John A. Wilson, were captured close to Union lines in Stevenson, Alabama after they abandoned ''The General''. Wood and Wilson escaped from captivity and after sailing down the

Chattahoochee River The Chattahoochee River forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida - Georgia border. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chatta ...

, were rescued by a Union ship. He was honored with the award on May 12, 1865. Wood joined the Army from

Portage, Ohio Portage is a village in Wood County, Ohio, United States. The population was 438 at the 2010 census. History Portage was platted in 1836. The village takes its name from the nearby Portage River. A post office called Portage has been in operat ...

in August 1861. He was captured a second time at the

Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 19–20, 1863, between United States, U.S. and Confederate States of America, Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a Union Army, Union offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign ...

, but paroled several days later. He was commissioned as a

Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in March 1864, and discharged due to disability the following November. Wood was buried in

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...

.Andrews Raid
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Medal of Honor citation

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wood, Mark 1839 births 1866 deaths American Civil War prisoners of war American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor English emigrants to the United States English-born Medal of Honor recipients People of Ohio in the American Civil War Union Army soldiers United States Army Medal of Honor recipients Great Locomotive Chase

Medal of Honor citation

See also

References

External links