The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1920-04-24
WOODS RECORD
IN CUBAN WAR
With Cleveland. Mckinley and
Acknowledgements Cover
nor of Santiago.
BY JOHN G. HoLME,

| the Georgia Institute Of Technology
and played various positions. Hi!
team lost but one game during thas.
two seasons. His Spartan physica
courage is illustrated by football In
cident. He received a deep cut over
the eye in scrimmage one day. Dress
ing the injury hastily, he finished the
game, then went over to his office
where, standing before a mirror, he
sterlized the wound and took foul
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
ident took an immediate liking to this
bronzed, quiet army officer who knew
the Southwest like an open book.
Cleveland liked to talk with him about
hunting and fishing and especially
about Buzzards Bay off Cape Cod.
where they both had sailed and fished.
Wood and Roosevelt Meet
In those days changes In the admin.
istration did not affect Wood, land when
! Mckinley became President his visits
to the White House Increased In num-
Der, for Mrs Mckinley was an invalid
requiring constant medical attention
President Mckinley soon grew to re-
gard the competent army surgeon as
highly as had his predecessor.
In 1895 Leonard Wood, who now held
the rank Of Captain In the Army.
medical side, met Theodore Roosevelt,
then Assistant Secretary Of the Navy.
; They were introduced at a reception
in 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 II
was Roosevelt who kept him in the
service when he was about to resign to
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
virtually planned raising q regiment Of
picked men before diplomatic relations
with Spain we're severed When Con-
gresS authorized the raising Of three
regiments among the cowboys, miners
and raIcheEs Of the West Wood secur.
ed commission as Colonel Of the First
Volunteer Cavalry and Roosevelt as
Lieutenant Colonel.
War was declared April 20, 1898 and
on May 20 the First Cavalry, better
known as the Roush Riders. left the
training camp at San Antonio, Tex,
for Port Tampa, Fla. to embark for
Cuba. Wood and Roosevelt had re-
cruited, drilled. Offered and equipped
the Rough Riders IN 80 days. counting
Sundays. 1t was a great record Of
speed and efficiency,
Promoted on the Field.
In order to make this record Wood
cut through quantities Of red tape in
the War Department. He could not
get regulation uniforms, SO he had his
men wear brown canvas working uni
forms, not SO neat. but much more
practical In a tropical climate. He
foresaw that his cavalry would have to
serve unmounted, 50 he secured Krag
rifles at a time when Krags were
scarce. He had no time to train his
men In the use Of sabers, so he ordered
machetes, the instruments used for cut
ting sugar cane He got these nipple
ments from the New England factory
which made them for the Cuban sugar
fields. The Rough Riders landed in
Cuba June % under the protection of |
shell fire from American warsnips. On
June "a the battle Of Las Guasirnas |
took place. The Rough Riders and
their commander SO distinguished |
themselves as to win the commenda-
ton Of Major General Fighting Joe"
Wheeler, In command Of the cavalry; |
Brigadier General s. B. NJ Young and
others. When General Young went |
down with the fever Wood was advanc- ,
ed In rank to al the vacancy, while !
Roosevelt was placed 10 full command
Of the Rough Riders.
Santiago surrendered on July,17, and
General Shafter, commanding the ex- i
forces, selected Wood as
governor Of the city. This
was the great turning point In Woods
life. For 13 years he had been an
army SURGEON and officer. For the next
10 years he was to play most Inn
portant role In American history as
executive, administrator,
statesman and diplomat.
Shafter chose Wood for the military
Of Santiago because OF
the remarkable efficiency and execu.
tive ability he had shown In organizing
the Rough Riders and In the short but
campaign In the. Jungle be-
fore the fall Of the city. He chose
Wood because Wood was q doctor, and
Cuba was mighty sick.
Il vas no eight hour day job that
Leonard Wood. aged thirty-seven, en-
seu1tered In Santiago de Cubs.
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