He was born in El Seibo, on May 5 , 1856. Son of Carlos Woss and María Linares, he spent his childhood in Santiago in the care of his uncle-in-law, General Evangelista Gil, who adopted him, giving him his last name. He was educated at the San Luis Gonzaga School in the city of Santo Domingo directed by the priest Francisco Xavier Billini. In his youth he began political activity with President Cesáreo Guillermo, of whom he was secretary. During the course of the revolutionary campaign against Buenaventura Báez in 1877 and two years later, defending the Government, he was promoted to general.

He accompanied Ulises Heureaux in the battle of Cabao against Guillermo in 1881. Heureaux was elected president of the Republic on September 1, 1882, and he held the portfolio of War and Navy. In 1884 he was a candidate for Vice President on the ticket of Francisco Gregorio Billini, which emerged as the winner thanks to the fraud committed by Heureaux. Due to the growing political and military power of Heureaux, the blue party attacked the Government of Billini, who called Cesáreo Guillermo, exiled in Saint Thomas, to his aid. Gregorio Luperón threatened to rise up against him and as a result, Billini resigned on May 16, 1885, transferring his mandate to Woss and Gil. After the presidential term, Heureaux faced Casimiro Nemesio de Moya in the 1886 elections. The men of Woss and Gil, who was a staunch supporter of who had elevated him politically, viciously persecuted De Moya's supporters, preventing them from voting in several towns. Heureaux resorted to fraud again and De Moya, against his wishes, joined the rebellion of General Benito Monción. Heureaux bribed several of the insurgent generals and De Moya had to go into exile with his family.

During the long years of the Heureaux Government, his faithful friend and ally Woss y Gil always remained at his side, carrying out various ministries. In 1896 he moved to Washington as chargé d'affaires of the Republic, where he lived until Heureaux's death three years later. After Heureaux's death, Horacio Vásquez occupied the Provisional Government, who handed it over to Juan Isidro Jimenes on November 15, 1899 after winning the elections as the sole candidate. He took Vásquez as his running mate. But Heureaux's followers, who had not resigned themselves to being separated from power, began to intrigue to separate them. Believing that his life was in danger, Vásquez rose up against the President, who left the country on April 26, 1902 . Once again Heureaux's supporters began to plot, this time against Vásquez. Many of them, who were imprisoned in the Ozama Fortress, taking advantage of the fact that Vásquez was in Cibao with his main ministers, attacked the building on May 23, 1903 and carried out a coup d'état, electing Woss and Gil as their leader. who arranged the defense of the square upon learning that Vásquez was marching with his troops towards the capital to recover it. The fight lasted several weeks, until Vásquez, unable to surrender the position, withdrew from it and resigned from the Presidency on April 23, 1904 .

In the elections called for June 20 , Woss y Gil ran as a candidate. Since there was no one to oppose him, he took office on August 1. Three months later, a revolution led by the Jiménista Carlos F. Morales Languasco broke out in Puerto Plata. The pretext used was that Woss y Gil had not fulfilled the promises made to Jimenes and aspired to become dictator. With the support of the Horacistas, Morales managed to break the Government's resistance in the combats that occurred in November and on the 24th of that month Woss y Gil left the country. His exile lasted several years, after which he returned to the country, performing different functions in the judiciary because he knew something about the law. Woss y Gil was a reader of all foreign literary novelties, a pleasant conversationalist and an inexhaustible source of anecdotes.

Characteristics of his government His government stood out for confronting its political enemies, for which he placed General Heureaux (Lilís) at the head of his military forces, who led former president Cesáreo Guillermo to death , who committed suicide in the face of Lilís's persecution. During the government of Woss and Gil, the match and candle factory was established and trade treaties were concluded with other countries. President Woss y Gil laid the foundations for the rise and establishment of the dictatorship of General Ulises Heureaux. He ended his mandate on January 6, 1887, giving way to the second government of Heureaux.

He died on November 28, 1932.

• Biography at the Enciclopedia Virtual Dominicana