Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - Lyman Wood

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY: 

NOTE: The birth - to - death biographical profile of Lyman Wood was created in February, 2022 during the Covid-19 medical pandemic. It contains less depth of detail than many other biographies within this website because military service, pension and other veteran-related files housed in Washington, D.C.'s National Archives were not available. At a later time those documents may be obtained and the data contained therein added to the narrative which follows.
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Lyman Wood was born on 2/25/1839. The location of his birth was likely Cain Creek located in Gallatin County, IL.
 

Parents of Lyman were David Rogers Wood (b. 3/28/1908 NY - d. 8/4/1881 Green River, IL) and Mary "Polly" (nee Stokes b. 1817 IL - d. 4/18/1867 Moline Rock Island County, IL.) Wood. David Wood was a farmer.
 

As best as can be determined based on U.S. Census data, Lyman was the eldest of five children born to David and Polly. His younger siblings were: Beder Wood* (b. 12/25/1844 Shawnestown, IL), Ephraim S. Wood** (b.7/1847 IL), Mary Elizabeth Wood (b. 5/4/1850 Moline Rock Island County, IL) and Charles Wood (b. 1853 IL).
 

In 1845 David moved his wife and young sons from Gallatin County to Moline Rock County, IL.  In Moline he resumed farming. It was there Lyman "was educated and grew to manhood. [1]
 

On 8/11/1862 Lyman left his studies as well as his labors on the family farm and enlisted in the U.S. Army. His unit of service was Co. "K" of the 129^th Illinois Infantry. At the time of his enlistment Lyman was described as being five foot, seven inches in height, having dark hair, dark eyes and a dark complexion.
 

Private Wood's enlistment term was to have been three years. However, he remained in the service only until 4/26/1863 when he was discharged for an, as yet, unknown disability. Before his discharge, however, he had been promoted to the rank of corporal. 

After departing the 129^th, it appears Lyman still considered his home to be Moline, Illinois. That having been said, there, during the winter of 1863/'64 he was employed as a clerk in the Iowa adjutant-general's office. The logistics of this living arrangement, we do not know.
 

Lyman married on 5/22/1865 in Davenport, IA. His bride was the previously wed Mrs. Nellie Ellen Alen (nee Shanks). Nellie had been born 9/20/1837 in Joliet Will County, IL. She reportedly brought two children from her first marriage - William F. Allen (b. ca. 1855) and Fannie/Fanny Allen (b. ca. 1858) - into the union with Lyman. [2]
 

After being wed, Mr. and Mrs. Lyman Wood appear to have settled in Moline Rock Island County, IL. There, Lyman returned to farming.
 

Nellie and Lyman's only child was born in Illinois. Enoch Wellington Wood was birthed on 3/29/1868 in Cleveland Henry County, IL. The change of county addresses is not explained.
 

Returning to "Biographical Sketches", in November, 1871 Lyman, his wife and young son departed Illinois and removed to Lancaster County, NB. There, settling into the community of Firth, he constructed the first "dwelling-house" in that town in which he "kept boarders until a hotel could be erected."
 

By 12/20/1877 Lyman had been appointed postal clerk in Firth. He served in this role for around five years. Somewhere along the way he also worked as deputy clerk in the Lincoln, NB district court. In 1880 the U.S. Census noted his occupation as "bookkeeper."
 

Mr. Woods and family moved to the Puget Sound region of Washington Territory (WT) during the spring of 1882. What had drawn them to this area of the Pacific Northwest is not documented.
 

Arriving and settling in Seattle King County, WT on 5/1/1882, Lyman's first employment was two months of clearing building lots - "grubbing" - along Lake Union. He then turned to shingling and, then, carpentry. As a carpenter he worked on Seattle's "new Arlington Hotel from the sills to the roof." [3] The hotel construction completed, he next served about one month as day clerk of the facility.
 

After clerking at the Arlington Hotel, Lyman became a general delivery clerk in the Seattle post office.
 

Lyman held the post office position for approximately one year before, in 1883, assuming the role of deputy assessor in the King County assessor's office. He held this post for two years.
 

Next came Lyman's election to the position of clerk in the Seattle Schools. After one year serving in that role, in November, 1886 he was he was elected King County auditor. His two year term expired 3/4/1889.
 

Although Seattle - area census tallies from 4/1885, 7/1887, 1900, 1910 and 1920 place Lyman and Nellie in Seattle, when the "Biographical Sketches" book was written it noted that Lyman was then - likely based on his periods of Civil War soldiering - residing on a pre-emptive homestead tract west of Seattle across Puget Sound on Bainbridge Island.*** It is not clear where this residency fits into our narrative.
 

In June, 1890 former Civil War infantryman Lyman Wood applied for and was granted a U.S. Government disability pension based on his period of army service with the 129^th Illinois. Without accessing his pension records all that can be said is that a monthly stipend was granted. Further, by 5/1/1920 the allowance had grown to $50 per month.
 

Nellie Wood died on 9/20/1917 in Seattle King County, WA. She passed away on her eightieth birthday. The cause of her death is not known. She was/is buried in Seattle Lake View Cemetery located near the north end of that city's Capitol Hill.
 

Lyman Wood died at home (318 Roy St. Seattle) on 7/30/1924. Cause of death was listed as apoplexy (cerebral hemorrhage/stroke) with heart failure contributing. King County officials were notified of the passing by Lyman's son, Dr. Enoch W. Wood, who had been tending to his father since early April.

Deceased at the age of eighty five and one half years Lyman was/is buried in Seattle's Lake View Cemetery with Nellie.
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* During the ACW Beder Wood served in the 69^th Illinois Infantry. He survived The War.

** During the ACW Ephriam Wood served in the 66^th Illinois Infantry. He survived The War.

***Lyman's descendents still reside on a portion of the homestead property.
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[1] pg. 638 - 639 "Biographical Sketches" History of the Pacific Northwest - Oregon and Washington Vol. II.

[2] In the 1870 U.S. census for Moline, IL Nellie two children appear in the Wood home count as "farm hands." According to "Biographical Sketches", as adults, both died of consumption (tuberculosis). 

[3] "Biographical Sketches"  

Posted: 5/9/2022 

Updated: 7/20/2022