Henry Evelyn Wood was born the youngest son of the Reverend Sir John Page Wood, second baronet, rector of St. Peter's, Cornhill, London and vicar of Cressing, Essex by his wife Caroline. He was born on February 9, 1838 at Cressing. He was sent to Marlborough College and entered the royal navy as a Midshipman in 1852. He was in the Queen in the Black Sea during the Crimean War. In that war he served ashore with the naval brigade and took part in the Battle of Inkermann, was in the trenches of Sebastopol and was wounded in the assault on the Redan on June 18, 1855 while acting as aide-de-camp to Captain peel, commander of the brigade.

He found service ashore more to his taste and applied for a transfer to the army and was commissioned as Cornet in the 13^th Light Dragoons. During the Crimean War he was twice mentioned in dispatches and on its conclusion received the medal with two clasps, became a knight of the legion of honor and a member of the 5^th class of the Medjide and obtained the Turkish medal at the age of seventeen.

India

In 1857, Wood transferred to the 7^th Lancers and in the following year wet to India with his regiment to take part in the suppression of the Indian Mutiny. From May 1858 until October 1860 he was employed in the operations in central India, chiefly with a regiment of native cavalry which he raised and commanded. He was mentioned in dispatches for great gallantry in the action of Sindwaha on October 19, 1858 and received the Victoria Cross for routing a party of eighty rebels with only ten men at Sindhara on December 29, 1859.

He was promoted to Captain in April 1861 and after some delay, made brevet Major on August 1862 for his services during the Mutiny. In 1862 he passed the entrance examination for the Staff College but as another officer of the 17^th Lancers passed above him he had to wait, as only one officer from one cavalry regiment could be admitted at a time. He transferred to the 73^rd Regiment Foot in October 1862 and passed out of the Staff College in 1864 and obtained a succession of Staff appointments.

He married the Hon. Mary Paulina Anne Southwell, a sister of the 4^th Viscount Southwell and they had three sons and three daughters from the marriage.

The Infantry

In 1871, Wood purchased a Major's commission in the 90^th Light Infantry and was one of the last officers to gain promotion this way. In January 1873 he was promoted brevet Lieutenant Colonel in consequence of his seniority as a brevet Major. A few months later he was recruited for an expedition against the King of Asanti commanded by Sir Garnet Wolseley. Wolseley recruited him as special service officer and Wood raised and commanded a regiment of native levies. At Amorafel in January 1874 the he commanded the right attack and was slightly wounded. He was also present at the capture of the Ashanti capital, Kumassi. On the conclusion of then campaign he received the CB and was promoted brevet Colonel. After three years on the staff at Aldershot he went to South Africa in 1878 with his regiment.

South Africa

At the time that Wood arrived in South Africa conflicting interests of the Briton, Boer and the native had caused unrest throughout South Africa. Wood went out with Lieutenant General Chelmsford and their first task was to suppress a rising of the Gaikas in the north-west of Cape Colony. In this campaign, Wood commanded a column with ability and resolution. Almost immediately after this was dealt with, the Zulus rose and in the Zulu War escaped the disaster of Isandhlwana.

He occupied the Kambula mountain and sallied out to attack the Zulus in Inhlobana on March 28^th and after defeating them returned to Jambula where he beat off a determined Zulu attack. This gave Lord Chelmsford time to reorganize and receive reinforcements and a fresh invasion of Zululand in resulted in the total defeat of the Zulu army at Ulundi on July 4, 1879. During this campaign the Prince Imperial was killed while on a reconnaissance. Wood conducted the Empress Eugenie to Zululand in 1880 to see the place where her son had been killed and forged a friendship which lasted until Wood's death. For his service sin the Zulu War, Wood was mentioned in dispatches many times and created KCB in 1879.

He held command at Chatham for a short while, before he was sent to Natal in early 1881. The Boers were resentful of the annexation of Transvaal in 1877 and revolted. Wood served as Colley's second-in-command for the war but he was not present when Colley was killed and a portion of his force drive from Majuba Hill on February 27, 1881. Wood had to retrieve the situation and wood was directed to open Negotiations with the Boers. He came to terms with the Boer son on March 21, 1881 and was appointed one of the royal commissioners for the Settlements of the Transvaal. On the conclusion of the work of the Royal Commission and left for good and resumed command at Chatham in February 1882. He was promoted Major General and created GCMC for his work in the Transvaal.

Egypt

During his command at Chatham, William Robert Robertson served as a Lance Corporal in the 8^th Dragoons. In August 1882, on the outbreak of Arabi pasha's Rebellion in Egypt Wood went out with Wolseley in command of the 4^th Brigade and had the dull but anxious task of keeping the Egyptian forces around Alexandria occupied. Wolsely with the main body went down the Suez Canal to Ismailia and Tel-el-Kebir. In December 1882, Wood was appointed first British sirdar of the Egyptian Army which had been disbanded after the rebellion and it was his task to recreate. He did this in a remarkably short space of time. The greater part of the force which Kitchener used at Omderman was organized on the lines designed by Wood. When General Gordon was besieged at Kartoum, Wolsely came out to attempt the relief of Gordon and Wood was appointed to command the long line of communications.

On the conclusion of the Nile Campaign, Wood came home and was appointed to the Eastern Command in April 1886 headquartered at Colchester and later to Aldershot in January 1889. He was busy at Alderhsot giving practical application to Wolseley's plans for modernizing the army. He did much to improve the conditions of a soldiers life. In 1891 he was promoted to Lieutenant General and created GCB. In 1893 he went to the War Office as quarter-master general and reorganized the system of transporting troops. He abolished old transport and entered into contracts with great shipping companies. Adding greatly to the comfort of troops as they traveled. Contracts with the railway companies were also created. In October 1897 he became Adjutant General to the forces and was responsible for the mobilization on the outbreak of the 2^nd Boer War.

In October 1901 he was appointed to command the Second Army Corps based at Salisbury and organized that command, this was Wood's last active command. he had been promoted to General in 1895 and in 1903 was created Field Marshal.

Beyond the Service

Outside of the Army, Wood was a keen and bold rider to hounds and he hunted almost until he died. He became prime warden of the Fishmongers' Company in 1893. He contributed to military magazines regularly and published a variety of books. He died at Harlow in Essex on December 2, 1919.