James Wood | |
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| 11th Governor of Virginia | |
| In office December 1, 1796 – December 1, 1799 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Brooke |
| Succeeded by | James Monroe |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 28, 1741 |
| Died | June 16, 1813 (aged 72) |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Federalist |
| Spouse | Jean Moncure |
| Profession | Vestryman, soldier |
| Signature | .png) |
James Wood (January 28, 1741 – June 16, 1813) was an officer of theContinental Army during theAmerican Revolution and the11th Governor of Virginia. He was an abolitionist.[1][2]
Born inWinchester, Virginia, on January 28, 1741, Wood was the son of an immigrant of the same name who performed surveys forThomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron and helped found the town.[3] He was educated privately and became active like his father in the local parish, Christ Episcopal Church in Winchester.
In February 1760, he was appointed Deputy Clerk of the County Court. From 1766 to 1775, he served in the Virginia House of Burgesses. He marriedJean Moncure, and they had no children who lived into adulthood.
Wood was commissioned a captain of Virginia troops by the Governor,Lord Dunmore, in 1774. He took part in theBattle of Point Pleasant duringDunmore's War and afterward negotiated the Treaty ofFort Pitt with theShawnee Indians.
In 1776 Wood was appointed lieutenant colonel of the Frederick County Militia. In February 1777, he became commander of the12th Virginia Regiment, and he led the regiment during thePhiladelphia campaign andMonmouth campaigns of the next two years. In late 1777, he quartered at the house also occupied by the family ofSally Wister, who described him as "of the most amiable of men."[4] His regiment was redesignated the8th Virginia Regiment in September 1778, and Wood was appointed Superintendent of theConvention Army when British prisoners from theSaratoga campaign were moved toCharlottesville, Virginia. He continued in that capacity until it was dissolved in January 1783, when he was promoted to brigadier general in the Virginia militia.
After the war, Wood became an original member of the VirginiaSociety of the Cincinnati.[5]
From 1784 to 1796, Wood was a member of Virginia's Executive Council.
He was chosen as an elector for the1789 election from Hampshire District.[6] That District consisted ofBerkeley County,Frederick County,Hampshire County,Hardy County,Harrison County,Monongalia County,Ohio County andRandolph County, which cover the area which is now the eastern part of West Virginia and the northernmost county of Virginia, all withinVirginia's 1st congressional district, which also includedShenandoah County.[7]
All ten of the Virginia electors who voted cast one of their two votes for George Washington. 5 of them cast their other vote forJohn Adams. 3 voted forGeorge Clinton. 1 cast his forJohn Hancock. 1 cast his forJohn Jay.[8] Which elector voted for which vice presidential candidate is not known.
AFederalist, in 1796, Wood was elected as Virginia's eleventh governor and served until 1799, after previously being the Federalist gubernatorial candidate in1794.[9] In addition to being an original member of theSociety of the Cincinnati, he was also a leading member of an early abolition society in Virginia. Wood served as President of the Society of the Cincinnati from 1802 until his death.
Wood died in Richmond on June 16, 1813. He was buried at Richmond in St. John's churchyard.
James Wood High School and James Wood Middle School inFrederick County, Virginia are named after the famous Revolutionary War Colonel, as isWood County, West Virginia.[10]
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| Preceded by | Governor of Virginia 1796–1799 | Succeeded by |
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