listed, on the 17th of May, 1861, as a private in Company E, Third Iowa Infantry, under Captain John Scott. The regiment, commanded by Colonel N. G. Williams, was assigned to the First Brigade, Fourth Division, Seventeenth Corps of the Army of the Tennessee, as a member of which Mr. Wood participated in several important engagements, including the battles 0f Blue Mills, Missouri, and Shiloh or Pittsburg Landing. He was on detached service for a time, and in April, 1862, at Shiloh, while en route to Corinth, he was honorably discharged because of disability, at which time he was mustered out. He suffered greatly from exposure during his term of service, being little more than a skeleton when he reached home, and it required several months to recuperate.
As soon as his returning strength would permit Mr. Wood took up teaching as a means of support, and for many years his time was thus occupied during the winter months, while in the summer seasons he was engaged in farming, becoming successful in both branches. His identification with the educational interests of his part of the state was a source of benefit to the communities in which he labored, for he proved himself a most competent and able instructor, imparting clearly and readily to others the knowledge that he had acquired. After withdrawing from the profession of teaching he served for many years as member of the school board, the cause of education ever finding in him a stalwart champion. He became interested in various other phases of community life and was one of the best known and most public-spirited citizens of his part of Story county. Possessing those qualities which always win respect and confidence, he was chosen as executor of many estates and his aid was invariably sought in matters requiring business ability and integrity. Indeed there were few residents of Indian Creek township whose counsel and advice were more largely sought than that of Jesse R. Wood, and no trust reposed in him was ever abused. That he was endowed with keen business ability is indicated by the fact that he was numbered among the substantial and prosperous farmers of his district, being the owner at the time of his death of a valuable farm of two hundred acres besides sixteen acres of good timber land. The farm is yet in the possession of Mrs. Wood, although she has since disposed of the timber tract. About five years prior to his death Mr. Wood turned the work of his farm over to others and retired from active life, taking up his abode in Des Moines. About two years later, however, he came to Maxwell and was here residing at the time of his death.
On November 20, 1862, Mr. Wood was united in marriage to Miss Juliet Wilson, of Grant township, a daughter of Alfred and Anna (Adams) Wilson, formerly of Licking county, Ohio, and by this marriage were born six children, as follows : Georgiana, the widow of W. H. King, who resides in Des Moines; Ida H., who wedded Rev. Wilson Mills, a Baptist minister of Omaha, Nebraska; Harvey A., engaged in farming in Oklahoma; Edith, the wife of L. W. Stone, of Nevada, Iowa; Jessie E., who