The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-07-11
BRAVE MEN FEAR A FIGHT
Nearly Al our Great GeaerOIs Confess to
Weak Moments.


Detroit Free Press: Ask any man
who ever followed General Sheridan In
one of his dashIng charges, and he will
declare with all the emphasis at his
command that no drawer man than
Little Phil" ever wore sword or went
into battle. One enthusiastic admirer
speaks OF him as the typical American
fighter Of his generation, and ali iaud
the daring which won him such rapid
promotion and such signal victories.
Long following the war Sheridan sat
beside the Int Charles a. Dana. at an
evening dinner party. General" said
Mr.. Dana, with his wonted directness,
"between ourselves, were you ever
afraid in battie?"
"My dear fellow" came the immedi-
ate reply, II have never seen the begin
ming OF battle without fear, and had
l followed my first impulse, I would
have run away every time. The men
who say they have never known fear
are liars and humbugs!"
General Grant, of whom grtZZied old
veteran said that he hadn't nerve In
his body or a cowardly drop of blood,
used almost precisely the same Ian
guage as did Sheridan, and always dis
trusted a man who loved to vaunt in
his own fearlessness. Hancock, with his
magnificent figure, his martial mien and
his gallant conduct, was the idol OF his
men, who called him 1.-THE Superb" yet
he said in his own impressive way, that
there were times Immediately preceding
general engagement that 1t was with
the most determined exercise Of will
Aa,nk kn ~ NJ
prehenslon.
"stonewair Jackson, whose title every
soldier that ever fought with him or
against him knows to be Rell-earned
one. and that he depended upon moral
rather than physical courage, and that
on the days that he fought with the
most intrepldlty II was not the excess OF
his own spirit that moved him 80 much
as the desire to inspire his men by an
example OF courage. Sherman had the
heartiest contempt for soldiers who de-
clared that they feared nothing or no.
BODY" and It was the opinion Of this
same general who made the march to
the sea that they were responsible for
much OF the incompetency, confusion
and disgrace In 1861.
Farragut was our greatest naval hero
OF the war, and his exploit while dashed
to the rigging In Mobile
Bay has given him a place among the
Immortals OF history, yet he was SOL
der upon principle. He never did any
thing for dramatic effect. He was mild
hammered and good-tempered, and did
his bravest deeds from n sense OF duty
rather than animal courage. When he
came down from his perilous place alott
on the Hartford, where he had won the
II,yn hn 1llFR
n woman would over the poor fellows
who had been Killed, and were laid out
on the deck.
jefferson, who was practically tlmid,
thought that Washington was born
without n 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 over
come fear 1t IS conceded on all sides
that Mad Anthony" Wayne was some
thing Of a daredevil, 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 every
four In the volunteer service would
prove n coward, and fall to meet the
demand made upon him when the
greatest nerve and persis;ency was re-
uured. They hunted cover when things
became hot. They would fall 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 II supposed 10 be at
It's best, but from the ranks OF business,
professional and Industrial Efe, mer-
10 nVsftAnna firm
ers' sons. college students and society