The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-16
BRAVE MEN THESE
WHO KNEW NOT FEAR
An English Writer Relates Interest ing
Anecdotes.
A WAR CORRESPONDENTS TALES
Heroic Deeds as Occurring in All Cor.
ncrs Ofthe East..A Tribute to An
American Naval iCommander..WGn.
dcrful Nerve Shown Over u burning
Powder Magaxine.

American Naval Won.
dcrful Nerve Shown Over u Burn IA Z
Powder Magazine.
From Youths Companion.
There are 50 many kinds Of courage
that to enumCratc the variety in detail
would fill IL number of the Youths $
Companion. Personally do not rank
particularly high heady valor in the
battle or the furlorn hope. Then the
blood is hot and the ardor of the fray
is throbbinS In every fibre. Unless Il
man is an utter coward at heart it
seems to me that rcrforce he must in
the nature of things De brave in the
turmoil of battle. OF course. there, as
elsewhere, degrees of conduct present
themselves. and the true man will stem
a sudden panic or greatly dare to save
the life OF a comrade.
But it is in cold hiood that the higher
courage exhibits itself. and the COM
rarative rarity of that virtue proves
its exceptional and more elevated
stamp.
Rarest Of all kinds of courage IS per-
haps that variety which the Duke Of
Wellington used to call "two-o' clock
i'-ti.'-i iiltiiil!lt- courage.
There was the spirit of the finest
courage in the conduct of Captain
George Napier, who, being struck in
the brcech at Cuidad Rodrigo. at the
head Of the stormirg party, his arm
shattered by a cannon ball, kept cheer
ing ana directing his men as he lay
bleeding and helpless. troddcn on, huf-
fetcd by the charging soldiers. He
would not have himself removed until
he heard the place was won. and then,
with his sash binding his arm, he
walked quietly to the amputatng
place. waited his turn, and had to lis
ten to the discussion of a point Of
etiquette between two surgeons as to
which Of them was entitled to perform
on him.
That was coo! daring On the part of a
rough Irish private IN the Peninsuiar
war who. when thirtcen-inch shell fell
in the crowded work. knocked out the
burning fuse with blow of his spade,
picked up the shell and carried it to his
officer, with the quaint remark: There
she is now, your Honor. She'll do no.
body any BARN nov, for its mesilf has
knocked the life out av the crature!'
Who does not remember the noble
stole courage and discipline of those
recruits who stood in their ranks on
the deck Of the Birlienhead troop ship.
waiting for the inevitable death that
Was imminent, while the women and
children were being saved?
y Briton myself. l have ties with the
great republic, and for that reason |
cherish the knowledge of some acts of
courage of the stamp l specially ad-
mirc. performed by Amcricans-acts
i,l, Il ,,.i1
among the Countrymen of those brave
men.
1t was in the late Admiral John Rod
gers first action i'm the Calera. thnt =
shell crashed into the turret in which
he was with the gunners, and half
smothercd him with the blood and
brains Of an adjacent sailor. Others
Were struck down by the explosion. and
and panic was setting i'm. Its pro-
@rcss Rodgers stayed, not, however. by
angry voice and loud ohjurgations. but
by the quiet. ruminatiye. half-com
planning remark, as he wiped his be-
spattered face: And they told me
these things We're shell-proof!" The
utterance and the manner thereof ap-
pcaled to the ever-alert American
sense of humor. The gunners rallied
and renewed the fight.
A CHIVALROUS DEED.
on another occasion, ! think when his
ship, the Weehawken. was i'm action
with the Confederate ironclad Atlanta.
Rodgers. having gone below for a mo-
mcnt, found a man of the turret crew
wandering about between decks. When
challenged to answer FOR cowardice
in deserving his post, the man made
no reply and was put in irons by Cap
tain Rodgers orders.
The fight over and the Atlanta n
prize. one of his officers. entering his
cabin. represented to him that the man
was no skulkcr, but on the contrary,
one of the best men on the ship. who
had been daZed and stunned by the
impact of a hostile missile on the tur
ret. against the inside of which he had
been leaning: that he had been or
dered below. and that when challenged
by the commanding officer he had not
yet recovered from the shock.
Rodgers ordered that the man should
be Immediately uDirOned, and at quar-
tcrs next day, when officers and ships
company were mustered. he thus curt
ly but pointedly addressed the sailor:
My man. | called you a coward yes
terday I find I was mistaken. and
lifting his cap. Il beg your pardon"
ficcr ever did nobcr and more gal
liant act, and one can well believe that
for a chief so loyal in his manhood to
his felloW-citiZens. so generous and
who'll -souled i'm owning his error. the
Wechawken's crew would have died to
n man.
1t is remarkable with what different
sentiments commands regard the cf-
forts of their subordinatcs to gain re-
nOWn.
Lord Woiseley. for example. would
have every officer burn to seize every
opportunity to Obtain personal distinc-
tion. Steady old Lord Clyde, on TIL.
other hand. held that an objection to
the Victoria Cross was its incentive ~
aides -de-camp and staff officers to
place themselves in prominent posi-
tions for the purpose of attracting at
tention." And he continues. ITO such,
life is of little value as compared with
the gain of public honor. but their con-
duct is a crual injustice TO other gal
liant officers. who. in all the excitement
of action, have important. responsible.
and self-abnegatory duties TO per-
form
have seen S;kob leff dash into the
turbulent heart Of half a dozen actions.
conspicuous above all men by the
white coat he wore and the white
charger h bestrode. and j have seen
him stand on the parapet of our earth
work for an hour at a time. the target
for a heavy fire. Those things seem
to SAVIOR of sheer reclSlassness. but they
were done in the intensity of devotion
to a purpose, that purpose being to
gain nrestigc. to inspire his man with
confid nee to follow whittier he led, to
stimulate them to daring by the force
of example.
re worked for results: and he mostly
attained them; when he failed 1t was
for no want of endeavOr to succeed
How he strovc is vividly described in
MacGahan's powerful etching Of him
returning from an effort which failed
for want Of support. You: gifted and
lamented cOuntryman wrote:
"He was in n fearful state of excite
ment and fury: his uniform was COW
cred with blood and mud; his sword
Of .,.ict tai