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Top 10 Biggest Cowards In History

Top 10 Biggest Cowards In History
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VOICE OVER: Peter DeGiglio WRITTEN BY: George Pacheco
From battlefield deserters to those who abandoned their duty in moments of crisis, history is filled with tales of those who chose self-preservation over honor. Join us as we examine the most notorious examples of individuals who failed to stand their ground when courage was demanded, leaving others to face the consequences of their retreat. Our countdown includes Francesco Schettino's cruise ship abandonment, Robert Ford's cowardly assassination, William Hull's controversial surrender, Ted Kennedy's Chappaquiddick incident, and more! What do you think defines a coward? How would you react in a life-or-death situation? Let us know in the comments!

#10: William Hull


What exactly constitutes an act of cowardice? It’s often a malleable thing that can shift, depending upon one’s point of view. The motives behind William Hull’s surrender to General Isaac Brock during the War of 1812 could be perceived as honorable. The American General was under the assumption that the combined British and Native American forces would ultimately rout his men. Hull’s surrender was intended, in Hull’s own words, designed to spare his battalion “the horrors of a…massacre.” American officials didn’t see it this way, however, and Hull was court-martialed for cowardice in 1814. His sentence of death was ultimately commuted by President James Madison, thanks largely in part to Hull’s service record during the Revolutionary War.

#9: Horatio Gates


What a difference a couple of years make. The military career of Horatio Gates was notable for both victory and defeat. The former was at the Battles of Saratoga during the Revolutionary War. However, Gates’ legacy is complicated by an embarrassing showing at the Battle of Camden, in 1780. The Major General’s forces lost to Britain’s Lord Cornwallis, despite the Americans having the upper hand in terms of numbers. Gates’ leadership was ultimately lacking, and he allowed a thousand of his men to be captured by the British. His chaotic organizational skills couldn’t even be relied upon in retreat, with Gates himself essentially abandoning the field on horseback.

#8: James H. Ledlie


The Siege of Petersburg lasted over 10 moinths during the American Civil War, and was mired by embarrassing military gaffes such as this one as the Battle of the Crater. The Union forces should’ve made the most out of the titular crater blown into Confederate forces by their mines. Instead, the end results were mass confusion and mass casualties. Meanwhile, General James H. Ledlie lurked safely behind a bunker, reportedly drinking alcohol while his men perished. An inquiry into Ledlie’s conduct was committed shortly thereafter, effectively ending his military career.

#7: Ted Kennedy


The presidential hopes of then-Senator Ted Kennedy were effectively squashed after the Chappaquiddick incident back in 1969. Kennedy’s car overturned in a body of water after he left a party on Martha’s Vineyard. A young woman in the car, Mary Jo Kopechne, became trapped within the submerged vehicle, and perished at the scene. Kennedy, for his part, claimed that he attempted to rescue Kopechne, both at the time of the accident and later on with his cousin and an associate. However, Kennedy neglected to inform the police about the accident until the next day. Accusations of impropriety, drunk driving and cowardice followed Kennedy until his death in 2009.

#6: Gideon Johnson Pillow


It always pays to possess friends in high places. Gordon Johnson Pillow helped James K. Polk win the presidential nomination at Democratic National Convention in 1844. Polk wound up being instrumental in bailing out Pillow during his multiple military missteps. This included downgrading a potential court martial for insubordination in 1848. Later, Pillow joined the confederates in the Civil War, tarnishing his reputation further at the Battle of Fort Donelson in 1862. The command post got hot potatoed from Pillow to Brigadier General Simon Buckner. The latter surrendered his confederate forces to Ulysses S. Grant, while Pillow and the man who had passed command on to him, John B. Floyd, turned tail and ran away.

#5: Lloyd Fredendall


Army leadership can be relieved of their command posts for a number of reasons. Lloyd Fredendall was a U.S. Lieutenant General during World War II, who was replaced by Major George S. Patton after the infamous Battle of Kasserine Pass. Those under Fredendall’s command were said to have referred to his leadership style as cowardly and the Lieutenant’s demeanor as boastful, yet without the desire to back up his words with actions. The final nail in the coffin for Lloyd Fredendall as a leader came as a result of “Speedy Valley,” a bunker Fredendall had built during Kasserine Pass. The General essentially hid out there as his Allied forces suffered casualties, yet blamed the failure of this operation upon everybody but himself.

#4: Lavrentiy Beria


Many of us wonder how we might react, if we ever had to stare down the barrel of a gun. Lavrentiy Beria was a serial sexual predator and a sycophantic member of Joseph Stalin’s secret police. Beria’s reputation as a shrewd politician was evidenced by the wealth of blackmail material the Internal Affairs Minister compiled against both colleagues and enemies. Yet when justice came calling for Lavrentiy Beria in 1953, his reaction was anything but brave or defiant. The man reportedly fell to his knees, groveling and begging for his life to be spared. This was not to be, however, and Lavrentiy Beria was shot at point blank range, after a short trial without the benefit of counsel or appeal.

#3: Robert Ford


This next entry has remained within the public consciousness thanks to films such as 2007’s “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.” Ford actually rode alongside James and his brother as a member of the James-Younger Gang, but he would eventually become infamous for shooting Jesse James in the back of the head. Robert Ford and his brother Charley decided to take Missouri Governor Thomas T. Crittenden up on his bounty for James’ death. The Fords would later reenact their cowardly attack from behind in various saloon shows. Yet today, Robert Ford’s legacy remains that of a coward, rather than an outlaw.


#2: Eddie Slovik


The United States military hasn’t executed a soldier for desertion since the death of Eddie Slovik back in 1945. This World War II-era soldier fully admitted to his desertion, as well as the fear of frontline combat that initiated his request to be stationed in a rear-guard position. The soldier also claimed that his execution was influenced, in part, to his past history as a petty criminal prior to his military service. Slovik wasn’t the only one of his kind to be given a death sentence during this time, with many others having their sentences commuted. Slovik, however, had no such luck. Slovik and his final remains were interred in an area housing soldiers that had been executed for wartime murders and sexual assaults.


#1: Francesco Schettino



We’ve seen a lot of historical examples of cowardice thus far in this list, but the case of Francesco Schettino is a comparatively recent story that made headlines back in 2012. Schettino was the captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship during its fatal capsizing in January of that year. The naval disaster resulted in 33 deaths, after the Costa Concordia accidentally struck an underwater rock. Schettino, for his part, abandoned his ship prior to the evacuation of everybody on board. He received scathing nicknames such as “Captain Coward” and “Chicken of the Seas,” yet the Costa Concordia disaster was truly no laughing matter. Instead, Francesco Schettino was sentenced to 16 years in prison for his actions.

What, to you, defines a coward? How do you think you’d react in a life-or-death situation? Sound off in the comments below.

historical cowards famous deserters military cowardice battlefield desertion Francesco Schettino Costa Concordia Eddie Slovik Robert Ford Jesse James Lavrentiy Beria Lloyd Fredendall Gideon Johnson Pillow Ted Kennedy James H. Ledlie Horatio Gates William Hull infamous surrenders wartime cowardice disgraced leaders military failures court martial historical betrayals Documentary watchmojo watch mojo top 10 list mojo
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