Benjamin Shipley Woods was born at Tyngsboro, MA., May 28, 1845. He is the son of Solomon and Lucy (Shipley) Woods. He was educated in the common schools of Nashua, Amherst, Merrimack and Lyndeborough, in each of which places his parents resided during his childhood.

At seventeen, on August 20, 1862, he enlisted in Company D, Eighth Regiment. New Hampshire Volunteers, and served for the next four years of the war. He was with the regiment at the capture of New Orleans, at the siege of Port Hudson, and in the Red River campaign, and, in fact, participated in all the battles of the Army of the Gulf. Woods was discharged on June 6, 1865, in Natchez, MS

The Eighth Regiment, NH Volunteers, also known as the First NH Cavalry from December 16, 1863, to February 29, 1864, and as Second NH Cavalry from March 1 to July 25, 1864, played a significant role in the Civil War. The regiment was organized at Manchester, NH, and mustered on December 23, 1861. It was attached to various military expeditions and campaigns, including the Butler Expedition to Ship Island, the New Orleans Expedition, and the Bayou Teche Campaign. The regiment’s service was documented in various historical records and books, providing insights into its operations and contributions during the war. (Source: Wikipedia)

Following the war, Woods settled in Nashua and became engaged in the grocery trade. An old city directory lists a Benjamin S. Woods grocery on 15 Chestnut St. at the corner of Chestnut and West Pearl St. This corner no longer exists. This plot of land is now part of the traffic circle created during the urban renewal project in the early 1970’s. 

Woods represented Ward Eight in the common council in 1891 and 1892, and in the legislature of 1893 and 1894. He is a member of the John G. Foster post, G. A. R., and has held every office, including that of commander. Woods was president of the Eighth Regiment. New Hampshire Veteran Association for six years, is a member of the United Order of the Golden Cross, and the Baptist church. 

Mr. Woods was united in marriage Nov. 17, 1865, with Jennie F. Mclntire, daughter of Jonathan and Louisa (Marshall) Mclntire of Lyndeboro, N. H. Mrs. Woods died at Houston, Tex., while on her way to California in search of health, Dec. 26, 1894. Two sons were born of this marriage: Ernest Stanley, Arthur Roy, born April 9, 1881.

Benjamin Shipley Woods passed away on June 22, 1902, and is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Nashua, NH.

Source: History of the City of Nashua, N,H from the Earliest Settlement of Old Dunstable to the Year 1895 by Judge Edward E. Parker / Published by Telegraph Publishing Company 1897

Edited for brevity and clarity and submitted by Gary Ledoux|
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US Service Personnel Profiles
By Gary Ledoux February 16, 2026