Evening star., 1914-05-10

examination for service in a Boston hos
pital. All OF this while, however. he
had been poring over military text
books, and this study he continued even
after becoming private practitioner in
Boston. So when. at the age of twenty
five. he had a chance to take the exam
nation for assistant army surgeons, he
went down to New York, thrilled by a
great hope He passed second in long
list of competitors, and pending a va
cancy in the regular establishment gladly
accepted a temporary assignment as con-
tract surgeon at 800 per month.
The prevalent notion that Leonard
Woods jump from the Medical Corps to
the fighting line of the army was the re-
suit Of afterthought or accident is erro-
neous- 1t was the result of deep-laid de-
sign. Arriving at his first post. away
down in Arizona-at Fort Huaehuca-he
met Capt. fafterward 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 1ss6)
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 T.awton together traled the
hostile Apaches for 2.HO miles through
desert and cactus brake. across noun
tain and mesquite thicket under terri
bic sun which felled both men and horses
Finally the Infantry lost It's last officer
and the command had to select one of
his staff to fll the gap 1t was now that
the young contract surgeon was to be
amply repaid for all of those hours de-
voted to military science, while study
ing and practicing medicine. He was
put in command of the infantry. serving
now both as line officer and surgeon
practicfng at one and the same time both
the science of taking and the science of
saving life. Ry forced marches they
arrived at the Mexican frontier, but Law
ton had to have orders from Washing
ton before he could cross and the nearest
office lay far across a 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 breakfast. After
breakfast he walked thirty four miles at
the head of the infantry. which made
total of 152 miles in thirty-six hours
fifty-nne miles on foot and seventy-three
miles in the saddle He was said to be
the only man in the little band who could
outmarch an Apache.
his report. referred to Young Wood as
the only officer who has been with me
through the whole campaign. And to
Gen. Miles. Lawton wrote OF Wood: lie
sought the most difficult and dangerous
work. and by his determination and
courage rendered a successful issue of
the campaign possible. The young sur
geon got his commission as assistant
surgeon of regulars just before Geron-
mos surrender. And afterward he was
awarded congressional medal of honor
for specially courageous and able serv-
ices involving extreme peril and display
of most conspicuous gallantry.
Having thus DISTINGUISHED himself in
this campaign against the Apaches-
which Gen. Miles described as 'one of
the most laborious persistent and heroic
campaigns in which men on
Saged'-Wood. although still but an army
doctor, commanded expedition sent
out to capture Indian prisoners who had
escaped into Mexico. His next duty was
against Apache Kid in 1Ss7-S: then he
commanded a photographic survey for a
tary hospitals at Fort Mcdowell. Ariz.,
on the edge of the great American des-
ert: at the Preside. San Francisco, and
at Fort Mcpherson. Ga. All of this time
he kept up his athletic training. He was
a star on the post foot ball teams, and
at the Presidio he made record in a
track run of seventeen and a half miles
in two hours and a quarter, in street
clothing. In 1890 he married Miss Louise
A. Condit Smith of Washington, whose
sister was one of the refugees in the
American legation during the Boxer up
rising at Peking. and in 1891 he was
promoted to the rank of captain and
assistant surgeon. Then. in 1895, he was
ordered to Washington to attend the
families of army officers And soon after
President Mckinley's Inauguration he be-