Connecticut western news., 1920-06-10
jTiOOD'S RECORD
 IN CUBAN WAR
With Cleveland, Mckinley and RooseveIt-Appointed Cover
 nor of Santiago.
By JOHN c. HoLMs. Author of "The Life of Leonard Wood"


 that Leonard Wood made his greatest reputation as an athlete. For two years he coached the football team of the Georgia Institute of Technology and played various positions. Ills team lost but one game during these two seasons. His Spartan physical courage Is illustrated by football in- cident. He received a deep cut over the eye Tn a scrimmage one day. Dress ing the injury hastily, he finished the game, then went over to his office, where, standing before a mirror, he sterilized the wound and took four stitches In 1t.
 Cleveland was finishing his second term when Wood was assigned to Washington, where he became one of the White House physicians The pres ldent took an immediate liking to this oronzed, quiet army officer who knew
 he Southwest like an open book. Cleveland liked to talk with him about hunting and fishing and especially about Buzzard's Bay off Cape Cod.
 where they both had sailed and fished.
 Wood and Roosevelt Meet.
 Tn those days changes in the admin
 stration did not affect Wood, ,.and when
 McKinley became President his visits
 70 the White House increased in num- ] Ter, for Mrs. Mckinley was m invalid. .equiring constant medical attention.
 President Mckinley soon grew to re-
 gard the competent army surgeon as
 highly as had his predecessor.
 In 1896 Leonard Wood, who now held
 he rank of a Captain in the Army,
 medical side, met Theodore Roosevelt,
 hen Assistant Secretary of the Navy.
 They were introduced at a reception
 n Washington, and before the evening
 was over they had become fast friends.
 This friendship was to last till the
 great American passed away at Saga.
 more Hill They discovered that they
 had just missed each other at Harvard,
 that they had both had the western fe-
 yer and that their likes and dislikes
 were remarkably similar.
 General Wood today admits that fl was Roosevelt who kept him in the service when he was about to resign tc take up ranching in the West Roose.
 welt insisted that the country would
 soon need & man of his ability, and the
 two began planning their course of ac ton should war be declared. They had l virtually planned raising a regiment oi | picked men before diplomatic relation:
 with Spain were severed. When Con I gress authorized the raising of three | regiments among the cowboys, miner'
 and ranchers of the West Wood secur
 ed commission as Colonel of the Firs
 Volunteer Cavalry and Roosevelt a
 Lieutenant Colonel.
 Il War was declared April %, 1898, ana | on May g the First Cavalry, bette Il known as the Rough Riders, left th'
 training camp at San Antonio, Tex.
 for Port Tampa, Fla, to embark fo II Cuba. Wood and Roosevelt had re
 cruited, drilled, officered and equippe'
 the Rough Riders Tn S9 days, countinI
 Sundays It was a great record o speed and efficiency. HI Promoted on vn@ wt@t0s u In order to make this record Woo cut through quantities of red tape | the War. Department. He could no get regulation uniforms, so he had hi men wear brown canvas working un' ] forms, not so neat, but much nor practical in a tropical climate. Fl foresaw that his cavalry would have | lI hn wa0YywQd RY9 rifles at a time when Krags wer scarce. He had no time to train hi men in the use of sabers, so he ordere T machetes, the instruments used for GU 5 ting sugar cane. He got these impl' 5 ments from the New England factor 5 which made them for the Cuban susa fields. The Rough Riders landed 5 Cuba June % under the protection ( 5 shell fire from American warships. o s June 24 the battle of Las Guasima took place. The Rough Riders an 7 their commander so distinguishe 3 themselves as to win the commend' al tion of Major General "Fighting Jo' 2 Wheeler, in command of the cavalry 5i Brigadier General B. M. Young an 3 others. When General Young wer down with the fever Wood was advan 2 ed in rank to fill the vacancy, whi J Roosevelt was placed in full commar 5 of the Rough Riders.
 5l Santiago surrendered on July IT, ar 5 General Shafter. commanding the e ! peditionary forces, selected Wood { 5 military governor of the city. Tn 5 was the great turning point in Wood 5 life. For 13 years he had been { 1 army surgeon and officer. For the ne 9l 10 years he was to play a most il 5i portant role in American history sl government executive, administratc Ili statesman and diplomat.
 5ii Shafter chose Wood for the militia Ell governorship of Santiago because Sl the remarkable efficiency and exec IIt tive ability he had shown in organizi