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Always mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy, if possible; and when you strike and overcome him, never let up in the pursuit so long as your men have strength to follow; for an army routed, if hotly pursued, becomes panic-stricken, and can then be destroyed by half their number. The other rule is, never fight against heavy odds, if by any possible maneuvering you can hurl your own force on only a part, and that the weakest part, of your enemy and crush it. Such tactics will win every time, and a small army may thus destroy a large one in detail, and repeated victory will make it invincible.

Thomas Jackson#17

Attribution disputed; shown as originally published.

StrategyBattleTacticsPursuitSurprise

About this quote

What does it mean?
Jackson advises confusing the enemy, pursuing aggressively, and attacking weak points.
In plain terms
He suggests surprising enemies, chasing them hard, and hitting where they are weakest.
What can you take from it?
Use surprise and focus force on weaknesses to win.

Where it applies

  • planning battle strategy
  • leading troops

Putting it to work

  • plan surprise maneuvers
  • focus on enemy weaknesses
  • pursue routed forces

Questions to consider

  • How do you gain advantage in conflict?
  • When is surprise better than strength?

Another view

Complex tactics require discipline that small armies may lack.

More from Thomas Jackson

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  3. I like liquor - its taste and its effects - and that is just the reason why I never drink it.

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