The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-15
COLD-BLOODED GENERALS.

Great CAPTAINS Who Were Calm Under
Very Try ing circumstances.
The great general should Eave a double
nature. 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 soldiers and keep them up to a
high moral pitch, he should be capable of
enthusiasm and high spirits. 1t is needless
to say that the two qualities are not often
perfectly united, and that when they ara
found so joined tho result is a military
genius. Gen. Grant, says the Youths Com
panion, was one of the coolest men in the
world, but his splendid confidence and
c~heerfulness often partook of the nature of
enthusiasm and inspired his soldiers, as
we'll as in after years his civilian fellow
citizens, with ardent admiration and sym
pathy.
It is a somewhat strange thing that
France, the nation of hot blood. should
have produced a long line of generals who
showed the completest sang froid on the
field OF battle. Napoleon sometimes as.
sumed q certain ardor, but nothing coulC
excite him If he did not choose to be ex-
cited. 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 an
swer was required. Though his mettle-
some horse was trembling, Murat laid the
reins npon the horn of the saddle, took his
note book in one hand and a pencil in the
other and began to write a response. sud
denly a she'll fell and exploded 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 dispatch as if
nothing had happened. A shout Of admira-
lion went up along the line. Murat saw
the enthusiasm aroused by his trltilng act
had created a favorable moment for a
charge. He gave the order and his men
swept clear through the enemy's line.
the French army in Calabria, in 1906 from
a COMPLETE rout, simply by the manner in
which he smoked a cigar. The English in
fantry fire had compelled the French to re-
treat. Reynier, fearing q panic, remained
to, the last and brought up the rear.
he had lighted a cigar, and his retreating
men noticed shat the putfs of smoke went
up, as his horse moved slowly on, with alb
solute regularity. Puff! A wait. Puff!
Another wait, puff! TIL enemy were pour
ing on. firing vigorously as they advanced,
but nothing could accelerate Reynier's
smoking. His soldiers rallied under the
queer spectacle, and got off in good order.
Perhaps the most co~ld-blooded command
er who ever lived was the French general,
Saint-Cyr. He was a great tactlnian, but
totally neglected h morale of his men.
He was never seen on horseback n never
showed himself before the lines. On one
occasion, when he was simply general of
the division, the impetuous Marshal Oudi-
not, puzzled to know what to do in an
emergency, asked Saint Cyr's advice frank.
ly, telling him he was "nonplussed.'
You, monsigneur." said Saint Cyr, 'are a
marshal of the empire and I am a general
of the division. l shall faithfully carry
out your orders but it would not be becom-
ing in me to advise you"
Later on Saint-Cyr succeeded to the COM
mand of the army, and adopted a peculiar
method or Reneralship. He formed his
plan of battle clearly, precisely and with
admirable foresight. Then he sent his or
ders to his subordinates, and shut himself
up in his quarters, absolutely %forbidding
entrance to a single soul. Then he took his
violin and went TO studying a hard piece of
music as TRANQUILITY as if he had been in
the midst of profound peace.