Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-13

his father. a country doctor. who had
fought In the civil war. moved from the
old home-Leonard Woods birthplace-in
New Hampshire. The boy gunned among
the sand dunes. rode bareback over the
beaches sailed his boat over the sapphire
sea and, barring His whole hide to the
elements, breasted the tides and battled
with the breakers. All of this was good
for Scotch-Irish- English blood, which had
come down from Mayfiower and revolu-
tionary stock. Indeed. he was a direct
descendant of Peregrine White, the first
colonial Puritan born on American soil,
and OF Gen. Nixon, who fought at Lex
ington, Bunker Hill and Saratoga. Leon
ard Wood was then a tow-headed, gray
eyed. slender boy. who could enjoy
these diversions only between chores.
But throughout his school days at the
county school and an academy in town
he kept up his interest in athletics, even
to the extent of gaining fame as cross
country runner. All the while ne hoped
and prayed to be a soldier. but his father
who had had his taste of war, was OBJ
durate So the young man won enough
scholarships to keep him In the Harvard
Medical School for couple OF years.
He also made extra money by tutoring
the younger boys. and in his third year
won competitive examination for serv-
ice in a Boston hospital. All OF this
while however, he had been porting over
military text books, and this study ne
continued even after becoming private
practitioner in Boston. So when, at the
age OF twenty-five, he had chance TO
take the examination for assistant army
surgeons he went down to New YORK
eagerly enough. He passed second IN a
large number Of competitors, and pend
ing a vacancy in the regular establish
ment gladly accepted a temporary as
signment as contract surgeon at 500 per
month.
Woods jump from the Medical Corps to
the fighting line Of the army was the re-
suit of afterthought or accident is errone-
Gus. 1t was the result Of deep-laid de-
sign. Arriving at his hrsS post away
down in Arizona-at Fort Huachuca, he
met Capt. (afterward GEM Lawton and
at once confided to him his ambitions to
fight his way to the line at once. He had
taken the Arizona assignment because it
was the only one in that year, 1886. which
offered any chance of fight Geronimo
and his ApacheS had long been on the
rampage-had killed 500 victims. Gen.
Miles and Capt. Lawton were there to
stamp out the rebellion.
Wood and Lawton together trailed the
hostile Apaches for 1900 miles through
desert and cactus brake, across mountain
and mesquite thicket. under a terrible sun
which fe led both men and horses. Final
~ the infantry lost its last officer and the
commander had to select one or his stan
to fill the gap. 1t was now that the young
contract surgeon was to be amply repaid
for all Of those hours devoted to military
science, while studying and practicing
medicine. He was put in command Of the
infantry, serving now both as line officer
and surgeon-practicing at one and the
same time both the science of taking and
the science of saving life. BY forced
marches they arrived at the Mexican
frontier but Lawton had to have orders
from Washington before he could cross
and the nearest telegraph office lay far
across hostile country. Wood, although
he had marched twenty-five miles on foot
that day, volunteered to make the trip in
the night. Taking one companion, who
dropped out after trying to keep up with
him for twenty miles, the young surgeon
covered seventy-three miles that night
and returned to camp In time for break
fast. After breakfast he wa ked thirty
four miles at the head of the infantry,
which made a total Of 152 miles in thirty