James Wood (1747 – 1813) was an officer of the U.S. Continental Army and Governor of Virginia.

Born in Winchester, Virginia, he was ? of Frederick County, Virginia and represented the county in the House of Burgesses from 1766 to 1776. He was also commissioned by Lord Dunmore a Captain of Virginia troops in 1774 and negotiated the Treaty of Fort Pitt with the Shawnee Indians the following year.

[edit] War of Independence

At the onset of the War for Independence, he was appointed Colonel of the 12th Virginia Regiment in 1776 and commanded that unit during the Philadelphia campaign and Monmouth campaigns of the next two years. The regiment was redesignated the 8th Virginia Regiment in September 1778 and was appointed Superintendent of the Convention Army when the prisoners were moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, that year. He continued in that capacity until it was dissolved in January 1783, when he was promoted a brigadier of state troops. He continued in state politics after the war.

[edit] 1789 Election

Wood was chosen as an elector for the 1789 election from Hampshire District ^[1]. That District consisted of Berkeley County, Frederick County, Hampshire County, Hardy County, Harrison County, Monongalia County, Ohio County and Randolph County, which cover the area which is now the eastern part of West Virginia and the northernmost county of Virginia. All of them were within Virginia's 1st congressional district, which also included Shenandoah County ^[2]. Wood is described as a Federalist ^[3] . All of the 10 electors from Virginia who voted cast one of their two votes for George Washington. 5 of them cast their other vote for John Adams. 3 cast theirs for George Clinton. 1 cast his for John Hancock. 1 cast his for John Jay ^[4].

Wood was elected as Virginia's fourth governor in 1796, serving until 1799. In addition to being an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati, he was also a leading member of an early abolition society in Virginia.

James Wood High School and James Wood Middle School in Frederick County, Virginia are named after the famous Revolutionary War Colonel, as is Wood County, West Virginia. [1]

v • d • e Governors of Virginia Henry · Jefferson · Fleming · Nelson · Harrison · Henry · E. Randolph · B. Randolph · H. Lee · Brooke · Wood · Monroe · Page · Cabell · Tyler Sr. · G. Smith · Monroe · G. Smith · P. Randolph · Barbour · Nicholas · Preston · T. Randolph · Pleasants · Tyler Jr. · Giles · J. Floyd · Tazewell · Robertson · Campbell · Gilmer · Patton · Rutherfoord · Gregory · McDowell · W. "EB" Smith · J.B. Floyd · Johnson · Wise · Letcher · W. "EB" Smith · Pierpont · Wells · Walker · Kemper · Holliday · Cameron · F. Lee · McKinney · O'Ferrall · J.H. Tyler · Montague · Swanson · Mann · Stuart · Davis · Trinkle · Byrd · Pollard · Peery · Price · Darden · Tuck · Battle · Stanley · Almond · A. Harrison · Godwin · Holton · Godwin · Dalton · Robb · Baliles · Wilder · Allen · Gilmore · Warner · Kaine · McDonnell (elect)

This article about a Virginia politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e

[edit] References

1. ^ The Documentary history of the first Federal elections, 1788-1790, by Gordon DenBoer, Volume 2, page 303
2. ^ Parsons, Stanley B., William W. Beach and Dan Hermann. United States Congressional Districts, 1788-1841 (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1978) p. 7
3. ^ http://elections.lib.tufts.edu/aas_portal/view-election.xq?id=MS115.002.VA.1789.00028
4. ^ The Documentary history of the first Federal elections, 1788-1790, by Gordon DenBoer, Volume 2, pages 304-5