"The following is a copy of the letter from the Pension Office previously referred to: OFFICE OF THE COMMISIONER DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF PENSIONS WASHINGTON March 13, 1906 Hon. R.D. Cole House of Representatives Washington D.C. My dear Mr. Cole: In response to your letter dated March 10, 1906, and received March 12, 1906, I have the honor to advise you that papers in claim, Widow Files 4105, show that Joseph Woods marched from Bolton, Worcester County, Massachusetts, to the Battle of Lexington, and afterwards enlisted as a private and served 8 months in Captain Benjamin Hastings' Co., Col. Asa Whitcomb's Massachusetts Regiment; reenlisted April 6, 1777, and served three years as a Corporal in Col. Timothy Bigelow's 15th Massachusetts Regiment; he was in the battles of Bunker Hill and Saratoga. He died October 12, 180(?6?), and was buried at Sudbury, Rutland County, Vermont. He married Keziah Goddard of Marlborough, April 4, 1782. Her claim was allowed on an application executed May 4, 1839, at which date she was seventy-eight ars of age and a resident of Saybrook, Ashtabula County, Ohio. Very respectfully (signed) J.L. Davenport 1st Deputy Commisioner' Mr. Cole was our Representative in Congress at the date of my letter and it was through Mr. Benton of this city, his secretary, that my inquiry was made. Our ancestor was, no doubt, of English descent, as 'Woods' is an English name. He must have lived in Bolton in 1775 for the Minute Men marched directly from their homes to Lexington. I found in the State Library at Columbus, a work entitled GENEALOGY OF NEW ENGLAND FAMILIES and, in it, a genealogy of the Woods Family, down to a period a few years later than 1700. It seems the family was a numerous one and I have no doubt our ancstor was a later member of it. Joseph and Keziah (Goddard) Woods had a family of children, how many is not known. We do know of three daughters and one son, Edmund W. Woods, who lived in South Reading, Vermont, in 1850. Their first daughter was named Keziah, for her mother, and she was born May 25, 1786. She married Moses Wiswell. Another daughter, whose name was Sarah, married Luther Landford. I have not been able to learn m ore of their family, except that there was probably another daughter with whom 'Granny Woods' lived at one time, who resided in Ashtabula County, Ohio. The Federal Census of 1790 shows one sone and three daughters. Our ancestor was not married at the time he went into the War and, I assume, he was a young man at least twenty years old. That would make him 27 when he married. His wife's age is known, she was in her 22nd year when she was married. I think we may safely assume he was not many years older. If he was born about 1755, he was about 55 when he died. He died in Sudbury, Vermont, October 12, 1897 so the letter states and its accuracy cannot be questioned for that is the statement of his widow when she made her application for a pension as such widow. Joseph WOODS Keziah GODDARD Born December 1760 Died October 12, 1807 Died April 17, 1848 Married at Marlborough, Mass., Apr.4, 1782 Children: 1. Edmund W., Lived at South Reading Vermont in 1850 2. Keziah, Born May 25, 1886;died April2, 1841 3. Sarah, Married Luther Landford 4. a Daughter Lived in Ashtabula County, Ohio" Laurie ------------------------------------------------------------------- _ My family coat of arms ties in the back.... ------------------------------------------------------------------- * SURNAMES * ANDERSON - BOWEN - GARDNER - MCCUNE - MCFARLAND - O''NEILL - OSBORNE - REXROAT - SMITH - STENEBERG - THOMPSON - WICKHAM - WILLIS