transmitted to her son, Dr. Wood. His grandmother was a Hall, a member of the family that gave to the church the eminent Rev. James Hall, D. D., of Revolutionary fame. In his youth, the subject of this sketch was for some time a pupil in the school of that celebrated teacher, Mr. Peter Stuart Ney, the mysterious Frenchman, who is believed by many to have been the celebrated Marshal Ney, Napoleon's favorite general. Later he was a pupil of Mr. Hugh R. Hall, at Bethany Church, which school had a wide reputation in Rowan and Iredell counties, about the middle of the nineteenth century.
He entered Davidson College in 1848, when only seventeen years of age, graduated in 1852 ; was received under the care of Concord Presbytery, as a candidate for the gospel ministry, in May, 1854.
After studying theology under such teachers as Dr. Charles Hodge, Dr. Alexander McGill, at Princeton, and Dr. James Thornwell, of Columbia, Mr. Wood spent the closing year of his preparation in Edinburgh, Scotland.
He was licensed in June, 1857, by Concord Presbytery. His first charge was Bethany, Tabor and Fifth Creek Churches, where he was ordained and installed in 1859. A year or two later he was dismissed to Orange Presb)d;ery, and became pastor of the church of Washington, N. C, in 1861. He served as chaplain of the Fourth Regiment of North Carolina troops, in the Confederate States Army, the regiment in which his brother, James Wood, was lieutenant-colonel. In 1861, Dr. Wood was married to Miss Margaret Naomi Costin, of Wilmington, N. C, who died in 1889.
He served for many years as a trustee of Davidson College. The degree of D. D. was conferred upon him in 1879 by Hampden-Sidney College, Virginia.
From 1865 to 1869 Mr. Wood resided at his old home in Rowan county, and preached at Third Creek and other churches. In 1869 he was called to the church of Statesville, N. C, where for more than thirty years he labored most faithfvflly and acceptably, enjoying the confidence and affection of the entire community. The thirtieth anniversary of his pastorate was cele-
