In This Article
His Story
In April 1818, Asahel Wood appeared before a Massachusetts judge seeking recognition for his service in the American Revolution. More than three decades had passed since the war, but Wood remembered the Massachusetts regiment in which he had served, the officer who commanded his company, and his presence at the capture of British General Charles Cornwallis.
Wood was a Black Revolutionary War veteran whose military experiences connected the opening fighting around Boston with the final major American victory at Yorktown. Supporting testimony placed him in Colonel Woodbridge’s regiment in 1775 and reported his participation in the Battle of Bunker Hill. His own pension declaration described later service in Captain Thomas Pritchard’s company of Colonel Greaton’s Massachusetts regiment.
His wartime duties extended beyond infantry service. In September 1818, Primus Hall, a man who had worked in the household of Colonel Timothy Pickering, testified that Wood had served as a wagoner in the army’s staff department. According to Hall, Wood entered that assignment during 1781 and remained until the following April, when he returned to his regiment.
The testimony offers an unusually valuable glimpse into the variety of work performed by Revolutionary War soldiers. Moving supplies, equipment, and provisions was essential to sustaining an army in the field. Soldiers assigned to transportation duties contributed directly to the campaigns they supported, even when their work occurred away from the firing line.
Wood’s pension declaration also places him at the capture of Cornwallis, the decisive British surrender at Yorktown in October 1781. Although the precise movements of Wood’s company require additional verification, his own account connects his service with one of the Revolution’s most consequential military events.
After the war, Wood settled in Hardwick, Massachusetts, where he worked as a farmer. By 1820, however, advancing age and rheumatism had severely limited his ability to earn a living. His pension file preserves an inventory of his household property, including agricultural tools, cooking vessels, furniture, a loom, shoemaker’s tools, and a silver watch.
The entire inventory was valued at only $27.59.
Wood also identified the people depending upon him. His wife, whose name is transcribed as Tylea, was fifty-eight years old. Two seventeen-year-old children, described as twins, and a ten-year-old daughter lived in the household. He explained that the younger daughter was frequently unwell and that the older children could contribute little to the family’s support.
These details reveal the difficult circumstances faced by an aging veteran who had devoted years of his life to the revolutionary cause. His pension was not simply a reward for military service; it represented a means of supporting a household whose resources were limited.
Asahel Wood’s surviving records are particularly significant because they document the experience of a Black soldier whose service included both military campaigns and logistical duties. His declarations, supporting affidavits, and household inventory preserve a life that might otherwise have disappeared from the historical record.
Early Life
Birth and Family Background
Asahel Wood’s exact date and place of birth have not been established. In his April 1818 pension declaration, he reported being sixty-eight years old. In July 1820, he gave his age as seventy-one.
These statements suggest a birth around 1749 or 1750, although the estimates are not entirely consistent. No original birth, baptismal, or childhood record has been identified in the materials examined for this biography.
His parents and early family relationships likewise remain unknown.
A Black Man in Colonial Massachusetts
Contemporary supporting testimony explicitly identifies Wood as a Black man. In April 1818, Joseph Williams described him as a resident of Hardwick and referred to his earlier Revolutionary War service.
Wood lived during a period when people of African descent in Massachusetts experienced both slavery and freedom. The legal and social position of Black residents varied across communities and changed during the Revolutionary era.
The available pension documents do not establish whether Wood was born enslaved or free. They also do not identify his ancestry or the circumstances of his childhood.
It would therefore be inappropriate to assign him a specific early legal status without additional evidence.
Massachusetts Before the Revolution
By the middle of the eighteenth century, Massachusetts was one of Britain’s most economically active North American colonies. Agriculture, coastal trade, fishing, shipping, and small-scale manufacturing supported communities throughout the province.
Colonial society was also marked by substantial inequalities involving property, race, and legal status.
When tensions with Great Britain intensified during the 1760s and 1770s, residents of Massachusetts became central participants in the political resistance that eventually developed into armed rebellion.
