The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03
BRAVE MEN FEAR A FIGHT,
Nearly All Our Great Generals Con-
fess to Weak Moments.
From the Detroit Free Press.

From the Detroit Free Press
Ask any man who ever followed Gen
Sheridan in one of his dashing charges.
and he will declare with AID the emphasis
at his command that no drawer man than
Little Phil' ever wore a sword or went
into battle. One enthusiastic admirer
speaks Of him as the typical American
fighter of his generation, and all laud the
daring which won him such rapid pro-
motion and such signal victories.
Long following the war Sheridan sat be-
side the late Charles A. Dana at an even
ing dinner party. General" said Mr.
Dana, with his wonted directness. be
tween ourselves were you ever afraid in
battle?"
MY dear fellow" came the Immediate
reply, Il have never seen the beginning
of a battle without fear, and had I fol-
lowed my first impulse, 1 would have run
have never known fear are liars and num-
bugs!
Gen Grant, of whom a grzzled old vet
eran said that he hadn't a nerve in his
body or a cowardly drop of blood, used
almost precisely the same language as did
Sheridan, and always distrusted man
who loved TO vaunt his own fearlessness.
Hancock, with his magnificent figure, mis-
martial mien and his gallant conduct was
the idol of his men, who called him The
Superb" yet he said in his own i'm
pressive way that there were times i'm
medlately preceding a general engagement
that it was with the most determined ex-
ercise of will power that he overcame his
sense of apprehension.
''Stonewan' Jackson, whose title every
soldier that ever fought with him or
against him knows to be a Well-earled
one, said that he depended upon moral
rather than physical coura ge, and that on
the days that he fought with the most
iutrepidity il was not the excess of his
own spirit that moved him so much as the
desire to inspire his men by an example.
of courage. Sherman had the heartiest
contempt for soldiers who declared that
they feared nothing or nobody" and il
was the opinion of this same general who
made the famous march to the sea that
they were responsible for much of the
iucompetency, confusion and disgrace in
1861
FarraGut was our greatest naval hero of
the war, and his exploit while dashed to the
rigging of the Hartford in Mobile Bay has
gwen HIM a place among the immortals of
history, yet ne was a soldier upon princi-
ple He never did anything for dramatic
effect. He was mild-mannered and good
tempered, and did his braVest deeds from
a sense of duty rather than animal cour-
age When he came down from his peril
GUS place aloft on the Hartford, where he
had won the fame that viii live forever he
wept like as q woman would over the poor
fellows who had been killed and were laid
out on the deck.
jefferson, who was physically timid,
thought that Washington was born with
out a sense of fear; but those who are
closer readers of character attribute the
bravery of the great leader to that more
exalted courage which can overcome fear.
1t is conceded on all sides that Mad An
thony" Wayne was some thing of a dare
devil, yet he was much the same stamp of
man as Sheridan, and Sheridan knew what
fear was The latter, with Sherman In
council, once estimated that one soldier
out of four in the volunteer service, would
prove a coward and fail to meet the de-
mand made upon him when the greatest
nerve and persistency was required. They
hunted cover when things became hot.They
would fan to the ground, pretending to be
sick wounded or exhausted.
One thing clearly established in the late
war, was that the best soldiers did not
come from the tough city quarters, where
brute courage is supposed to be at its
best bat from the ranks of business pro-
fegsional and industrial life, merchants
clerks, lawyers, artisans, farmers sons,
college students and society men.