Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-17
COLD-BLOODED GENERALS.
Great Captains Who Were Calm Under Very
Trying circumstances.

Trying Circumstance.
From the Youths Companion.
The great general should have a double ma
ture. In order that he may make prompt and
well-reasoned decisions, he should be calm and
incapable of excitement in great and sudden
emergencies. But, in order to animate his SOL
diers and keep them up to high moral pitch,
he should be capable Of enthusiasm and high
spirits. 1t is needless to say that the two quail
tiles are not often perfectly united, and that
when they are found SO joined the result is a
military genius.
Gen Grant was one of the coolest men in the
world, but his splendid confidence and cheer
fulness often partook Of the nature Of en-
thusiasm and inspired his soldiers, well as in
after years his civilian fellow-citizens, with
ardent admiration and sympathy.
Ii is a somewhat strange thing that France,
the nation of hot blood, should have produced
a long line of generals who showed the COM
pletest sang froid on the field of battle. Napo-
leon sometimes assumed a certain ardor but
nothing could excite him if he did not choose
to be excited. Murat, Napoleon's dashing
chief of cavalry, whose splendid enthusiasm
won many desperate charges, could be as cool
| as his master upon occasion.
At the taking of Moscow, while the troops sat
in their saddles under a murderous fire, Murat
received a dispatch to which an answer was re-
quired. Though his mettlesome horse was
| trembling. Murat laid the reins upon the horn
of the saddle. took his note book in one hand
and pencil in the other and began to write a
| response.
Suddenly shell fell and exploded on the
ground close by. The horse leaped into the
air and swung wildly around. Murat simply
| transferred the pencil to the hand that held
the note book, Gained the horse with the
other hand and then went on writing his dis
patch as if nothing had happened.
| shout OF admiration went up along the
line. Murat saw that the enthusiasm aroused
by his trifing act had created a favorable mo-
ment for charge. He gave the order and his
men swept clear through the enemy's line.
| IL is said that Gen. Reynier once saved the
/ French army in Calabria in 1906 from a COM
plete rout simply by the manner in which be
smoked cigar. The English infantry fire had
compelled the French to retreat. Reynier
fearing n panic. remained 20 the last and
brough. CD the rear. Though the English fire
was murderous he had lighted cigar and his
retreating men noticed that the puts of smoke
went up, as his horse moved slowly on, with
absolute regularity.
Puff A wait. Puff Another wait Puff
The enemy were pouring on, firing vigorously
| as they advanced, but nothing could accelerate
Reyner's smoking. His soldiers rallied under
the inspiration OF the queer spectacle, and got
off in good order.
Perhaps the most cold blooded commander
who ever lived was the French general, Saint
Cyr. He was great tactician. but totally
neglected the morale of his men. He was never
seen Oh uOrstDdCA anu ucNct cuOWt0 Hlul5ell
before the lines On one occasion, when he
was simply q general Of division, the impetuous
Marshal Oudinot, puzzled to know what to do
| in an emergency, asked Saint-Cyrs advice,
frankly telling him that he was ''nonplussed.' "
You, monseigneur," said Saint-Cyr, ARE a
marshal of the empire, and am a general Of
division. shall faithfully carry out your Or
ders. but it would not be becoming for me to
advise you"
| Later on Saint-Cyr succeeded to the COM
1 ma .laffb he nd them al tod nj;
method of generalship. He formed his plan of
battle clearly, precisely and with admirable
foresight. Then his sent his orders to his
subordinates, and shut himself up in his
quarters. absolutely forbidding entrance
to single soul. Then he took out his
violin and went to studying hard piece Of
music as TRANQUILITY af is he had been in the
midst of profound peace.
The battle which won Saint-Cyr his baton as
a marshal of the empire was fought while he
was fiddling in his tent. He had apparently
foreseen everything, and the carrying out Of
his plans completely crushed the enemy.