Wood’s precise residence before the war has not been established, but his reported service in a Massachusetts regiment in 1775 places him within the colony’s military mobilization.
Revolutionary War Service
Service in Colonel Woodbridge’s Regiment
Asahel Wood’s earliest reported military service dates to 1775.
In a certificate dated April 20, 1818, Joseph Williams stated that Wood had served in Colonel Woodbridge’s regiment and had participated in the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Williams explained that he had personally commanded a company in the regiment during the war and recognized circumstances described by Wood concerning its service and movements.
This testimony is important because it provides supporting evidence from another Revolutionary War officer. Nevertheless, it was prepared more than forty years after the events and should be compared with contemporary muster rolls.
Entering the Continental Army in 1781
Wood’s own pension declaration states that he entered Continental service around May 1781.
He identified his company commander as Captain Thomas Pritchard and his regiment as Colonel Greaton’s Massachusetts regiment.
In his later 1820 declaration, Wood again identified Captain Pritchard, although the transcription renders the regimental commander’s name differently.
These accounts establish the company and Massachusetts Line association as central elements of Wood’s recollection.
Service as a Wagoner
A particularly important affidavit was prepared by Primus Hall in Boston on September 26, 1818.
Hall testified that he had known Wood in 1781. At the time, Hall was serving as steward in the household of Colonel Timothy Pickering, the Continental Army’s Quartermaster General.
According to Hall, Wood entered Pickering’s household during June 1781 and was subsequently assigned as a wagoner in the army’s staff department.
Hall stated that Wood remained in this service until the following April, when he rejoined his regiment.
The testimony provides direct evidence from someone who claimed personal familiarity with Wood’s assignment.
The Importance of Army Transportation
Transportation was one of the Continental Army’s most difficult logistical problems.
Military forces required food, ammunition, clothing, tents, tools, medical supplies, and other equipment. Wagons and teams of horses or oxen moved these necessities between depots, camps, and active military positions.
Road conditions, weather, shortages of animals, and limited supplies could interrupt military operations.
Wagoners therefore played an essential role in keeping the army functioning. Their work was physically demanding and often required travel over long distances.
Wood’s reported assignment in the staff department illustrates the contribution of soldiers whose duties included the transportation and distribution of military supplies.
The Capture of Cornwallis
In his April 1818 pension declaration, Wood stated that he was present at the capture of Cornwallis.
The British surrender at Yorktown occurred on October 19, 1781, after combined American and French forces surrounded Cornwallis’s army in Virginia.
Wood’s statement is significant firsthand testimony. However, the available transcription does not specify his precise location, individual duties, or the movements of his company during the siege.
His reported wagoner assignment may be relevant to understanding his wartime movements, but the records examined do not establish exactly how his service intersected with the Yorktown campaign.
Discharge and the End of Service
Wood’s pension declarations contain conflicting statements concerning his final discharge.
The 1818 transcription refers to service continuing until December 1783, but elsewhere records a departure around December 23, 1782.
His July 1820 declaration gives a discharge in December 1784 and states that he was then under Colonel Maxwell.
These differences cannot be reconciled from the available transcription alone.
Wood consistently maintained that he had been honorably discharged and explained that his original discharge document had been lost.
Battles and Campaigns
Battle of Bunker Hill
June 17, 1775 — Charlestown, Massachusetts
On June 17, 1775, colonial forces occupying fortified positions on the Charlestown peninsula confronted British troops advancing from Boston.
British regulars launched repeated assaults against the American positions. Although the British eventually captured the defenses, they suffered heavy casualties.
The battle demonstrated that colonial militia could resist British regulars in a major engagement, even as shortages of ammunition and military organization limited their ability to hold their positions.
Joseph Williams’s April 1818 certificate places Asahel Wood in Colonel Woodbridge’s regiment during 1775 and reports his participation in the battle.
The certificate is valuable supporting testimony, but the precise company assignment and Wood’s individual actions require comparison with contemporary military records.
