Justus Wood (abt. 1750 - 1840)

Biography

Pvt. Justus Woods from Milford, New Haven Connecticut, first served in the Revolutionary War as a seaman. He enlisted for one year beginning Jan 1, 1776 in Capt. Peter Perrits (Perits) Company under Colonel Charles Webb.

Lt. Charles Pond, also from Milford, was Justus' commanding officer while serving on the Sloop General Schuyler in 1776, they engaged in a Battle of Dorchester Neck. ^[1]

Justus Wood served with 6th Connecticut Regiment (1777), Continental Army during the American Revolution.

On April 1, 1777, Revolutionary War Roll Cards show Private Justus Wood next served in the Connecticut Line, 6th Regiment (Col. Meigs) with Captain Charles Pond.

Justus Wood is found on the list of prisoners for the British troop ship Old Jersey^[2] and his Feb 12, 1819 pension application mentions he was lame with bodily weakness in consequence of long confinement on board the prison ship Jersey. (Dates of imprisonment unknown.)

His pension applications show he fought in the April 1777 battle at Danbury Connecticut. Fighting with him was Green-28031 Samuel Green, who was killed in battle. ^[3] On October 7, 1777 Justus Woods deserted. [Link]

Deposition by Justus Wood 1837.

This 1837 deposition by Justus Wood on behalf of Capt. Charles Pond's widow, helps distinguish which Justin Woods from Milford, New Haven, Connecticut served with Captain Pond. The year of 1776 Justus was a seaman serving with Lt. Charles Pond on the Sloop General Schuyler. By April 1777, Pvt. Justus Wood reported to Captain Charles Pond in the 6th Regiment of the Connecticut Line (lead by Col. Meigs).

David Clark, of Milford, tells about his ancestor who fought with Samuel Green, who was killed in the Revolutionary War at Danbury, Conn. on April 28, 1777. Also fighting with Samuel Green in this battle were Benjamin Sears,Chauncey Isbell, Justus Wood and Dan Fenn. ^[4]

Excerpt[Link] David Clarke, Page 649, 2d column, last paragraph: he was at the battle of Long Island, and related an interesting experience of what happened at Danbury; as he related it, he and Justus Wood, another Milford man, approached the British artillerymen who were serving guns on an eminence near enough to shoot at them. After a while the British gunners trained their guns on them and fired. The shot came so near them that Woods said: "I will shoot them once more and then clear out." He did so, and laid his gun on his shoulder, and before he turned around another shot from one of the field guns struck the musket on his shoulder, just ahead of the lock, and cut barrel and lock in two. He brought the breech back home with him when he returned. He had kept on firing until a shot struck just ahead of him and filled his face and hat full of dirt. He the retreated and got behind an apple tree until another shot came through it, and then went to where the other soldiers were with Gen. Arnold in command, who was riding back and forth, swearing at the men. Near David Clarke lay Dan Fenn, firing behind a stone wall. A ball fired by the British infantry came through the wall and wounded Fenn in the leg. Three Milford men were killed: Channey Isbel, Benjamin Sears and Samuel Green, the first named by a cannon ball.^[5]

At the time of his Rev Pension application in 1832, Justus Wood was living in Connecticut . He passed away in 1840 while still living in Connecticut.

Letter to the National Archives.

In 1933 Walter A. Wood wrote to the National Archives looking for information on two Revolutionary Soldiers, near the same age, one was William Obediah Wood. Did he know of a tie between the two?

