Marriages In the early 1830s, she married Howard Cooper, possibly in
Bombay, New York but they divorced. About 1835, she joined a sister in Harvard, Illinois where she met and married Gilbert M. Fox, a native of
Ohio. He was of English descent, and a carpenter by trade. In 1839, they started for
Fairfield, Iowa, arriving on the day of the first election in this city, June 27. Mr. Fox purchased a lot and the following year, erected the house in which Mrs. Woods later lived, which was then known as the "big house." He was a first-class mechanic and erected many dwellings for the early settlers, besides assisting in the erection of the first
courthouse. The first house, however, in which they lived was a primitive log dwelling with a stick chimney. Mr. Fox died in 1844. Three years later, she married Parish Ellis, an early settler, and also a mechanic. He died in 1851. In 1857, she wed Joel Woods, a tailor by trade. In 1858, he went to
Colorado and engaged in mining, and so earned the esteem of his fellow miners that he was elected to the
Legislature. While hunting in
Arizona, he was shot and killed by mistake. His remains were buried at
Ft. Whipple.
Civil War Though left alone in the world, Woods found a broad and useful field for her activities. The
Civil War at length commenced and several severe battles were fought. The
Iowa soldiers, sick and wounded, had been sent to the hospital at
Keokuk, Iowa, and realizing how much they needed someone to take the place of a mother, she sacrificed her personal interests and gave her time and best efforts to the work of alleviating the sufferings of Iowa's soldiers, especially those from Jefferson County. Backed by the loyal women at home, she did a work that was remembered by the soldiers and spoken of at their reunions. On April 3, 1862, she took a quantity of sanitary supplies to distribute among the sick and wounded in the hospital at Keokuk, where she remained during the greater part of the summer to care for the afflicted troops. Having received three passes —one from Gen.
Samuel Ryan Curtis, for the department of the Northwest; the second, from Gen.
George Henry Thomas, and the third from the
War Department, she made nine trips, taking cargoes that varied from 10 to 37 tons. In November, 1862, she started with the first supplies to
Springfield, Missouri, but finding it impracticable for her to go farther, she placed her stores in charge of another at
St. Louis and returned. In March 1863, she started with a large cargo for
Missouri and ministered to the
Third Iowa Cavalry, at
Pilot Knob, and the
Fourth Iowa Cavalry, at
Helena, Arkansas. Soon afterward, she made her first trip down the
Mississippi River into the heart of the
Confederacy. Her plan was to travel incognito, letting her business be known only to the proper authorities. When asked where she was going, she would reply: "To see my sons, all of whom are in the army." Though she had no son, she was a mother to many, and the Iowa boys learned to call her by that name. To show how extensive was the field over which she operated, the dates of transportation to a number of the places visited include the following: •
Little Rock, Arkansas, March 14, 1864 •
Chattanooga, Tennessee, May 16, 1864 •
Memphis, Tennessee, November 23, 1864 •
Milliken's Bend, Louisiana, in April, 1865 In the rear of the
Vicksburg campaign, she was twice under fire, but escaped uninjured. Her last trip was made under the auspices of the
United States Sanitary Commission, as a Santiary Commission agent. With 37 ton of supplies, she proceeded to
New Orleans, there to take a boat for
Baraucus Island, off the coast of
Louisiana. A sanitary officer advised her not to venture, saying that she could not reach her destination and that the vessel in which she was going was unsafe. If she would turn over her stores to him, he would see to their proper distribution. Mrs. Woods insisted upon going, whereupon he became irate and said she should not, but she replied that she had a pass from the Government. The officer then went so far as to say that she could not go if she "had a pass from Heaven," but when she showed the document and said no power on earth should keep her from going, the argument was done. Arriving at the island, she found her assistance much needed. Several thousands of disabled soldiers were left there, while the able-bodied went to assist in the capture of
Mobile, Alabama. Mrs. Woods remained a month, and on
Christmas Day, had one of the most enjoyable meals ever served, consisting of the crackers and fresh
butter taken from Iowa and the large fresh
oysters gathered from the ocean. ==Later life==