The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1891-01-10
oool AEApsp asNtRAls.
Great soldiers who Have Bern Prrfcotly
Calm in the Most hxefiing BaitIrs.


Grea, soldiers who Have Been Percotly
Calm in the Most xciiing Bnitlcs.
The great general should have a
double nature In order that he may
make nromnt and well reasoned decs-
ions be should be calm and incapable Of
excitement In great and sudden emer-
gencies. But, Ia order 20 animate HE
soldiers and keep them up to a high
moral nitch, he should be capable Of en-
thusiusm and high spirits. II is need
less TO say that the two qualities are not
often perfectly united, aud that when
they are found So Joined the result is n
military geDius;--
General Hraut was one OF the coolest
men in the world, bnt his splendid con
ddenoe and cheerfulness often partook
OF the nature OF enthusiasm. and in
spired his soldiers, as 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 hos blood, should
have produced a long line Of generals
who showed the .eomplei est sung froid
on the Held OF battle. Napoleon some
times assumed certain ardor, but
nothing could excite him If he did not
choose to be exeited Mural, NapOleon'a q
dashing chief Of cavalry, whose splen-
did 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 mur-
derous fire. MGrat received dispatch
10 which an answer was required
Though his mettlesome horse war
trembling, Murat laid the roins upon the
horn OF the saddle, took his notebook In
oue hand and n pencil in the other, and
began TO write a ponse.
Suddenly g shell fell and exploded on
che ground close by. The horse leaped
into the air aud swung wildly around
Murat simply transferred the pencil to
the hand that held the notebook, calmed
the horse with the other hand, and then
vent on writing his dispatch a. il moth
ing had happened.
A shout Of Admiration went up along
the line. Muratsaw that the enthusiasm
aroused by his triiling act had created q
favorable nomentfor charge. He gave
the 0rder, and his men swept clear
through the enemy's line
Il is said that General Reynier once
saved the French army ia Calabria, in
1905, from acomplete rout, simply by the
manner in which he smoked cigar
The English infantry FIRE had compelled
the French to retreat. Reynier fearing
a panic, remained TO the last and brought
MP the rear Though the English fire
was murderous, he had lighted a cigar
and his retreating men noticed that puffs
OF smoke went up, as his horse moved
slowly on, with absolute regularity.
Puff A wait, Puffi Another walt
Puff The enemy were pouring on, firing
vigorously as they advanced, hut moth
/ ing could accelerate Reyhier's smoking
| His soldiers rallied under the inspira-
tlon OF the queer spectacle and got OF in
good order.
Perhaps the most cold-hlooded com.
mander who ever lived was the French
general, Saint-Cyr. He WAS great
tactlcisn, but totally neglected the
morale oi his men. He was never seen
off horseback, andnever showed himself
before the lines. On one occasion, when
he was simply a general OF division, the
I llmpetuous Marshal Oudinot, puzzled to
know what TO do in an emergency, asked
! Salnt-Cyr's advice, frankly telling him
/ that he was nouplussed."
You. nlonseign ur, said Saint Cyr.
, are mafshnl OF the Emnire, aud | am
I a general ol division ] shall faithfully
carry out your orders, but it would not
be becoming for me 10 advise YOU
/ Later on Saint-Cyr succeeded to the
I command Of the army and then adopted
peculiar method ~ generalship. He
4 formed his plan Of battle CLEARLY, pro
| oisely and with admirable foresight.
! Then he sent his orders o his subordi-
mates and shut himself up in his quar-
1 ters. absolutely fOrblddlng entrance to
single soul Then he took out his
violin and went to studying a hard piece
of music as TRANQUILITY as if he had been
in the midst oi pro ouud peHce
The battle which won Salnt-Cyr his
baton ss a marshal Of the Empire wa
| fought while be was fld.ins in his tent.
He had apparently forese n everything
aud tie carrying out OF his plans com
pletely crushed the enemy -Youth's S
Companion.