He was a mean leader and even if he didn't want to be, he did it. Jimmy didn't want the men to die under his command, he didn't want to deal with the guilt, but above all he didn't want to be considered a coward for not having led them. “He would have placed the blame where it belonged.” (191). Cross felt guilty about Kiowa's death and felt it was his responsibility to apologize to his father. He had the courage to sit down and write a letter explaining how it was his fault. This is what makes a man courageous, recognizing what he has done wrong, or even what he thinks he has done wrong. The fact of the matter is that it wasn't really Jimmy's fault that Kiowa died, but someone had to take the blame and Cross' courage allowed him to do so. Lieutenant Cross' situation is different. He takes the blame for something that honestly wasn't his fault. If anything, it was Bowker's fault. Since he is their commander, he takes ownership. That's why Cross is so courageous, he takes someone else's mistake and takes full responsibility for it. This is the definition of being brave and Jimmy goes above and beyond to prove it. To actually take the blame for a man's death and tell his father you're sorry takes a lot of courage. War makes people take on things they wouldn't normally do. It turns boys into men and demonstrates cowardice or