Participation classification: Reported by a former Revolutionary War officer in 1818; individual battlefield duties not independently established.
The Yorktown Campaign and Capture of Cornwallis
September–October 1781 — Virginia
During the autumn of 1781, American and French forces converged upon the British army commanded by General Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia.
General George Washington and French commander Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, coordinated the allied campaign, while French naval forces prevented Cornwallis from receiving effective relief by sea.
After a siege involving artillery bombardment and the capture of advanced British defenses, Cornwallis’s army surrendered on October 19, 1781.
Wood’s April 1818 pension declaration specifically states that he was present at the capture of Cornwallis.
Primus Hall’s separate testimony places Wood in military transportation service during approximately the same period, providing useful context but not a complete account of his movements.
Participation classification: Personally reported in Wood’s pension declaration; precise duties and location during the siege remain unverified.
Continental Army Service Through the War’s Closing Years
1781–1783, with conflicting discharge dates
Wood reported continued service in the Massachusetts Line after his 1781 enlistment.
His declarations refer to Captain Thomas Pritchard, Colonel Greaton, and a later command associated with Colonel Maxwell.
His recollections indicate a prolonged period of military service, although the reported discharge dates differ.
No additional specific battle can be assigned to Wood from the transcribed records presently examined.
Participation classification: Continental Army service supported by pension records and testimony; specific later campaigns not established.
Military Honors and Recognition
Recognition as a Revolutionary War Veteran
Asahel Wood received recognition through the federal Revolutionary War pension system.
His pension certificate, numbered 3897, recorded his service as a private in Captain Pritchard’s company of the Massachusetts Line.
The pension was established at eight dollars per month, beginning April 23, 1818.
Supporting Testimony from Fellow Veterans
Joseph Williams’s certificate described Wood’s reported service in Colonel Woodbridge’s regiment and expressed confidence in his account.
Primus Hall provided separate testimony concerning Wood’s service as a wagoner in the army’s staff department.
Additional residents of New Braintree supplied a statement concerning Wood’s character and reputation for Revolutionary War service.
These documents helped preserve his service history at a time when original military papers could be incomplete, missing, or difficult to obtain.
Military Decorations
No individual military decoration, officer’s commission, or battlefield commendation has been established for Wood.
His documented federal pension represents official recognition of qualifying Revolutionary War service rather than a personal military decoration.
Original Military Records
The following documents are preserved in Asahel Wood’s Revolutionary War pension file, S.33947, held by the National Archives.
April 20, 1818 — Certificate of Joseph Williams
Joseph Williams of Greenwich, Massachusetts, stated that Wood had served in Colonel Woodbridge’s regiment in 1775 and participated in the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Williams also described Wood’s later service in Captain Thomas Pritchard’s company and expressed confidence in the accuracy of his recollections.
Record: 4176996_00626.jpg
April 22, 1818 — New Braintree Character Testimony
Residents of New Braintree certified their long acquaintance with Wood and expressed confidence in his character and Revolutionary War service.
The transcription identifies Reverend John Fish as the minister of the Gospel in New Braintree.
Record: 4176996_00627.jpg
April 25, 1818 — Pension Declaration
Wood appeared before Judge Edward Bangs and described his service in Captain Pritchard’s company of Colonel Greaton’s Massachusetts regiment.
He reported being present at the capture of Cornwallis and stated that his original honorable discharge had been lost.
Record: 4176996_00629.jpg
September 26, 1818 — Affidavit of Primus Hall
Primus Hall testified that he had known Wood in 1781 while serving as steward in Colonel Timothy Pickering’s household.
Hall described Wood’s assignment as a wagoner in the military staff department and his subsequent return to his regiment.
Record: 4176996_00625.jpg
November 5, 1818 — Pension Certificate
Wood’s pension certificate was issued under number 3897, with an allowance of eight dollars per month beginning April 23, 1818.
The pension accounting entry records an initial total of $82.93, consisting of arrears and an allowance extending to March 1819.
