Treasure Chest Thursday - Ira and Lois Wood in the Civil War

This is a scan of an old photograph that belonged to my grandparents. The hand written caption reads:

Ira Wood and wife Lois Firman Wood
In Hospital at Civil War
She cared for him down in Tennessee

Ira and Lois (Firman) Wood were my 3rd great grandparents. They were the parents of Anna Belle Wood, wife of Valois Parker, who were the parents of Lloyd Ira Wood, the father of my grandfather, Leo Parker.

According to Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865, Ira Wood was drafted November 25, 1863, and he served in the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment, Company F.

Happy Memorial Day 2011

The gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery are graced by U.S. flags, April 30, 2007.

Memorial Day is an opportunity to remember the sacrifice of soldiers and sailors that died in service to their country. Here is a listing of some of the relatives I would like to remember this Memorial Day.

Korean War:

• Jack Duane Alexander (1929-1950), PFC, US Army, missing in action July 12, 1950 and died in Hanjang-ni POW camp, November 19, 1950. He was my 1st Cousin, twice removed on my mother's side.
• Harry Brassfield (1911-1951), M/SGT, US Army, captured November 2, 1950 and died in captivity July 31, 1951. He was a 4th cousin to my Great Grandfather, Floyd Gipson Brassfield

World War II:

• Vilas D. Parker (1917-1944), S/SGT US Army, member of Merrill's Marauders, missing in action May 22, 1944. He was killed when the C-47 he was being transported in crashed in Burma. His remains were not recovered until 1987. He was my 1st Cousin, twice removed on my mother's side.

Civil War:

• Benjamin W. Firman (1800-1862), Wisconsin 16th Infantry, Company H. Died May 5th, 1862 of disease after the Battle of Shiloh. He was my 4th Great Grandfather, on my mother's side.
• Henry Stotler, PVT, US Army, 115th Illinois Infantry, Company "B". Died in Cincinnati, Ohio, November, 1862. Nephew of my 3rd Great Grandfather Hiram Stotler.
• William Stotler, 115th Illinois Infantry, Company "B". Died at Covington, Ky., October 21, 1862. Nephew of my 3rd Great Grandfather Hiram Stotler.

See my Veteran's Day 2010 post for a list of Veteran's in the family. There are more that are still living, but one of my policies is to not list names of living persons on this blog.

The above image is by Kathleen T. Rhem, US Department of Defense via Wikimedia Commons.

Ancestors involved in the American Civil War

Bombardment of Fort Sumter by the batteries of the Confederate states

150 years ago on April 12, 1861 the Confederate States of America fired the opening shots of the American Civil War when they began bombardment of Fort Sumter.

I don't have an exhaustive list of relatives involved in the Civil War, but this is what I have, so far:

On my father's side:
My 3rd Great Grandfather, Wiley D. Brassfield (1827-1902) was in the 8th Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry, Company B. His brother Nicholas R. Brassfield (1848-1926) was also in the 8th Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry, Company B. A few months ago I posted a bit about what their regiment did while the were in.

On my mother's side:
My 4th Great Grandfather, Benjamin Wise Firman (1800-1862) was in the Wisconsin 16th Infantry, Company H. He died May 5th, 1862 of disease after the Battle of Shiloh.
My 3rd Great Grandfather, Ira Wood (1834-1909) was in the Wisconsin 1st Regiment Cavalry, Company G F. (Corrected to company F)

I'm sure there are some more relatives that I haven't found yet, but I'll keep looking.

The above image is courtesy of the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons.

Tombstone Tuesday - Louis Firman-Wood

This is the tombstone of my third great grandmother, Louis (Firman) Wood at Woodville Cemetery, Town of Deerfield, Waushara County, Wisconsin.

Louis Firman was born about 1830 in the state of New York to Benjamin Wise Firman and Abigal Rawley. Possibly in Livingston County based on my notes on the Firman family. She was married to Ira Wood October 19, 1956. They had at least 4 children from 1858 to 1869. All were born in Wisconsin.

She died May 10, 1881 age 51 and was buried May 11, 1881 at Woodville Cemetery. According to her death notice in the Waushara Argus, she had a "double stroke of paralysis" a bit over a week prior to her death. It also mentioned that she was active in the Congregational Church.

I have seen her name spelled Louis, Lois and Louise. The tombstone appears to say Louis.

The connection to the Brassfield surname is that her 2nd great grand daughter married a Brassfield.