The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 20, July 1916 - April, 1917 Page: 261

                                
Governor George Thomas Wood

pated in the battle of Horse Shoe Bend. It is said that he met
Sam Houston and Edward Burleson in this campaign, and per-
haps the acquaintance with these pioneer heroes had a great in-
fluence, during later years, in turning his eyes towards Texas.
No doubt the popularity gained by Wood in this campaign against
the Indians assisted in causing Fortune to smile upon him, for in
the mercantile business in Cuthbert he had great success and ac-
quired a nice fortune for that day.
In the spring of 1837 Wood started on an overland trip to the
City of New York for the purpose of buying goods. While on his
way to some convenient point on the Potomac, where he expected
to find a sailboat for part of his journey, he stopped at the town
of Milledgeville, Capital of the State and the county seat of Bald-
win county, Georgia. It was while stopping here that Cupid
found an easy mark in his heart, for here he met a beautiful young
widow, and at once fell a victim to her many charms. She was
the owner of a large plantation and many slaves, and possessed
not only wealth but all the grace and culture of a lady of the Old
South in those Cavalier days. It is said that her estate had
passed to her from a grant originally made by Oglethorpe. Be-
fore leaving for New York, Wood became engaged to this brilliant
and cultured widow, Mrs. Martha Gindrat, and on his return from
New York they were married at Milledgeville by the judge of the
Inferior Court. The following is taken from     certified copy of
marriage license and certificate:
State of Georgia                             Baldwin County
I certify that George T. Wood and Martha Gindrat were joined
in Matrimony by me this 18th day of September, Eighteen Hun-
dred and Thirty Seven.
John G. Polhill, Judge of I. C. B. C.
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Wood made their home at
Cuthbert, but the thrilling story of Texas and her victories in be-
half of liberty had spread over the country, and George T. Wood
heard the call that caused him to look to, the young Republic for
further wealth and adventure. In 1839 he and his wife decided
to come to Texas. After collecting their slaves and other prop-
erty, they embarked at Fort Gaines, Georgia, going down the
Chattahoochee river to Apalachicola Bay, where they chartered the