Record: 4176996_00623.jpg
July 11, 1820 — Renewed Pension Declaration
Wood appeared in Worcester County court at the reported age of seventy-one.
He repeated his account of service under Captain Pritchard and described a later discharge under Colonel Maxwell.
Record: 4176996_00631.jpg
1820 — Household and Property Inventory
Wood submitted a schedule of his possessions, valued at $27.59, together with an explanation of his occupation, physical limitations, and dependent household.
This document is particularly valuable for reconstructing his circumstances after the war.
Record: 4176996_00630.jpg
Revolutionary War Pension
The Pension Act of 1818
Congress enacted a pension law on March 18, 1818, providing financial assistance to qualifying Revolutionary War veterans who had served in the Continental military establishment and were in reduced circumstances.
Wood applied under this legislation in April 1818.
His declaration identified his regiment, company, military rank, and wartime service. Judge Edward Bangs certified the statement after Wood appeared before him.
Approval and Monthly Allowance
Wood’s pension was approved at eight dollars per month, beginning April 23, 1818.
His certificate was issued November 5, 1818, under number 3897.
The surviving accounting entry records an initial amount of $82.93, including accumulated payments and a subsequent allowance.
The Financial Examination of 1820
Congress revised the pension requirements in 1820, requiring certain pensioners to provide information about their financial circumstances.
Wood submitted a detailed inventory of his household possessions.
The listed property included cooking utensils, old chairs, axes, hoes, agricultural equipment, a loom and reeds, shoemaker’s tools, household dishes, a silver watch, and other modest possessions.
The recorded total was $27.59.
Rheumatism and Inability to Work
Wood identified his occupation as farming but explained that rheumatism had limited his ability to perform physical labor.
His declaration also described the condition of his family members and their limited ability to contribute to household support.
The inventory and personal statement demonstrate the financial vulnerability of an aging veteran whose health had declined.
Conflicting Death References
The pension accounting material includes references to a death notification in November 1820 and a date of December 27, 1822.
The relationship between these entries is unclear in the available transcription. They should be compared with the original images before assigning a definitive death date.
From His Account
Asahel Wood’s pension file preserves his own declarations and statements from individuals who knew him. The following passages are identified as direct excerpts or paraphrases. Spelling and wording in the underlying transcription require comparison with the original manuscript images.
Service in the Massachusetts Line
“I belonged to Thomas Pritchards Company, Col. Greaton’s Regiment, Massachusetts Line; and was at the capture of Cornwallis.”
Source: Pension declaration, April 1818. Excerpt from the supplied transcription.
His Lost Discharge
Wood stated that he had received an honorable discharge but had subsequently lost the document.
The loss of original military papers was a recurring difficulty for veterans applying for pensions decades after the Revolution.
Source: April 1818 and July 1820 pension declarations. Paraphrased.
His Work and Physical Condition
“My occupation is that of A Farmer, but I am troubled with Rheumitism and can work but little.”
Source: 1820 property and household declaration. Excerpt from the supplied transcription.
Primus Hall’s Recollection
Primus Hall stated that Wood had served as a wagoner in the staff department after entering the household of Colonel Timothy Pickering during 1781.
Hall further reported that Wood returned to his regiment the following April.
Source: Affidavit of Primus Hall, September 26, 1818. Paraphrased.
Joseph Williams’s Certificate
Joseph Williams described Wood as a Black man who had served in Colonel Woodbridge’s regiment in 1775 and participated in the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Williams expressed confidence in Wood’s recollection of military circumstances and movements.
Source: Certificate of Joseph Williams, April 20, 1818. Paraphrased.
