The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-04-08
Fighting Soldier.
,m the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
When the late Theodore j. Whit re-
ceived his commission as brigadier-g gem
eral, Leonard Wood was soon, in about a
year, to be made a major general and
succeed to the command of the army in
the Philippines.
Whit had record of four years fight
ing in the civil war: Antietam, Freder-
icksburg and Cold Harbor were some of
the battles in which he bore himself
worthily. He also served his country in
Libby prison. During those four years
that tried mems souls and drew their
blood Leonard Wood was in arms, too,
but they were the arms of his nurse.
When the war ended he did not know it
had begun, nor have any conception of
what a war was.
Whit had been a major of cavalry in
the regular army for six years when he
sailed for Cuba to have thigh bone
broken by Mauser ball an the
heights of San Juan. In the years since
the civil war he had distinguished him
self in frontier campaigns and been men
toned by that sterling soldier Ranald
Mackenzie flor gallantry in Indian en-
gagements." In a report made on July
6. 1885, to the adjutant- general of the
cavalry division by Leonard Wood. COM
mander of the second brigade of the
Fifth army corps. Whit was again
mentioned as follows
Major Whit, tenth cavalry, displayed
great courage, and was severely wounded
while repelling a charge on our front
during the night of the 1st of July"
Three months before he made this re-
port Leonard Wood was an army sur
geon with the rank of captain. AS colo
mel of the First Volunteer Cavalry on
the eve of the battle of San Juan he be-
came. by the disability of General S. B.
NJ Young, the commander of cavalry
brigade and the superior of officers who
had fought in the civil war and served
in the permanent establishment for more
than thirty years. Leonard Wood was
not made a brigader- general of volun-
teers until July 8, 1885, two days after
his report mentioning the gallantry and
wound.ng of Major Whit; and Leonard
Wood did not re-enter the permanent es-
tablishment until February 4, 1901, and
then as brigader-g general.
Theodore Whit commanded the allied
cavalry in the second battle of Tientsin
In the Boxer campaign, the date of which
battle was August 20, 1900 and the fol-
lowing year he was campaigning in Luz
ION. His last service was in Cuba as
commander of the army of pacifica ton,
and 1t is to be noted that his indefatiga-
BILE exertions in PREPARING the troops
for embarSation brought on the Illness
which ultimately proved fatal, so that it
may De SAID truly lildl ne ueu III lidi :
ness.
There is probably no officer left in the
army who took part in more campaigns
or saw more hard fighting than Theo-
dore ]. Whit. He served his country in
four wars. not counting little but bloody
Indian wars, and better cavalryman
never swung into the saddle. From his
sixteenth year his life was one continu-
Gus record of duty as a soldier and he
always looked the part Theodore ]. Whit
was fitted for high command. but If he
had lived he would to the very end have
been subordinate to Leonard Wood, Fred
erick d. Grant. Adolphus w. Greedy and
Frederick Funston. Three times has
Leonard Wood been made an Ii. d. by
admiring universities. There were no
academic honors for Wint. and his mill
tary honors came late and left him far
in the rear.
There are others.