Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1920-04-01
LEONARD EDpp,s
WESTERN CAREER
Won Congressional Medal Of
Is Honor il Apache Campaign.
Sent to Washington.
~ JOHN Q. HoLME.


ture beckoned In the form OF an arctic
expedition. He had decided to become
an explorer when his father, DR.. Wood
took his son into his study one day
and advised him to follow his own
profession, that of medicine. The re
suit was that Leonard Wood entered
the Harvard Medical School in 1880
graduating four years later. With the
aid of hard-earned scholarship, he
worked his own way through college.
He tutored students and picked up 9TH
er odd jobs to pay expenses. ia
The struggle to get start was bit
ter. After serving as an inferno in one
Of the Boston hospitals and practicing
for several months In one Of the poor
er sections of Boston, where the peo-
pie were too poor to pay much, II any
thing, for medical attendance, young
DR.. Wood, with hfty-nIne other physi.
clans, took an examination for army
surgeons, passing second in the class.
He was asked II he would accept po-
sition as contract surgeon at 500 per
month. +ai3 f'3s ei
"Yes, II / can go West and see ac-
tive SERVICE" answered Wood.
The examining officer smiled and as
sured Wood that he would see plenty
OF, active service. This proved to be no
idle talk.
1 The summons came In June, 1885.
/ DR.. Wood was ordered to report for
duty to- General Crook at Fort Hua,
chuca, Arix., in command of operations
against the Apache Indians under
/ Geronimo. q Wood arrived at Fort Huas
chuca on the Fourth oflJuly. Soldiers.
cowboys, Indians and frontiersmen
were celebrating the day with gunpow-
der and red liquor. The .tenderfoot"
was assigned to the Fourth Cavalry,
commanded by Captain Henry W. Law
ton, who became famous in the Span
ish-American War ASA Major-General.
The latter looked at his visitor and
said: /; -,4y
"what the hell are you doing out
s,'Tswant to get into the line as soon
as possible"
Lawton chuckled and slapped Wood
ON the back and said: , . Fs.tra
9"pllsee that you'll get into the line"
Rode an "outiaw."
There was column Of Indian fight
ers starting Off the following morning.
and Wood was ordered to 90 along
An old sergeant brought him a mount
"a very special horse, sir" he remark
ed, as he handed Wood the reins. The
latter mounted and rode of. He soon
found out that his special horseY was
In reality an soutlaw,". half-broke and
mean-tempered. Its gait was SO vi
cious that even the veteran troopers
summed It. WOOD rode the animal
thirty-five miles that day and was not
thrown. He was blistered, for the sun
was hot and the "outlaw" was rough
but Wood stayed with the troopers
and. In the language of the army, he
"healed In the saddle" The campaign
lasted for fourteen months, leading
over thousands of miles of wilderness
In New Mexico and Arizona Wood
was one Of the few men that went
through the whole campaign. Early In
the pursuit; after a twenty-five mile
march, he rode seventy -four miles by
night, carrying dispatches through the
Indian lines, and on the following day
he rode thirty miles with his troops.
When Geronimo sent word tossthe
Americans that he was ready tossur.
render, Wood was one Of the four Off
GERS who went into the Apache camp
to negotiate. This was in old Mexico,
The American officers accompanied the
Indians for two weeks as they marched
In parallel column with the Ameri..
can troops into United States territory
for formal capitulation. AT one time
during the march the two columns lost
contact, and Wood, with his brother
officers. was left at the mercy OF the.
Reds.
Geronimo, observing Woods new
Hotchkiss rifle, asked to examine II.
Il must confess felt q little nervous"
General Wood said In telling the story,
"but made no objections, and let him
have the rifle and showed him how to
use IT." Geronimo fred at mark and
just missed one Of his men. This he
regarded as a huge joke, rolling on the
ground In high glee and saying: "Good
gun. Good gum The Indians tried
no treachery and surrendered as they
had promised to do.
Twelve years later Wood was given
the Congressional Medal Of Honor, the
nations highest military reward. "for
distinguished service In the campaign
against the Apache Indians In 1886
while serving as medical and line off,
GER IN Captain iLawton's expedition"
Wood spent several years In the
Southwest. He was General Miles
chief assistant In surveying Arizona.
He studied military science and field
maneuvers with such devotion that he
was soon acknowledged to be thor
oughly competent line officer. Nor did
he neglect his surgical profession. Gen.
eral Wood is not vain man, but he
shows n good deal of pride today when
he recalls that he succeeded in saving
General Miles from having his leg am
putnted after his horse had fallen with
him, crushing the limb.
Ito be continued)