Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-01-13
GENERAL WOOD.

The perverse and pusilanimous edi.
tor of the Butte Miner is still indulg.
ing in a long range bark at General
Wood. 1t Is only an evidence of the
poverty of the Democratic press for
an issue. They will take a mole hill
and labor assiduously to build a
mountain out of it. In selecting a base
for an argument, or rather an assault.
truth has but slight consideration. In
his latest attack on Wood the editor
Of the Miner appears to be sore be,
cause not of the charges PREFER.
cd against General Wood while gov
crnor-general of Cuba had any merit
and have therefore fallen to pieces
OF their own weight, being the testi-
mony largely of rascally and purjured
witnesses. This having failed there
IS nothing left to fall back on but
The generals military record. But we
have some testimony on this point.
First, we will have the opinion Of the
lin soldier of the Miner. He says:
The confirmation of Doctor Wood
will greatly discredit the military arm
Of the government in the estimation
OF the American people. a condition
that will be imputed to the presidents
abnormal anxiety to push a cheap
~pilLvendor to the front W. the heads
Of hundreds OF veterans whose char.
acter and courage and eminent fitness
Tor advancement could not be ques.
toned"
Now let us hear from some real SOL
diers. Here are the words of General
Miles regarding Wood:
This officer served in the field UNI
der my command for several months
during the terrible campaign against
the Apache Indians under Geronimo.
he is n Of the most enterprising, in
telligent and fearless officers in the
service and competent to fill the du.
ties of a field officer"
Explaining this, another writes:
"A field officer. It might be explain
ed for the benefit of the critics, Is an
officer above the rank of captain.
Had Wood been made a field officer
as a reward for his services In the
Geronimo campaign, and as suggested
by Miles, before this he would have
had. in the ordinary COURSE of events.
fully as much rank as II Is now pro-
posed to give him. Men who were
two grades beneath him then are now
brigadier generals, notable among
them J.. Franklin Bell, who was only
a first lieutenant when the war with
Spain broke out, and against whose
promotion to the grade OF brigadier
general no protest was made. A num-
Der OF officers who, during the Geron.
imo campaign, held equal rank with
Wood. are now ~brigadiers, and some
OF them have been promoted to be
major generals. The hero Lawton.
for instance, afterward major gener.
al, was not a field officer during that
campaign, being only a captain"
What did the brave General Law.
ton, who lost his life fighting his
country's battles in the Philippines,
say of Wood. Here is what he wrote:
When through exposure and ia.
tigue the infantry battalion lost its
last officer in the pursuit of Geroni.
mo, Captain Wood volunteered to com
mand It in addition to his duties as
surgeon. In this duty Captain Wood
distinguished himself most. His cour-
age, endurance and example made
success possible. | served through the
war OF the rebellion and In many bat.
ties but In no instance do I remember
such devotion to duty or such an ex.
ample Of courage and perseverance.
II was mainly due to Captain Woods
loyalty and resolution that the expe.
dition was successful"
Certainly such testimony should out.
weigh the mere statements OF a reck'
less scribbler who Is so devoid of de.
cency as to refer to an eminent citi.
zen and officer OF the government as
a cheap pill vendor"