Nathan Wood was my 6th great-grandfather, via my great-grandmother, Mary E. (Harvey) Reese. He was a soldier of the American Revolution and was present at Cornwallis' surrender. Nathan's personal testimony of his experience - the places he traveled and battles he participated in, is transcribed below (to the best of my ability).
These are copies of handwritten documents pertaining to Nathan Wood and his service in the Revolutionary War.
Transcription:
State of New York, Chautauqua County, On the twelfth day of October, 1832, personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in for said county now sitting, Nathan Wood, a resident of the town of Arkwright in the said county of Chautauqua, aged seventy years on the sixteenth day of April last, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed January, 1832: – “That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated - That in the month of May, 1777, at Mansfield in the County of Tolland and State of Connecticut, he was drafted in a company of Militia commanded by Capt. Wales in the Regt. under command of Col. Latimore. That they immediately marched to Bennington, State of Vermont and from thence to Ticonderoga by the way of Moon Point and Stillwater. That he stayed at Ticonderoga till the Battle at the taking of Burgoyne and that he was in the said battle fought through the whole of it and was wounded severely by the point of a bayonet a little below his naval and that he killed three Hessians with the point of his bayonet in less than two minutes from the time he was wounded. That immediately after the taking of Burgoyne, they marched to Albany, where they remained about two months when they marched from there to Hudson a little below Albany when they were discharged and returned home to Mansfield aforesaid having actually served six months in this term. That in the Spring of the year 1778 he enlisted in a company of Light Horse at Mansfield aforesaid, under command of Captain Chamberlain, That he does not know whether this company of Light Horse was attached to any Regt. or not. That they immediately marched to Providence and Newport in Rhode Island. That they were stationed a part of the time at Newport and part of the time at Providence. That he served on this term three months, that being the extent of the time for which he enlisted, when he was discharged and returned home. That he was employed most of the time in this last town in carrying dispatches and papers to the different officers at different places. That on his first term of six months he frequently saw General Gates and General Arnold. That he was born at Mansfield aforesaid on the 16th day of April 1762, where he resided until soon after the close of the Revolutionary War when he moved to the town of Wardsborough in the State of Vermont where he lived then years and then left for Burlington, New York, where he lived several years and from there he went to the town of Virgil, Cortland, New York, where he lived until about three years since he came to the town of Arkwright aforesaid where he now resides. That he has a record of his age in a large Bible which his father gave him. That he received a written discharge at the expiration of each term of service aforesaid but that he considered them of no use after he returned and they were soon lost. That his discharge in each case was given by his Captain. That he is the identical Nathan Wood mentioned in the deposition of the said Gideon Wood hereto annexed and that he is the brother of the same Gideon Wood. That he lives more than 18 miles from the place where this court is now sitting and it is very inconvenient to obtain a clergyman from his neighborhood. That he is well associated with Daniel and Leonard Sessions of Arkwright aforesaid who can testify as to his character for truth and veracity... He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity, except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid”. - Nathan Wood
For more on this family, see the Harvey page.
Hello friend - I believe we are shirttail relatives via Nathan Wood. My 3x great-grandmother was Lura Wood Watkins, who I believe is a daughter of this Nathan Wood. As was the custom, there were several in this lineage named Nathan Wood & I am currently sorting them out. This post is wonderful & I am very happy I came upon it. Like yourself, I am also a dedicated researcher & would love to compare notes. Thank you very much. Lynn Elizabeth Albers