Lauderdale County AlArchives Biographies.....Wood, William Basil 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 September 21, 2011, 8:14 pm

Source: See below
Author: Smith & De Land, publishers

  WILLIAM BASIL WOOD, President of the Florence Land, Mining & Manufacturing
Company, of the W. B. Wood Furnace Company, of the Charcoal & Chemical Company,
of the Florence, Tuscaloosa & Montgomery Railroad Company, of the Florence &
Chicago Railroad Company, and Secretary of the Alabama Improvement Company, was
born at Nashville, Tenn., October 31, 1820. His parents were Alexander H. and
Mary E. (Evans) Wood—his father a native of Virginia, his mother of England.

  Wm. B. Wood's paternal grandfather was secretary to Alexander Hamilton, and
had commanded troops in the Colonial army; his father was an officer in the War
of 1812. Upon his mother's side, his grandfather Evans was a colonel in the
British army, but after the declaration of peace he chose to return to this side
of the water and cast his lot with the "Rebels."

  The subject of this sketch was educated at La Grange College, Franklin County;
read law under Judge Coleman (afterward of the Supreme bench); was admitted to
the bar at Florence in 1843; began the practice of law at once, and in 1844, was
elected judge of Lauderdale County Court. While in the army in 1862, he was
elected Judge of the Circuit Court, and in 1866 was re-elected, and ocpied the
bench until 1880, except during the reconstruction period. In August, l861, he
was elected colonel of the Sixteenth Alabama Infantry; in fact, he raised that
regiment and organized it at Courtland, became its colonel and commanded it for
nearly two years.

  In 1863 he was transferred to the army of Northern Virginia, appointed by Mr.
Davis, president judge of the Military Court of the First Army Corps, and was
there to the close of the war. As colonel, he participated in the battle of
Fishing Creek, Ky., where Zollicoffer was killed. He was also at Triune, Tenn.,
Murfreesboro, and his regiment was at Shiloh and all the battles of the Army of
Tennessee. At the close of the war he returned to Florence, and, as we have
before seen, presided over the Circuit Court of his district. Prior to the war
Mr. Wood, in addition to his professional duties, was largely interested in
various other enterprises. He was engaged in the manufacture of woolens; was
interested in the steamboat business; was principal owner and controlled a line
of steamers which plied the Tennessee, Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. He was also
in the steamboat business after the war. His company built the "Rapidan" in
1868, and the "Florence Lee" in 1870. He also owned the "James R.," built the
"Sallie Wood" and the "William Dickson," and retired fully from steamboat
business not until 1876. In 1882 he began turning his attention to railroads. He
was one of the organizers of the Indiana, Alabama & Texas Railway, now completed
between Clarksville, Tenn., and Princeton, Ky., and was its vice-president. He
was also one of the organizers of the Birmingham & Tennessee Railroad, now known
as the Sheffield & Birmingham. He organized the Alabama and Tennessee Railroad,
and sold it to the Nashville, Florence & Sheffield Company. This line is now
being constructed by the Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company. November 29,
1886, as one of the organizers of the Florence Land, Mining and Manufacturing
Company, he was made president, and re-elected in November, 1888.

  Judge Wood is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, a Master Mason, R.
A. and Knight Templar, and in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows was Grand
Master of the State two years (1869-70).

  He originated the idea, and raised the subscription for, the Florence Wesleyan
University (now the State Normal College); gave liberally to it himself, and was
for some years president of its Board of Trustees. Its endowment being exhausted
at the end of the war, he succeeded in having it sold to the State, and it was
converted into the State Normal School, with which Judge Wood has been since
officially identified.

  Away back in 1844, he organized the Methodist Episcopal Sunday-school, to
which he has since given particular attention and devoted much time and money.
That he has since its organization been its superintendent, teacher and regular
attendant, he says he "regards as the proudest achievement of his life." He has
been steward and trustee in his church since 1846. He organized the
Sunday-school two years before he became a member of the church.

  He was married April 21, 1843, to Sarah B. Leftwich, a daughter of Major
Leftwich, of Virginia.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Northern Alabama: Historical and Biographical
Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land
1888

PART IV.
MONOGRAPHS OF THE PRINCIPAL CITIES AND TOWNS IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ALABAMA,
TOGETHER WITH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF MANY OF THEIR REPRESENTATIVE PEOPLE.


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