Veteran Bio

On page 11 of the San Jacinto rolls printed in 1836 the surname WOODS minus initials or given name is shown as a member of Captain Amasa Turner's Company of Regulars. At the promotion of Captain Turner to Lieutenant Colonel, the men of his company were transferred to Company A, First Regiment of Regular Infantry, commanded by Captain John Smith. On page 171 of the army rolls in the General Land Office Samuel Woods is listed as a member of Captain Smith's Company, December 31, 1836 and is shown as having enlisted in the army February 13, 1836 for a period of two years. He is shown as having been promoted to Corporal May 10 and as having resigned his non-commissioned office August 10th. On page 181 he is shown as a member of Captain Smith's Company, then stationed on Galveston Island, February 28, 1837, but at that time "on command to the main army".<

Bounty Certificate No. 747 for 1280 acres of land was issued in the name of Samuel Woods, December 6, 1837 due him for having served in the army from February 13, 1836 to December 2, 1837. In Headright Certificate No. 169 for one-third of a league of land issued in Mr. Wood's name in 1838 by the Board of Land Commissioners for Harrisburg County it is stated that he came to Texas in January, 1836. He was recruited for the Army of Texas in New Orleans by Captain Amasa Turner and arrived at Velasco on the schooner Pennsylvania, January 28, 1836. The elections returns in the Archives of the Texas State Library show that SAMUEL WOODS voted February 1, 1836 at Velasco for delegates to be sent to the Constitutional Convention to be held at Washington, Texas beginning March 1.

Mr. Woods probably left Texas shortly after receiving his discharge from the army since he did not apply for his Donation Certificate for land for having participated in the Battle of San Jacinto. Donation certificates were at that time non-transferable.

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