The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-04-13

- RECEIVED letter from Comrade G. ID.
Norton OF Chicago, who says he was
memter Of an Illinois battery IN the
ARMY of the Cumberland, the particular
designation OF which he forgets to mention,
hnt who piopounds the following question:
Reading some time ago au article from the
,cu of Gen Horace Porter, of Grants staff,
on courage in battle, have written letters TO
several well known authors of books on per-
sonal war-servee to ask them Tor their expert
encc or observation oE that subject, ano TO
su | have addressed the question: Did you
ever know "A perfectly fearless man +? Please
give me your personal experience or onserva-
tion on this subject rs you now remember
vour own sensations, or as Won recolect the
evidences of sensation betrayed by the be-
hsyiour of vuur comrades In battle. desire
il fnr usc at no distant day in an interesting
notification on the traits Of the American SOL
diet."
l have written a reply to this letter, from
which the following extract may be interesting
tn the readers of THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
d" ] cannot sveab from experience OF fearless
ness. because was not by any means fearless my
self in any battle. / was always more or less
snnrehensive when under fire. but i Will say
that was always moro afraid OF the contempt
and ecolr which my Captain and comrades
would have spurne me with had i shown cow
ar1iice than was of any iniury-even death
which the enemy could have Inflicted on me.
The nearest | ever came TO being squarely
rallied was when the caSesbot exploded at
Speitsvlyania, May s. 1864, that killed Lieut..
t:oadtIan and Ike Kandcar and Knocked me
Siuwr lv its conclusion its fame fairly SINCE
inc ;i,y eyelashes. When got up and found that
none Of the fragments had hit me. wanted 10
go home to Binghamton. My best recoilec-
tion is that ] shook like a man with the ague
and nv teeth chatiered l waS however,
brought to my praper senses ut once by the
kindly roice of our gunner, Eibridge Packard,
inuairing il | was hurt; and if so, where?
Turning toward him 10 a half bewiidered way
] caught the expression OF his great, blue eyes
ami :be tone of resolution that WIS almost
audible im his handsome face. His example at
that moment was as contagious as the small
pox. then Tor the first time realized what q
perfccliy brave and utterly fearless man was
like Packard was that sort OF man. HIS
courage was positive
Some men-in fact most men-have mega
tive courage. myself among them. BY mega
tive courage | mean the impulse which makes
men stay in places of peril wheu they do not
want To stay, bat are impeiied by pride or by
fear OF the bad opinion OF their comrades But
Packard stayed in such places because he
wanted 20. In fact, he got killed a few days
later al the North Anna River because he
would nos observe the usual precautions in the
presence of the euemy's sharpshooters. He
was simply reckless, and his recklessness WAS
Of that sort which could not have resulted from
any feeling except that OF total oblIvlousness
TO danger 1t certainly was not put Oh for
effect because no actor that ever lived could
have simulated such a part as he used to ex-
hibif in every one Of our battles. He was
fearless man.
"Our Fist Sergeant, Andrew D. Mcbride was.
] think, another. But Andy's fearlessness was
sort Of stelid apathy. or. if yen please, brutal
indifference to danger. such as you might ex
pect from a grizzly bear or buffalo bull dis
turbed in the bosom of his family. IN fact,
we used to cali him Bull Mcbride In bat
lie his eoanten2nce had po expression what
ever. ard he never said anything except what
WAS necessary IN giving ;he orders cue TO his
stsiinn Neither the Ere IF the enemy nor its
effect upon our men ever phased him. His
behavior in battle undcr the most dread iui
conditions was The same as in camp. and the
tones Of hiz voice and expression Of his features
were tie same in The elUsest action as they
were when he was calling the roll CT inspect
ing iiiu horses at stable-call II he ever felt
fear be certainly was capable Of c0ncealing it
10 a degree That amounted to genius
'Ji.en, there was Johnny Cook. our bugler.
DO not know whether he was ever scared or
MOI. Ina il he was no one knew il. / think
that Il Johnny was afraid OF anyone Or any
ding il was the Captain. He had right 10
he. per hHps because, in the long rgn think
the captain hurt him more with the paternai
discipline Of tire halter strap or the birch limb
o. other instrunent4liites OF that sort than the
rebels did with their bullets. But johnny was
q mere boy At that time. and probably has ap
parent feHilesSness in action was due as much
10 tise cxciiin: nature Of bis duties as TO acy-
thing else ] only know that, while on being
awakened at o'clock IN the morning IN camp,
by ihc Corporal Of The guard. lwhen there was
no danger, be has been known 10 blow stable
cal OF ho0is and saddles instead Of reyeile: he
WIS never known TO make mistake in action.
On he whoie would say shat l think
Eibridge Packard aud Andrew d. Mcbride, as
men and Johnny Cook. as boy. were destitute
OF iear. IN various ways and from various
c1nses'
Nien I speak particularly of Packard, Nc
Bride. aud Johnny Cook do not by any means
wish 70 &c understood as saying that they were
the only fearless men 1 ever knew in battle.
mention them by name simply because, on
occasions such as Gettysburg, Spottgylvania,
and Bet hesda Church. which were calculated
10 make man show what was in him. they
particularly attracted my attention and their
behavior impressed me at the time But can
net say that their actual behavior was any
NOSE sclaier-hke Than that OF Grif Wallace, of
our battery or Pat Hunt, of Battery M; or
Of 1nauy others. In fact, / think | should place
Pat Hunt in the same category with Andy
AcBf3oes mat Is 70 say, a man IN whom lie
fighting instinct was developed 10 degree that,
ia thc presence Of danger, qnells all other feel
ings. The comparison / would make between
Hunt and Mcbride was this: That while
Mcbride bravee danger like a bull with bis
head down and his eyes closed. Pat went at il
like q bulldog. with head up eyes wide open,
aud teeth cleaning.
However, when we discuss this question ol
absolute courage, don't think aay man can he
atrsie judge Of any other man. BY that ! mean
ts2i, 40 matter how one mans behavior in ac-
iion may appear 10 another man who is also
necessarily. undergoing the same perils. there
is no gage by which one may Judge of the ae-
tual feeling which sarges III the Utmost heart
OF hi eOmrade. For example, when began e
publish " The CannoBecr" as serial in TEE
AATT0NAi TRIBUNE described Capt. Stewart
as q man destitute Of fear" ] really thaugb'
DC was SO. All his conduc; in action indicated
fetal oblivion Of peril. But as soon as he had
read nly remarks TO that effect he promptly
wrote me that WAS mistaken, and said thai
mo mao ever went into action with a keenel
sense ~ the periis and horrors OF hattie than h'
dad etc. (Sce page o, Introduction 10 Til,
G.nnpaeer'D
Perhaps Packard, OF Pat HINT or Mcbride
ii they could write now, would protest ia th'
same way.
So yua see ones idols shatter themselves
thry haze chance. My OWE private opinion
is still that Stewart Was perfectly fearless, not
WIthstsndiH@ his omp testimony 10 the con
trary. You viii notice that he says he wen
into battle with a keen sense of lis perils AM
A. !. l.. L. l..