President Taylor's Grandsons Fought for the Confederacy-- Part 3: John Taylor Wood

Zachary Taylor's daughter, Ann Mackall Taylor Wood, married Robert Crooke Wood, who remained with the Union during the war.  They had two sons and a daughter, Robert Crooke Wood Jr, who I wrote about in the last two posts.  Also there was a daughter, Sarah Knox  Wood (1835-1915).

John Taylor Wood led quite a life and compiled a remarkable record as a Confederate Navy officer during the Civil War.  I will write more about his service in my Running the Blockade:  Civil War Navy blog.

A  short synopsis is here.

Served in U.S. Navy after graduating from the USNA in 1853.  Resigned his commission, but U.S. Navy dismissed him.  His family relationship with Jefferson Davis (his aunt was the first wife of Davis and the fact he was the grandson of a former president) gave him great influence in the Confederacy.

Was a second lieutenant on the CSS Virginia in the Battle of Hampton Roads and fight against the USS Monitor.  Led surprise attacks on Union ships in the Chesapeake Bay area.  Commanded the CSS Tallahassee on a commerce raiding expedition along the American coast and captured and destroyed 31 union ships, captured the Union warship USS Underwriter at New Bern, N.C..

He was also with Jefferson Davis at his capture in Georgia.  Escaping to Cuba, he then went to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and lived there the remainder of his life.

--Old Secesh

The USS Underwriter

From Wikipedia.

Yesterday, I wrote about the capture of the USS Underwriter by John Taylor Wood.

Here's some information about the USS Underwriter:
341 tons, 170 feet long, 23'7" beam, built 1852 and mounted two cannons.

The US Navy bought it August 23, 1861 and sent it to serve in the Potomac River Flotilla before joining the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron where it operated in the sounds and rivers because of its shallow draft. It assisted in the capture of New Bern, NC March 13-14, 1862.

After its destruction, it was found that the boilers and engine was in good shape and was salvaged. Its exact wreck site was located in 1964.

Now, You Know. --Old B-Runner

John Taylor Wood, CSN and the USS Underwriter

From the May 10th HMDB covering a Civil War Trails marker regarding Wood and the capture and sinking of the USS Underwriter by New Bern, North Carolina.

In January 1864, Lee wrote Davis that he thought a "bold party" could go down the Neuse River at night and capture a Federal gunboat and use it in an assault on New Bern that was to take place with 5000 Confederates and 16 cannons under Gen. Pickett.

On Jan. 31st, a Confederate Navy raiding party left Kinston and rowed along the river. John Taylor Wood, nephew of Davis and grandson of former President Zachary Taylor was in command. He had experience, having been on several other "cutting out" expeditions" that had captured US ships.

With him he had between 250 and 300 men 25 Marines and 35 officers on 14 boats.

They found the 186 foot long USS Underwriter mounting four cannons. Wood divided his force into two divisions. At 2:30 am, Feb. 2nd, Wood boarded the ship and captured it after ten minutes of brutal hand-to-hand fighting captured it.

Unfortunately, the fires were banked and the ship came under fire from Union forts Stevenson and Anderson and Wood had to destroy the ship. At 4:30 am, the ship blew up.

Confederate losses were 5 killed, 15 wounded and 4 captured. The Union lost 9 killed and 20 wounded.

Lt. Benjamin Loyall was later promoted to commander of the CSS Neuse. Just sixteen days after the attack, one enlisted man lost his life in the H.L. Hunley's attack on the USS Housatonic.

The wreck of the Underwriter still lies at the bottom of the Neuse River.

The marker was erected by the Lenoir County Battlefields Commission in Kinston.

Kinston is one town that has done a lot with its Civil War heritage.

A Tale of Bravery. --Blockade-R