page 926
Goodspeed’s
1891 Biographical Memoirs
A.B. Wood is one of Ashley County's (Ark.) most
progressive farmers, and he has become well known as an energetic, enterprising
and public-spirited gentlemen. His
birth occurred in Alabama in 1838, and he made his home in his native state
until 1857, when he came to Fountain Hill, Ark., with his father, W.W. Wood,
who was a farmer and merchant. Although
A.B. Wood did not receive many early advantages he was naturally intelligent
and wide-awake, and began life on his own hook at the age of twenty-one
years as a merchant at Hamburg, continuing this occupation until the opening
of the Rebellion, enlisting in 1862, in Company K, Third Arkansas Infantry,
being in Longstreet's corps, as the leader of a brass band.
He was in the engagement at Sharpsburg, and there
detailed to wait on the wounded and became a prisoner, Norfolk and the seven
day's fight around Richmond, and was afterward at Gettysburg, being afterward
exchanged. He rejoined his command
and was at Goldsboro and Fredericksburg. Upon his return home he resumed merchandising at Fountain Hill, and
later began purchasing land and is now the owner of 320 acres, 280 of which
are hill and the rest bottom land, forty acres being under cultivation. His crops are always fair, and he is doing well.
He is the assistant postmaster of Fountain Hill, is a Democrat politically,
and he and his wife, whom he married in 1866, are members of the Missionary
Baptist Church. Her maiden name was Sallie L. Robinson, and
she is a daughter of Thomas B. and Sarah Robinson, both of whom are deceased,
the latter passing from life in 1875. Mr
and Mrs Wood are the parents of the following children: Walter M. (who is
in the jewelry business in Haynesville, LA.), Susan T. (deceased), William
A., Effie M., James B., Jesse, Asley B., Lillie and Lena.
Rev. John S. Wood is a well known divine of Ashley
County, Ark., and has preached the gospel in Arkansas since 1844. His birth occurred in Twiggs County, Ga., February
2, 1822, his parents, John and Susan (Evans) Wood, being also Georgians,
the former of Irish and the latter of Welsh ancestry. Prior to the War of Independence the Woods came
to America, and the father John Wood, was a major in the War of 1812, operating
in Alabama. He reared twelve sons
to manhood, seven of whom are now living: William W. besides Rev. John S.,
in Arkansas, one in Alabama, and four in Texas, all of whom are farmers
with the exception of one who is a school teacher.
Rev John S. Wood removed to Alabama from Georgia, with his father
when twelve years of age, and there the latter followed the life of a farmer,
but also sold goods for a while, and from 1826 until 1872 preached the gospel,
dying in the last named year at the age of eighty four years. Rev. John S. Wood obtained but a limited education
in the backwoods of Alabama, but being naturally intelligent he became a
well-posted young man, and at the age of twenty-two years came to Arkansas,
and settled in what is now Drew County (then Bradley), where he entered
320 acres of land. In 1849 he began
to preach, having united with the Baptist Church in Alabama, in 1840, and
at Lacy, in Drew County, was ordained a minister of that denomination in
1850, since which time he has had charge of four different churches every
year. At present he has charge of the churches at
Judson, Harmony, Unity and Egypt, all in Ashley County, and has assisted
in the dedication of about fourteen different churches, has ordained seven
ministers, has received into membership in the church several hundred, and
has performed several hundred marriage ceremonies.
When he first came to this state the country was almost a wilderness,
the roads were mere trails, and bridges were things unknown. Services were very frequently held in the woods,
and it was a year before a church of any kind was built. Sunday schools were first organized about 1855,
the first one in which he assisted being in Hamburg, to which the people
came ten or twelve miles. The morals
of the settlers were excellent, and Mr Wood had been a resident of the place
for three years before he saw a drunken man.
He has been married twice, first in Bradley County, to Miss Martha
Bussey, to whom twelve children were born, six of whom are living: Zephanih
J. (resides in Monticello, Drew County, Ark.), Zachary T. (also a resident
of Monticello), James B. (is judge of the Seventh Judicial District), William
A. and Carroll D. (both of Monticello, the latter being judge of the Tenth
Judicial District), and Mattie (wife of Walter Norris, of Lavaca, Ark.),
three of these sons are lawyers and two are merchants.
The mother of these children passed from life
in 1867, and the same year he was married to Miss M.C. Kelsey. Notwithstanding the fact that he has been a
minister of the gospel nearly all his life, he has looked after the material,
as well as spiritual welfare of himself and family also, and