Wood's Monument (West Point) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wood's Monument |
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| United States | |
Wood's monument in its current location in the West Point Cemetery
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| For Colonel Eleazer D. Wood | |
| Unveiled | 1818 |
| Location | 41°23′57.55″N 73°57′58.3″W / 41.3993194°N 73.966194°W near |
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To the Memory of Lieut Colonel E. D. Wood of the CORPS OF ENGINEERS who fell while leading a Charge at the sortie of Fort Erie UPPER CANADA 17th September 1814 in the 31st Year of his age.
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Wood's Monument is a tall, pointed stone pillar called an obelisk. It honors Colonel Eleazer D. Wood, a brave engineer officer. He was one of the first students to graduate from West Point. Colonel Wood died during the War of 1812 on September 17, 1814. This happened while he was fighting at the Siege of Fort Erie.
Old pictures of West Point show this monument on a small hill. It was even used to help ships find their way down the Hudson River.
Who Was Eleazer Wood?
Eleazer D. Wood was born in Lunenburg, Massachusetts, in 1783. He became the 17th person to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy in 1806.
Colonel Wood was very well known as a skilled engineer and artillery officer. He built Fort Meigs in Ohio and other important forts. A fort on Bedloe's Island, now called Liberty Island, was named Fort Wood in his honor. This fort was shaped like a star. Also, Wood County, Ohio is named after him.
The Monument's Journey
After the War of 1812 ended, Major General Jacob Brown wanted to honor Colonel Wood. He asked Colonel Sylvanus Thayer, who was in charge of the Military Academy, to build the monument. General Brown even paid for it himself.
The monument is a four-sided obelisk about 15 feet (4.6 meters) tall. It was put up in 1818. At first, it stood in a very noticeable spot near where Trophy Point is today. As West Point grew, the monument was moved. In 1885, it was placed in the West Point Cemetery. There, it stands next to the graves of the Warner sisters, Susan and Anna. Since it was dedicated in 1818, it is the oldest monument at the academy.
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Wood's monument shown in a painting from 1828