Military Service Record
| Date or Period | Service or Event | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| 1775 | Service in Colonel Woodbridge’s regiment | Joseph Williams certificate, 1818 |
| June 17, 1775 | Reported participation at Bunker Hill | Joseph Williams certificate |
| May 1781 | Entered Massachusetts Continental Line under Captain Thomas Pritchard | Wood’s pension declarations |
| June 1781–April 1782, approximately | Wagoner in the staff department associated with Timothy Pickering | Primus Hall affidavit |
| October 1781 | Reported presence at capture of Cornwallis | Wood’s 1818 declaration |
| 1782–1784, conflicting accounts | Reported honorable discharge | 1818 and 1820 declarations |
| April 1818 | Applied for Revolutionary War pension | Pension S.33947 |
| November 1818 | Pension certificate issued | Certificate 3897 |
| July 1820 | Renewed declaration and financial examination | Pension file |
Later Life and Burial
Settlement in Hardwick, Massachusetts
After the Revolutionary War, Asahel Wood became associated with Hardwick in Worcester County, Massachusetts.
His pension documents identify Hardwick as his residence in 1818 and 1820.
Although the records do not establish exactly when he settled there, they demonstrate that he had become part of the community by the time he sought federal assistance.
Work as a Farmer
Wood identified farming as his occupation in 1820.
His household inventory included agricultural implements such as axes, hoes, and a garden rake, consistent with work involving land cultivation and maintenance.
The inventory also included shoemaker’s tools and a loom with reeds. These items suggest the presence of equipment associated with additional household or craft activities, but they do not establish that Wood personally practiced those trades professionally.
Declining Health
By 1820, Wood reported suffering from rheumatism, which restricted his ability to work.
His financial circumstances were sufficiently difficult that he sought continued support through the pension system.
The property inventory demonstrates the modest resources available to his household.
His Family in 1820
Wood reported living with his wife and three children.
His wife was fifty-eight years old. Two children described as twins were seventeen, and the youngest daughter was ten.
Wood explained that the older children could provide little assistance and that the youngest was frequently unwell.
These statements reveal a household with several dependents and limited earning capacity.
Death and Burial
The available pension transcription contains conflicting references concerning Wood’s death.
One entry mentions a notification dated November 3, 1820, while another records December 27, 1822.
The original pension images must be examined to determine whether these dates refer to Wood’s death, administrative action, or another event.
No burial place has been conclusively identified from the materials reviewed.
Family History
Asahel Wood’s Revolutionary War pension file preserves valuable information about his household in Hardwick, Massachusetts. His 1820 declaration identifies a wife and three children, including twins. Several names in the surviving transcription remain uncertain and require comparison with the original handwritten records.
Family Name & Heritage Wood Explore surname origins & meaning
Meaning and Etymology
The surname Wood commonly developed in England as a topographic name describing someone who lived in or near a wood or forest.
Its linguistic origins are associated with the Old English word wudu, meaning wood or woodland.
The Wood Surname in Colonial America
Wood was established in British North America before the American Revolution and appears in records from numerous colonial communities.
The name was borne by unrelated families and individuals of different backgrounds.
Asahel Wood’s Ancestry
Although Wood is commonly an English surname, its etymology does not establish Asahel Wood’s ancestry.
He was identified as a Black man in contemporary testimony, but the available records do not identify his parents, birthplace, or earlier family history.
His surname may have been inherited or acquired through circumstances not documented in the pension file. No specific explanation can presently be established.
Further Genealogical Research
Massachusetts town records, church registers, tax lists, probate documents, and records concerning free and enslaved Black residents may provide additional evidence about Wood’s origins.
Surname etymology should not be treated as proof of an individual’s ethnic ancestry or genealogical descent.
His Parents
No father has been identified in the available pension records.
View Additional Research
Research into Wood’s birthplace and early Massachusetts residence may help identify his father. No paternal relationship can presently be established.
No mother has been identified in the available pension records.
View Additional Research
Original birth, baptismal, church, and community records may provide evidence of Wood’s maternal family. No name should be assigned without documentary support.
His Grandparents
No verified paternal ancestral line has been established.
No verified maternal ancestral line has been established.
Earlier Generations
No earlier ancestral generation has been established from Wood’s pension records.
Additional original records are required before reconstructing his family beyond his documented household.
His Marriage
Wood identified his wife in his 1820 household declaration and described her as being in reasonably good health.
