Zachary Taylor Wood
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Zachary Taylor Wood | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1860 |
| Died | 1915 (aged 54–55) |
| Buried | Cataraqui Cemetery, Kingston, Ontario |
| Allegiance | Canadian |
| Branch | Canadian Militia North West Mounted Police |
| Rank | Lieutenant (Canadian Militia) Commissioner (NWMP) |
| Unit | 90th Winnipeg Battalion of Rifles NWMP |
| Commands | acting Commissioner of the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) and Commissioner of the Yukon Territory of Canada. |
| Battles / wars | North-West Rebellion |
| Awards | CMG |
Zachary Taylor Wood CMG (November 27, 1860 – January 15, 1915[1]) was Assistant Commissioner with the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) and the commissioner of Yukon.
Born in Annapolis Naval Academy in 1860, where his father John Taylor Wood was stationed as a lieutenant in the United States Navy and later served as captain in the Confederate States Navy. Wood's great-grandfather was President of the United States Zachary Taylor.
Wood's family moved first to Halifax after fleeing the United States via Cuba in 1865. His father became a merchant and Wood would later move to Ontario. Wood graduated from Royal Military College of Canada at Kingston, Ontario, in 1882.[2][3][1]
Career
Zachary Taylor Wood served in the Canadian Militia as a Lieutenant with the 90th Winnipeg Battalion of Rifles at the Battle of Batoche during the North-West Rebellion in 1885. He joined the North-West Mounted Police in 1885 as an inspector[1] under the command of Superintendent Sam Steele. He was promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner in 1892[1] and also served as Acting Commissioner.[3] In 1897, he went to the Yukon and became a member of the territorial council in 1900.[1] He was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1913.[1] He retired from the force due to poor health and died in Asheville, North Carolina, in 1915 and buried at Cataraqui Cemetery in Kingston, Ontario.
