Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-02-26
VIEWS OF WARRIORS
THE QUESTION "ls FEAR IN A SOL
DER CoWARDlcei" DISCUSSED.
Statements Of Generals Early. Bradley
4. johnson, Fitzhugh Lee. MsrcusJ.
Wright, I. L. Lomax. and Others.

sense OF duty where one realized the
peril than in a stolidity of feeling incapa-
Bile of approaching danger. Every one
recalis the story of the great French mar
shal who, whom about to mount ms morse
hefore a battle. noticed his legs shaking
with fear. Gazing scornfully upon them.
no 10 SAID TO have remarked: "Oh, logs, II
Won knew where | was gong TO take you
you'd be shaking worse than that, anu
then rode forth to mingle IN the charge.
No one can doubt but That his courage
was Of the highest order.
Yet no authority can have more welgnt
than the statement of warriors themselves.
and here arc the opinions CT many OF our
famous southern fighters.
DOES NOT FOLLOW.
GencralJubal Early, whose bravery has
made his name illustrious. says:
In response to the inquiry, Is fear IN
soldier. cowardIce?" / would saw that
while cowardice is the result of excessive
fear. il does not follow that fear is always
cowardlce.
We are told in the Bible. Psalm cx.. 10,
and in several other places, that The fear
of the Lord Is the beginning of wisdom"
That, of course. is not cowardice."
Fear is a word that has variety of deh-
nitions. amongst them being anxiety,
solicltude. reverential regard. respect
mingled with awe" Viewing 1t IN the
sense of an apprehension of danger. DO
not know how | can better express my
opinion on the subject than bv referring
10 the adjective brave" in Worcester's
dictionary. In defining il he quotes from
the Scotch poetess. j. Baltic, az follows:
"The brave man is not be who feels no fear
But he whose noble soul no fear slDdues'
From nv own experience and ohserva-
tion can cay that tine bravest soldier In
action is never without fear or apprehen-
sion of danger but he encounters that
danger without shrinking:
IL follows, therefore, that fear is not
always cowardice IN soldier.
j. A. EARLY.
Lynolburg, Va.
PEAR Is CoSTRoLLABLE.
General Bradley T. Johnson. who, under
the immortal jackson, won unfadlng Iau-
rels for himself, writes:
The question. lis fear in soldier
cowardice 2" answers itself in the defini-
ton. Fear. as understand 1t, Is the phy-
steal shrinking from physical struggle with
opposing physical force.
Cowardice is tho refusal of the physical
and intellectual nature of man to face OPP
position, either physical or intellectual.
Fear Is comfortable bv superior will
either of the man himself or of another.
who tor the time dominates and directs
him. Cowardice is uncomfortable. Both
cowardice and fear are physical as well as
moral conditions.
some men are unconscious Of fear-they
are actually unaware of what danger IS
and IN the real qdudium cortdmin's. the JOY
of battle, thev actually delight in the fierce
excitement of the fight. | really believe
that Major Jim Breathed. of the Stuart
Horse Artillery. and Major Harry Crltner
would rather fight than eat. stuart en-
loved battle, so did StOnewall Jackson,
and nv ANALYSIS of Lee was that when his
blood was up-and the smell of gunpow-
der always fred him-he was as fierce as
anv far-ofT Morse ancestor.
Though ! know nothing personally OF
Grant. am of the opinion that the scent of
blood drove his pulse up. | know Han
cock blazed all over with enthusiasm at
the sound Of the guns aud the cheers of
charging line.
have no doubt that many men facing
death have felt their flesh shrink and their
nerves give w0V, and were sorely afraid.
But pride Of character, regard for the re-
spect of those at home and tho presence
and example OF thousands around them
crushed out fear and made them Us firm
and self-contrOlled as the bravest.
do not recollect ever having seen
coward-that is, a man whose fear over
came his sense of duty, personal pride.
and regard for reputation.
| have seen lines OF battle afraid, seen
them waver in front of hostile batteries,
seen them hesitate to meet the coming
shock; but | have seen these very lines
spring up at once, animated by the bril-
liant example of personal dash Of their
commanding officer. who, riding TO the
front. would swing his sabre above his
head and shout, Follow me, men," And
the thousand men, who moment before
were afraid. were thrilled by the electric
shock of enthusiasm and went forward
with q rush that was irresistible.
The best veterans have been seized with
panic. When the nerves have been braced
for hours the constant tension exhausts
the endurance of human nature, and the
most trivial incident will throw them off
their balance, lose their self-control, and
send them senseless INTO panic like q herd
Of buffalo.
Napier records an incident of the PENN
sula war. Sir John Moore's army, than
whom more seasoned soldiers never bore
musket, was resting By the roadside. and
broke into utter confusion when loose
horse came galloping down the ranks.
Fear Is physical and intellectual dread.
Cowardice is fear uncomfortable.
BRADLEY L. JOHNSON.
THE DELICIOUS EXCITEMENT.
General Fitzhugh Lee. Ex-Governor of
Virginia, who won his spurs under the
eyes of his uncle General Robert l.. Leo,
eays:
would reply affirmatively to the ques-
ton, rs fear in o soldier cowardlce"?
Fear is cowardice and cowardice is
fear-both are painful apprehensions of
danger. The meaning Of both is Ito be
afraid and an absence of courage is i'm
piled In EACH"
Ii soldier is afraid TO fight he is deficient
in courage. There are, however, two
kinds of courage-the moral and the physi-
cal-the one obligatory in its nature, the
other natural. Ihave often witnessed dis
play Of both by officers and men where the
skirmish lines of contending armies first
opened big battle. Some would DO ner-
vOus, excited, and pallid: others stoical,
tranquil, and unconcerned. But after the
skirmishers had been replaced by lines OF
battle and the rattle of muskets and roar
of cannon had drowned the first sputter-
ing shots, while the combat8nts were
shouting and men were falling and the
battle was an accomplished fact-the " de-
lcious excitement" which General Dick
TAYLOR said Stonewall always enjoved on
suoh occasions. would possess equally the
one and the other. and no difference would
be visible IN their deeds of daring.
FITzHUGH LEE.
1T Is NOT"
General L. L. Lomax, than whom drawer
man never drew sword, gives his senti-
ments:
In reply TO the question "Is fear in o
soldier cowardlce?" l would say IN my
opinion il is not.
The best soldier is one who knows and
fears the danger and marches boldly
forward to meet il.
l believe the excitement we saw in many
on the field was a cloak for real cowardice,
and if not successful in the first dash they
often gave up. A brave soldier is cool and
perseyering under fire.
Every intelligent and educated man
fears the contest, but is by no means for
this reason a " coward" L. L. LoMAx.
IDIOT OR LUSATIc.
General Wright, a doughty warrior, now
in control of the War Records Office, ex-
presses his opinion "a follows
You ask from me an answer to the ques-
ton. " Is fear in q soldier cowardice ?"
My DIVISION commander in the late civil
war, General B. i. Cheatham. who was q
hero of two great wars, once said TO me
THE man who saws he goes into battle
without fear is either an idiot, iunatic,
OF a liar"
On the eve of an engagement, as far ss