OBITUARY

Southland Times, Issue 18746, 4 December 1919, Page 5

OBITUARY

SIR EVELYN WOOD. FAMOUS SOLDIER DIES. (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, December 2. Field-Marshal Sir Evelyn Wood is dead, aged 81 years. MIDSHIPMAN TO FIELD MARSHAL. Field Marshal Wood was the youngest son of the Rev. Sir John Page Wood and [ the youngest daughter of Captain Sampson, I R.N., and an admiral in the Portuguese [Navy. ■ He was born in 1838 and entered the Navy in 1852. He served with distincj tion as aide de camp to Sir William Peel, who commanded the Naval Brigade in the Crimea, At the unsuccessful assault on [ (he Redan, while carrying one of the scaling ladders, the young Wood was severely wounded. He was mentioned in Lord Raglan’s despatches ami was made a Knight of hhe Legion of Honour. He next entered I the army as- cornet 13th Light Dragoons; was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in 1856; captain in 17th Lancers in 1861; and major in 1862. In the Indian campaign of 1858 he served as a brigade-major, and was present at the actions of Rajghur, Sindwaho, Kharee, and Baroda, and was twice mentioned in despatches. In 1859 and 1860 he commanded the Ist Regiment of Beatson’s Irregular Horse,, and received the thanks of the Indian Government for his pursuit.of the rebels in the Seronge jungle; he also won the Victoria Cross for valour. He raised the 2nd Regiment of Central India Horse. In Sept., 1873, being a lieu-tenant-colonel 90th Infantry, he accompanied Major-General Sir Garnet Wolseley to the Ashantce War, and organised a native force, which he commanded, with other troops, in the affairs of Essaman, and on the road from Mansu to the River Prah, following the retreat of the Ashantee army from the coast. Lieutenant-Colonel Wood afterwards commanded the right wing of the army in the battles of Amoaful (wounded) and Ordahsu and the capture of Coomassic. For these services he was several times mentioned in despatches, was nominated a C.B. (1874), and promoted to the brevet rank of colonel. Having distinguished himself in both the naval and the military services of the country, he joined the Hon. Society of the Middle Temple in April, 1870, and was called to the Bar in 1874, shortly after his return from the Ashantee War. He served throughout the Zulu War of 1879 in command of No. 4 column. As political agent he raised a contingent of 1000 friendly Zulus, known as “Wood’s Irregulars.” Two days after the British reverse at Isandlwana he surprised and defeated a force of several thousands of the enemy, and then maintained an advanced position in the enemy’s country, for which he was specially commended by the High Commissioner. He defeated the Zulus in the action of Kambula on March 29, and in April was made brigadier-general. He led the advance to Uiundi with a flying column, and w r as present in the engagement there on July 4. On his return to England he was received by the Queen in person, and was created a K.C.B. On Nov. 1, 1879, the Bar of England entertained him at a banquet in the hall of the Middle Temple; he was given a sword of honour by the county of Essex. He served in the Transvaal War of 1880-81, with the local rank of major-general and was one of her Majesty's Commissioners for settling the Transvaal territory in April, 1881. He was created G.C.M.G. and was re-appointed to command the troops in the Chatham district in 1880. He commanded the 2nd brigade, 2nd division, in the expedition to Egypt in 1882, and for his distinguished services received the thanks of Parliament. In Dec., 1882, he was appointed Comman-der-in-Chief of the Egyptian Army, ranking as Sirdar. He commanded the line of communications in the Nile Expedition, 1884-5, and received the Grand Cordon of the Medjidieh, Khedive’s Star, and Medals. He commanded the Eastern district from 'April 1, 1886, to Dec., 1889, and the Aldershot District from Jan. 1, 1889, till Oct. 8, 1893. He received the Grand Cross of the Bath in 1891. He was Quartermaster-General to the forces from 1893 to 1897 and then became Adjutant-General, a post he held until 1901, when he was given command of an Army Corps district. He retired in 1905 with the rank of Field Marshal. He had been Constable of the Tower since 1911. He published several works on military campaigns and also an interesting autobiography. Sir Evelyn Wood, in 1867, married the sister of Viscount Southwell. She died in 1891. AMERICAN STEEL MAGNATE DEAD. NEW YORK, December 2. The death of Henry Frick, the steel king and associate of Carnegie, from ptomaine poisoning, is announced.