Research Note: 1) Look into possible connection to Justus Wood 2) Possible son Justus Wood b circa 1778 in New Haven CT. Sources: A) Family Search Tree and B) Families of Ancient New Haven (Jacobus) Title: Jacobus, Donald Lines, compiler, Families of Ancient New Haven [CT] (Baltimore, Genealogical Pub. Co., 1974)/i> (Baltimore, Genealogical Pub. Co., 1974)/i> (Baltimore, Genealogical Pub. Co., 1974). Page: v. 8, p. 2013

Sources

1. ↑ Revolutionary War Pension Application at Fold3
2. ↑ British Troop Ship list of prisoners compiled by "The Society of Old Brooklynites" in 1888
3. ↑ Families of Early Milford, Connecticut by Susan Abbott Volume 12 page 314
4. ↑ Families of Early Milford, Connecticut by Susan Abbott Volume 12 page 314
5. ↑ Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut; Volume 4, Addenda and Errata, page 2167

• "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F74B-W4W : 11 February 2018), Justus Wood, 13 Nov 1750; citing ; FHL microfilm unknown. Middlesex, Connecticut
• British Troop Ship list of prisoners compiled by "The Society of Old Brooklynites" in 1888. [1]

• Revolutionary War Pension Documents at Fold3. State: Connecticut; Veteran: Woods, Justus; Pensioner:[Blank];Service: Continental (Conn.) Sea Service Pension Number: S. 35746; Publication Title: Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files Content Source: The National Archives; Publication Number: M804;National Archives Catalog ID: 300022; National Archives Catalog Title: Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service, compiled ca. 1800 - ca. 1912, documenting the period ca. 1775 - ca. 1900; Publisher: NARA Record Group: 15; Description:NARA M804. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. Roll: 2637 (attached)

• "United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG2M-YFCL : 18 March 2018), Page 216 includes "Connecticut Line" Sixth Regiment; soldiers with surname beginning with "W" from 1777 - 1781

• "United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2DG-XT5P : 15 March 2018), Justus Woods, 01 Apr 1777; citing 01 Apr 1777, Connecticut, United States, citing NARA microfilm publication M246. Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Services, 1980. FHL microfilm 830,297. Pond's Company (Sam Green included)

• "United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2DG-XT2P : 15 March 2018), Private Justus Woods, 18 Nov 1777; citing 18 Nov 1777, Connecticut, United States, citing NARA microfilm publication M246. Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Services, 1980. FHL microfilm 830,297. Serving with Captain Charles Ponds Company and Col Meigs

• Desertion date does not match the October 7, 1777 given in other military records. "United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2DG-DQ93 : 15 March 2018), Justice Woods, 21 Jan 1777; citing 21 Jan 1777, Connecticut, United States, citing NARA microfilm publication M246. Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Services, 1980. FHL microfilm 830,292. (List of deserters from the 6th Regt., Justice Wood from New Haven (place they belong), New Haven (town enlisted from) on May 7th 1778 (?)

• "Families of Early Milford, Connecticut" by Susan Emma Woodruff Abbott published by Genealogical Publishing Com. & Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society, page 314 (150 also mentioned) Volume 12

• Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut; by William Richard Cutter, Edward Henry Clement, Samuel Hart, Mary Kingsbury Talcott, Frederick Bostwick and Exra S. StearnsVolume 4, Addenda and Errata, page 2167 , a free EBook [Link]

• "United States Census, 1800," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHRS-3DZ : accessed 7 July 2018), Justus Woods, Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, United States; citing p. 215, NARA microfilm publication M32, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 2; FHL microfilm 205,619. (Justus is over 45 years old.)

• "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHG8-T97 : accessed 7 July 2018), Justus Wood, Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, United States; citing p. 112, NARA microfilm publication M33, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 3; FHL microfilm 281,236. (Eldest male is over 45 years old)

• "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHPX-LVZ : 12 August 2017), Justus Woods, Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, United States; citing 294, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 9; FHL microfilm 2,802. (Justus is 70 to 80 years old.)

• Pension Death Record, Jan 21, 1840; "United States Revolutionary War Pension Payment Ledgers, 1818-1872," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24Q-2898 : accessed 7 July 2018), Justus Woods, ; citing Connecticut, United States, NARA microfilm publication T718 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1962), roll 4; FHL microfilm 1,319,384.