View Additional Research
Documentary Evidence
The 1820 property declaration identifies Wood’s wife and reports her age as fifty-eight.
Name Verification
The available transcription renders her name as Tylea. The original manuscript should be examined before accepting this spelling.
Marriage
No marriage date, location, or maiden surname has been established.
His Children
Wood’s 1820 declaration identifies three children in his household. Two were described as seventeen-year-old twins, while the youngest daughter was ten. Their names are reproduced from the available transcription and require verification.
Asahel Hull is the name given in the available transcription for one of the two seventeen-year-old twins living in Asahel Wood’s household in 1820.
The original document must be examined to determine whether Hull represents a middle name, surname, or transcription error.
No independently verified marriage, death, or later residence has been established.
Source: Asahel Wood, 1820 household declaration, pension file S.33947.
Individual biography not yet publishedPatience Job is identified in the available transcription as the other seventeen-year-old twin in Wood’s household.
The name Job may represent an additional given name, surname, or transcription error. The original manuscript should be examined before establishing the complete name.
No independently verified marriage, death, or later residence has been established.
Source: Asahel Wood, 1820 household declaration, pension file S.33947.
Individual biography not yet publishedRonna Augusta is the name given in the available transcription for Wood’s youngest reported daughter.
She was ten years old in 1820. Wood described her as frequently unwell and unable to contribute to household labor.
Her name requires verification against the original manuscript. No later marriage, death, or residence has been independently established.
Source: Asahel Wood, 1820 household declaration, pension file S.33947.
Individual biography not yet publishedHis Siblings
No brothers or sisters have been conclusively identified from the available pension documents.
Further research into Wood’s birthplace and early Massachusetts community may establish sibling relationships.
Other Family Connections
Primus Hall testified on September 26, 1818, concerning Wood’s Revolutionary War service.
Hall stated that he had known Wood in 1781 while serving as steward in the household of Colonel Timothy Pickering.
His affidavit described Wood’s assignment as a wagoner in the Continental Army’s staff department.
A separate notation in the available pension transcription contains the phrase “Primus Hall son of Asael [Asahel] Wood.”
The meaning and accuracy of this notation have not been established. It should not be treated as proof of a father-son relationship without examining the original image and obtaining corroborating evidence.
Relationship classification: Documented witness and associate; possible family relationship unverified.
Explore the Next Generation
The three children identified in Wood’s 1820 household provide starting points for tracing later generations.
However, the available documents do not establish their subsequent marriages, children, residences, or deaths.
Original Massachusetts vital records, census schedules, probate documents, and church registers may help reconstruct the family after 1820.
Family Research Update
Asahel Wood’s family history is unusually valuable because his pension declaration names household members and provides their ages.
The most important unresolved questions concern his wife’s correct name, the complete names of the three children, the meaning of the Primus Hall notation, and the family’s later history.
Researchers should consult the original 1820 declaration before adopting the transcribed names as definitive.
The Yost Post welcomes documented corrections supported by contemporary records.
Original Sources
- Asahel Wood, Revolutionary War Pension File S.33947. National Archives, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. NARA Identifier 111760155.
- Asahel Wood, Pension Declaration, April 25, 1818. Massachusetts. Identifies service in Captain Thomas Pritchard’s company, Colonel Greaton’s regiment, and reported presence at the capture of Cornwallis. File image 4176996_00629.jpg.
- Joseph Williams, Certificate, April 20, 1818. Greenwich, Massachusetts. Reports Wood’s service in Colonel Woodbridge’s regiment and participation at Bunker Hill. File image 4176996_00626.jpg.
- New Braintree Residents, Character Certificate, April 22, 1818. Supporting testimony concerning Wood’s reputation and Revolutionary War service. File image 4176996_00627.jpg.
- Primus Hall, Affidavit, September 26, 1818. Boston, Massachusetts. Describes Wood’s assignment as a wagoner in the military staff department associated with Colonel Timothy Pickering. File image 4176996_00625.jpg.
