Eleazer D. Wood

Eleazer Derby Wood (December 1783 – September 17, 1814) was an American Army officer in the War of 1812.

Wood was born in Lunenburg, Massachusetts. He was admitted to United States Military Academy at West Point on May 17, 1805 and graduated on October 30, 1806.

After graduation he served as assistant Engineer in the construction of the defenses at Governor's Island in New York harbor, 1807. In February 1808 he was promoted to First Lieutenant. He assisted in the construction of Castle Williams in New York Harbor and Fort Norfolk in Virginia.

During the War of 1812 Wood was promoted to Captain conducted the defence of Fort Meigs during its siege, was engaged in the sortie of May 5, 1813, and was in command of the artillery at the battle of the Thames on October 5. He was appointed acting adjutant-general to General William Henry Harrison in October 1813 and was transferred to the northern army in 1814. Wood was engaged in all the battles of that northern campaign, including the capture of Fort Erie on July 3. Wood was also in the battles of Chippawa and Niagara Falls, and was brevetted Lieutenant Colonel for bravery at the last-named action. After the battle of Niagara the American army fell back to Fort Erie where Colonel Wood, then in command of the 21st Infantry Regiment, participated in the defense the fort on August 15, 1814. Colonel Wood was killed in a sortie from Fort Erie on September 17, 1814.

Wood was greatly admired by the Army's commanding general Jacob Brown who commissioned a monument in his honor at West Point and also had Fort Wood on Bedloe's Island in New York Harbor on which the Statue of Liberty was built. Wood's Monument at West Point is dedicated in his honor. He is also the namesake of Wood County, Ohio