The Savannah morning news., 1900-08-09
DIsOBEYING ORDERS
Ii Takes Nerve in Soldier TO Do
This Sort of Thing.

from the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Literal obedience to the military orders
of the general commanding an army in
battle has always been considered a sol
dier's duty BY soldier is not only meant
the man in the ranks. but the officers in
command of a regiment, a brigade, a di-
vision or a corps, as the case may be.
Obedience to orders ISSUED from the
headquarters Of the commander response
bic for the plan of battle has ever been
regarded as the first duty of those subor-
dinate in rank. but in charge of separate
units of the whole. Disobedience to orders
emanating from such authority during
the stress Of conflict is a crime punish
able with either death or courtmartial,
the severity depending upon the loss sus-
tanned or the seriousness of the result
due to a Noncompliance with the orders
received. There are many instances on
record however, which go to show that
the officer in supreme command not hav-
ing all the details of the vast field of oper-
ations well in hand. or perhaps misjudg
ing the situation; or, again, acting upon
misleading information, has given such
orders to a subordinate having command
Of an important number of troops and
holding a position of great value, which.
II tHty Hdu Deen lrnDlICHly Opeyed, WOULD
have entailed disaster. and the very result
desired would have been impossible to ac-
complish, thus turning a possible victory
into defeat.
II requires a man of strong will power
and self-reliance TO either disobey or
quietly ignore a command given him by
his chief during the stress of battle, but
there are cases on record, and well attest
de, showing there can be found a man
occasionally who has had the hardihood
10 act on his own responsibility at
critical juncture, even in direct opposi-
ton to the plainly given and plainly un-
derstood directions of his superior. One
need not go further back in history than
the recent short campaign that resulted
in the American victory at San Juan,
Cuba, during the late Spanish-American
War. 1t is a matter of history that the
affairs of neither Ell Caney nor of San
Juan would have occurred had not Gen.
Lawton and Gen Wheeler acted in di-
rect opposition TO the Instructions OF Gen.
Shafter the commander-in-ch chief, who for
some inscrutable reason did not wish to
bring on a general engagement. These
instructions were. however, ignored, those
officers being in better position to judge
of the situation than their commander,
six miles in the rear, and the consequence
Americans won.
On par with this is another historical
fact that Shafter notified the war depart
ment previous to the engagements in
question that he intended TO fall back 70
a point that would be a retrogade move
ment as far as the coast, virtual re-
treat. Before such move could be car
ried out, however, others on the field
took the initiative, and thus spared the
American people the humiliation of It's
army running away from the enemy for
no good reason.
How Nelson received the order to re-
treat given by Sir Hyde Parker az the
battle of Copenhagen is one of the most
stirring episodes of history. When It was
communicated to him that the signal to
leave off action had been hoisted on the
AdmiraI's ship, the London, he turned
10 Capt Foley, who was standing at
his side, and exclaimed:
Foley. you know l have only one eye.
have a right to be blind sometimes"
Then raising telescope 10 his blind eye,
he added: II really do not see the sig
nalr'
Truly It is an i'll wind that blows no
one any good, for the hero's blindness
on that day placed a glorious victory to
England's credit.
the cavalry at Waterloo, wellington gave
orders chat certain batteries were 10 be
abandoned and that the men were to take
refuge within the squares. Capt. Merch
ordered those under his command to stick
10 their guns. They obeyed and with
such success was their courage crowned
that thew repulsed three charges of the
Horse Grenadiers with so great slaugh-
ter that on the morrow the position they
had held could be ascertained by the vast
heaps of slain that lay around.
At victoria, in 1918, Wellington sent di-
rections to Lord Dalhousie to advance
with the Seventh Division, supported by
the Fourth and Sixth, and attack the
bridge The aide-de-camp.to whom was in
structed the delivery of the order, chanc-
ing to pass Gen. Picton, inquired Of him
whether he had seen Lord Dalhousie.
"No. sir" answered Picton but have
you any orders for me?"
The other replied in the negative.
Then pray, sir, what orders do you
bring?"
And on the aide-de-camp telling him
their purport, he added with extreme haul
teur:
"You may tell Lord Wellington for me.
sir. that the Third Division. under my
command. shall in less than ten minutes
attack the bridge and carry It, and that
the Fourth and Sixth Division may sup
port me if they choose"
Then with shout Of Come on, ye
Come on, We fighting Villains.
he put himself at the head Of his men
and galloped forward TO redeem his
promise.
Although Colonel-afterward Sir Henry
-Hardnge cannot be said at Aubuera to
have acted in direct contravention to or
ders. his assumption Of command at
time when the commander of the allied
armies. Gen. Beresford, had virtually
ordered a retreat, would, but for It's re-
sultant success. have entailed on him Sc
rious consequences.
AS it was, by ordering Gems Cole and
Abercrombie 10 advance with their d.
visions he completely changed the for
tunes of the day. and. by driving the
French before him down the hill, con-
dafaaf fptO a