- Asahel Wood, Pension Certificate and Accounting Record. Certificate number 3897, issued November 5, 1818. File image 4176996_00623.jpg.
- Asahel Wood, Pension Declaration, July 11, 1820. Worcester County, Massachusetts. Describes service under Captain Pritchard and a later discharge under Colonel Maxwell. File image 4176996_00631.jpg.
- Asahel Wood, Schedule of Estate and Household Declaration, 1820. Hardwick, Worcester County, Massachusetts. Lists property valued at $27.59 and identifies his wife and three children. File image 4176996_00630.jpg.
- Asahel Wood, Pension File Notations. Includes references to Primus Hall and pension processing. File images 4176996_00624.jpg and 4176996_00628.jpg.
- The Yost Post Research Transcription Collection. RevWar-Transcriptions-Final, pension records associated with National Archives Identifier 111760155. Working transcriptions should be compared with original images where names, dates, or handwriting are uncertain.
Historical Research Note
Source basis: This biography is based primarily upon Asahel Wood’s Revolutionary War pension file, S.33947, including his declarations, supporting testimony, pension accounting records, and household inventory.
Race: Joseph Williams’s 1818 certificate identifies Wood as a Black man. The pension documents do not establish whether he was born free or enslaved.
Birth: Wood reported being sixty-eight in 1818 and seventy-one in 1820. These statements suggest a birth around 1749–1750, but no original birth record has been established.
1775 service: Joseph Williams reported Wood’s service in Colonel Woodbridge’s regiment and participation at Bunker Hill. Contemporary muster rolls should be examined for corroboration.
Continental service: Wood identified Captain Thomas Pritchard and Colonel Greaton in his 1818 declaration. His 1820 account also refers to later service under Colonel Maxwell.
Yorktown: Wood stated that he was present at the capture of Cornwallis. The available records do not establish his precise duties during the siege.
Wagoner service: Primus Hall testified from personal acquaintance that Wood served in the military staff department during 1781 and returned to his regiment the following April.
Discharge: The available transcriptions contain conflicting dates, including references to December 1782, December 1783, and December 1784. Wood stated that his original honorable discharge had been lost.
Pension: Wood received a federal pension of eight dollars per month beginning April 23, 1818. Certificate number 3897 was issued November 5, 1818.
Financial condition: His 1820 household inventory recorded possessions valued at $27.59. Wood identified farming as his occupation and reported that rheumatism limited his ability to work.
Marriage: The 1820 transcription renders his wife’s name as Tylea and gives her age as fifty-eight. Her correct name, maiden surname, and marriage details require verification.
Children: Wood identified three children, including seventeen-year-old twins and a ten-year-old daughter. The transcribed names Asahel Hull, Patience Job, and Ronna Augusta require examination of the original handwriting.
Primus Hall relationship: A pension-file notation appears to associate Hall with Wood as a son. This is not sufficient to establish a family relationship, especially given Hall’s separate role as a witness who described knowing Wood in 1781.
Death: The available pension transcription contains references to November 1820 and December 27, 1822. The original records must be reviewed to determine the correct interpretation.
Burial: No verified burial location has been established.
Portrait: The accompanying image is an AI-generated historical interpretation of a Revolutionary War soldier. It is not an authenticated likeness of Asahel Wood, whose actual appearance is unknown.
Further research: Important priorities include contemporary Massachusetts muster rolls, the original 1820 household declaration, Hardwick town records, records concerning Black residents of Worcester County, and documents establishing the later lives of Wood’s wife and children.
Genealogical Research Note
Asahel Wood’s pension file provides unusually detailed evidence of his Revolutionary War service and household circumstances. Nevertheless, several names and dates remain uncertain because the available working transcription contains difficult readings and conflicting statements.
The Yost Post distinguishes between firsthand declarations, supporting testimony, later interpretations, and unresolved genealogical questions. Readers researching Wood’s ancestry or descendants should consult the original pension images before incorporating uncertain relationships into a family tree.