The Tragedy of Joseph Smith Wood

I was recently researching the Wood family from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.  This sad tale of woe starts with Joseph Smith Wood, born 1783 in PEI.  Apparently the Wood family were shipbuilders of some sort because they built The Sally, a schooner.  Here is a short description of the vessel: " it was the "Sally", built by the Wood family in Pownal Bay, in 1817, registration number 1817033. She had a single deck, 2 masts, and was classed a Schooner. She was 50 feet long, 21 ft. wide, and 10 ft. deep, with a gross tonnage of 100 tons. She was first registered in 1817, and registration was officially closed in early 1818, reason for closure: lost at sea."

The following is an article from the Prince Edward Island Gazette, Jan 19, 1818.  It is long, but it is interesting. 

"Melancholy Occurrence - It is with extreme regret, that we have to detail the melancholy circumstances which attended the wreck of the Schooner Sally, belonging to Messrs. Woods of Lot 49. --- The loss of the vessel, &c, (very considerable to the industrious owners) is but a faint consideration when put in competition with the loss of lives, and the distress and injuries consequently brought upon the survivors --- and which cannot but remain for some time a serious check to the temerity of the adventurous and enterprising when employed in the very difficult navigation of the seas surrounding this Island, always to be met with at such advanced periods of the seasons.

The Schooner Sally, about one hundred Tons burthen, took in her cargo of lumber at Crappo, intended for the port of Plymouth. The ice having made early in the season at Crappo, the vessel was forced to put to sea and from thence endeavoured to make Charlotte-Town harbour to take in provisions, crew, &c. But when within a few leagues of the latter place she was obstructed by a large field of ice which prevented her entrance into it, where she was distinctly discerned from the Town, driving about in different directions as impelled by the winds and tides. For several days she remained in that perilous situation with a scanty allowance of Provisions, and the owners with others on board; and the great quantity of half made ice in the river precluded every prospect of affording them any assistance. Upon the 3d inst. Mr. John LePage, who had chartered the schooner, taking advantage of a mild day, and anxious to afford every assistance to the persons on board, and to expedite the voyage of the vessel, assembled a crew of six persons together with himself, and proceeded down the river in a boat with provisions, saws, and other necessary utensils for cutting the ice. The persons who accompanied him were Ensign Smith, late of the New Brunswick Fencibles, James Foster, carrier of the Mails, James Pollard, Joseph Wood, J. Chillingworth, and John M'Aulay. About 3 o'clock, upon the same day they left the town, they reached the vessel, and after an ineffectual attempt to cut her out, they retired to the cabin. The wind shifted during the succeeding night to the S. E. and the ice drifted the vessel upon an extensive shoal laying to the east end of St. Peters Island, about ten miles from the town. Upon the following day (Sunday) the Wind shifted to the N. W. and blew a severe gale with some snow, which continued with increased violence during the following night, when the ice driving against the vessel with extreme violence carried away the rudder and stern post, and the water rushing in with great rapidity, the persons below amounting to twelve in number, after much exertion ascended to the deck, and the ice leaving the vessel upon the shoal, exposed them to one of the most inclement ever witnessed. The sea which dashed over them in constant succession, froze on their cloths, so that they became covered with ice. Previous to the great field leaving the vessel it threw her up on her beam ends, when with difficulty they cut away the masts. The provisions and spirits, which had been taken on board the previous day were totally washed out of the cabin through the stern. In this melancholy dilemma, Mr. Wm. Wood, jun. was dashed against the railing and fractured two of his ribs : in an attitude of insensibility he was considered dead, but to the surprise of his unhappy companions, he recovered and made every exertion to rally their druping spirits. During these awful and impending moments Foster and Chillingsworth gave themselves up to fatigue, cold and despair. A short time before day-light an effort was made to gain the shore, in the boat, but after repeated struggles, was relinquished, when the two last mentioned persons perished in the boat. --- Some time after day light the survivors resolved to make another effort to regain the shore, which they were successful in reaching near the Block House, but so much frozen in their hands and feet, and exhausted, that out of ten only four were enabled to assist the remaining six out of the Boat. Just before the Boat reached shore Joseph Wood expired, and his brother John directly after he was carried to the land. At the time of their landing the fatigue and severe cold had deprived them of the almost entire use of their limbs and senses. The least injured with the assistance of the party of soldiers at the Block House, conducted the almost lifeless bodies of the survivors to the nearest places of succour, where every means to be acquired were offered to their assistance. A scene of deeper distress than was exhibited among these unfortunate men, can scarcely be conceived but never adequately depicted. Out of the whole number, four died before sufficient relief could be afforded and two of them in the last moments of safety. The remainder were much injured by the frost, particularly in their hands and feet; but it is with much satisfaction we are enabled to announce that they are all doing well and likely to recover without any farther loss than some of the toes and fingers.

John Foster and Joseph Wood, have both left families in this town to lament the loss of active and industrious husbands and provident fathers, and from their obliging dispositions and general usefulness must long be regretted by their friends and the community in general."

This is what a two-masted Schooner looks like today-not necessarily in 1818.


So, regretfully, my ancestor Joseph Smith Wood, and his brother John, both died in this accident.  Joseph was 35 years old and left behind a wife and 8 living children, ranging from age 14 years to 4 months old.  My specific ancestor, Joseph Charles Wood, was the 4 month old.