The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-04-20
UNCOMFORTABLE HERotsM.
Natural Traits of Character as Well as Cir
cumstances Re.nous;bIe For Bravery.

Natural Traits of Character as Well as Cir
cumssances Responsible For Bravery.
At meeting of the Indiana Loyal le-
gion tales of the war were circulating free
ly ana the question of bravery came up for
discussion. There wasn't man present
but who had bravely faced dark showers Of
the leaden messengers of death without
tremor, but the point in question was as
to how ana why they had been able to do
it. All had stood by and seen their men
fall around them and had then headed the
charge which it was almost certain meant
death OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT for life, but none
had turned his back. That was disgrace.
Il always think Of what old General
Manson once said to me, A." said General
Lew Wallace HE said he had never run
in either the Mexican or the last war, nor
had he ever turned tail and showed the
white feather but he said it was not be-
cause he had not wanted to. He wouldn't
allow himself to think of it. He said he
thought he deserved more credit for not
running than the men, for they stood and
fought because they were mad and there
fore did not know what fear was, but 1
stood there in spite of the fact that I was
afraid
"It was an old story, but coming from
such gallant old warrior as General Man
son it was good. And in that connection
thought of the way the spectator puts it.
There is food for thought and argument in
the positions. The reason for the conten-
ton is one that Is generally admitted and
the world Is not slow to acknowledge the
virtue OF him who appreciates the danger
of the situation and therefore brings into
use an indomitable will power. There is,
of course, such thing as constitutional
cowardice, and it can be only conquered If
mans spirit is greater than his nerves.
One checks the trembling of the other.
When the natural tremor is the stronger
and overoomes the will, then the man is
placed upon record as coward and is for
ever disgraced.
But what can be said of the man who
does not have to make any effort, who be-
comes impervious to fear and SO carried
away by the heat and excitement of the
conflict that he is utterly regardless, and
unconsciously SO, of his danger and sur
roundingss He is called hero He is
made suoh by reason of the accident Of his
physical organization. Then there are men
who become so violently enraged in battle
that they are as wild animals, who shut
their eyes and charge blindly because it is
their nature. There were great number
of such men in the war, and they were, as
a rule, the men who were accounted as the
greatest heroes and the bravest men and
generals.
For my part, I am inclined to give the
greatest credit to the men who were cool
in the heat of battle; who did not allow
the smoke and din and showers of bullets,
whistling Of shells and crashing Of cannon
balls around them to interfere with the
calm and considerable exercise Of their
Judgment who were keenly sensitive to
their personal danger and the terrible Ca
lamity their death would visit upon their
loved ones at home; who were brave
through 1t all, and with calm fearlessness,
instead Of total abandon, breasted the
storm and fought to victory. These wers
the truly brave of the war. And they were,
as rule, the leaders and generals who
were placed in the most conspicuous posi-
tionS, made living marks for the bullets of
the enemy, who did not do much hand to
hand fighting, and therefore did not have
the protection Of the fever heat Of the blood
which such fighting brings, but who were
through it all cool and collected, their
brains clear and their Judgment unwarped;
who sat upon their horses and looked death |
in the face with an eye that wavered not |
and an i1nperturbability that was the result |
of an almost superhurnan exercise of will |
power. Indianapolis Sentinel