Evening journal., 1912-06-22
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The CannOnade That Could
Make Fremont Break His
Promise
By Holland


Z suppose every commanding on
Ger upon either side during the Civil
War had evidences of great personal
bravery IN the midst Of action
brought to his attention" said Major
General Daniel Butterfeld to me a few
years before his death, in 1902. Cen
eral Butterheld fought through the
Peninsulsr campaign. an Fredericks-
burg Chsncellorsville and Gettys-
burg under Hooker at Chattanooga,
and commanded a division IN Sher-
mans Georgia campaign.
lin the very heat of battle contin-
ued General Butterfeld, "of course il
ceases TO be q question of courage.
Oficers and men are alike oblivious
10 danger II is only at times when
Il is impossible to return a fire, or
when a commanding officer is exposed
10 FIRE al time when he must hold
his ground that one is called upon TO
show real physical as well as moral
courage. 7 have sometimes thought
that the best example of that kind of
courage, the courage which IS con
scious of grievous danger and yet ig-
nores IT, was displayed by General
John c Fremont at the battle Of
Cross Keys in June, 1862
AT a time when there was a lull in
the battle and when General Fremont
and some Of his staff stood in an ex-
posed place, a brigadier general un-
der Fremont thought it would be a
good time for him TO write telegram
to his wife.
"Of course, a telegram written
upon the field of battle could not lbe
forwarded unless it received the ap-
proval OF the commanding officer.
Therefore, General Fremont was ask
ed by this officer If he would approve
telegram which could be taken to
the telegraph post in the rear
and from that point sent to the ON
GERS home.
Have you got your order book
with YOU? General Fremont asked.
And when the officer replied that be
had, Fremont told him to go ahead
and write bis telegram and he would
gladly countersign it with the word
Approved
The ofhcer thereupon sat down
upon a stump and holding his order
book upon his knee, started to write
his telegram. At that instant an at
tack was made on the position by a
masked Confederate battery. or, at
least by a battery which Fremont
and his staff had not seen. II was a
very fierce attack. and all the mem
bers of the staff turned to seek a place
of safety. The officer who was about
to write a telegram also turned and
was making ready to depart, when,
looking up, he saw General Fremont,
apparently perfectly undisturbed,
standing by his side. Fremont asked
him if he had written his telegram
| and when the officer replied that he
had not completed il, Fremont. while
the bullets we're still whistling about
him, said very quietly:
Write It; 1 am waiting here to
approve it; I have promised you
that I would approve it,
THE officer then went through the
motion OF writing not being able tc
do anything else because he was con
scious of the danger He wasn't in
any frame of mind to write a tele-
/ gram. but he pretended to. Then he
/ passed the paper up to Fremont, Gov
cred, as It was, with meaningless
scrawls- Fremont took the pencil with
/ perfect self-composure wrote Approx
ed. Fremont and then said in the
same quiet voice as before They
seem on the other side to have got
a range upon us IL may be wise
for us TO retire 20 the valley beyond
And with the bullets still whlstling
around them. Fremont and this olH-
Ger withdrew quietly and composedly
as though they were walking out OF
a garden.
Il don't believe concluded General
Butterheld that there was hser
demonstration of perfect physical
courage during the entire war tnh
that made by General Fremont II
/ Cross Keys"
Copyright 1912, by p. J Edwards
All rights reserved)