George L. Wood

George L. Wood was born in Ohio in 1837 and is best known as the author of The Seventh Regiment: A Record, published in 1865. In the book’s preface, he explains that he wrote it to preserve the facts he knew about the Seventh Ohio Regiment and says much of it was drawn from memory.

Before becoming an author, Wood served in the Union Army during the Civil War. Contemporary memorial records identify him as a first lieutenant and then captain in the 7th Ohio Infantry, later a major in the 125th Ohio Infantry. He was wounded at Port Republic in Virginia, and the injury appears to have affected his health for the rest of his life.

Wood died in Warren, Ohio, in September 1867, still only about 29 or 30 years old. That makes his book more than a regimental history—it is also the work of a young veteran trying to make sure the experiences of his fellow soldiers would not be forgotten.