The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-08-13
GEN. WOODS
CAREER
started Five Years Ago
As Army Surgeon.
COLONEL OF THE ROUGH RIDERS
Many Believe That His Rapid Ad-
vancement Is Due to Favorit.
ism-RooseveIt's Friend.
COLONEL OF THE ROUGH RIDERS

Major General Leonard Wood is
two years the Junior of President
Roosevelt and was born in 1860. He
will be 43 years old in October, in
which month the presidentwas born.
He was under 40 when he performed
in Cuba the services which have
brought him conspicuous promotion
in the army, and was 26 and q when
he distinguished himself on the
plains under Lawton in the campaign
against Geronimo.
His position is absolutely unique in
the history of the American regular
army. A ntajOr-general, he is not a
graduate Of West Point, nor has he
ever had any military training, what
ever, and what little active service
ne has seen was against savages on
the plains, and during the short war
with Spain. Educated as a physician,
he entered the army as contract
surgeon in 1886. In 1891 he was pro-
noted to be captain and assistant
surgeon, on account of honOrs won
III Tie AI1dClS
Referring to Woods record in these
campaigns, General orders Of the
army No SO, April 9, 1891, says that
he was commended for gallant and
hazardous service. courage and ener-
gy, encouraging the command under
the most trying circumstances, ana
for untiring efforts in the campaign
against the hostile Apache Indians
N Sonora, Mexico, during the greater
part of which he commanded a de-
tachment of infantry"
Medal of Honor.
The services enumerated above
had nothing whatever to do with med
cine During the Geronimo cam
paign he was in active command of
troops, and acquitted himself so we'll
under fire, in the face of a savage
enemy, that he was awarded medal
Of honor the badge which is most
highly priced by the American sold
ier,, whether officer or in the ranks.
After the Geronimo uprising han
been turned down he returned to his
pill boxes and served in his place as
surgeon from 1887 to 1889 in Arizona;
from 1859 to 1893 at the Preside in
San Francisco; from 1898 to 1895 at
Fort Mcpherson and in this city from
1895 to 1898
Then came his opportunity War
with Spain was declared, and imme- |
diately Wood. assisted by President |
Roosevelt, organized the famous reg
iment of Rough Riders and was made |
it's colonel That Wood was able toI
get together a regiment of this char
acter is sufficient evidence of his hold
on the people Of the southwest, and1
an eloquent Endorsement Of the medal
of honor and of the gallantry of the
called it forth He was commission
ed as colonel May s, 1898, and onI
July of the same year, on account
of his brilliant executive ability,
which had been demonstrated during
the Indian campaigns, he was pro-
noted to be brigadier- general Of vol
unteerS, commanding the second brl-
gade, Fifth Army Corps, in the Cuban
campaign Roosevelt succeeded him
as colonel OF the Rough Riders.
Short as the Spanish war was,
Wood saw a great deal Of fighting.
He commanded his brigade in the bat
| ties of Las Guasimas and San Juan,
and carried himself in way that
won the admiration of the entire
army. Roosevelt was in these bat
ties, and had splendid opportunity to
| judge whether the young brlgadler
| was made of fighting stuff or not.
Governor of Santiago.
Upon the surrender of the Spanish
| forces at Santiago in July, 1898,
Wood was appointed military COVER
| nor of that city, and on October T.,
1898, he was assigned to the COM
mand of the Department of Santiago,
being also civil goveror of the prov
ince of Santiago. On July 1, 1899,
the department of Puerto Principe
was consolidated with his depart
ment, and known as the department
Of Santiago and Puerta Principe. Hel
commanded that department until
December, 1899.
On the Goth of that month he was
appointed military governor of the
Island of Cuba, and in command of
the United States troops stationed
therein which duties he DISCHARGED