William Reddington Hewlett Quotes

If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.

Of your own indefatigable labor from early dawn and of your explicit instructions, that the batteries should reserve their ammunition, until the grand charge should commence, for which the enemy were undoubtedly preparing.

The enemy would not have been in danger if Mr. Stanton had been in the field.

The position of General Banks leaves his position exposed. You are hereby directed by the President to immediately attack …

My center is giving way, my right is in retreat; situation excellent. I shall attack.

I think any student of military strategy would tell you that in order to attack a position, you should have a ratio of approximately 3 to 1 in favor of the attacker.

Falling little wind, it was five before I could form my line, or distinguish any of the enemy's motions; and could not judge at all of their force, more than by numbers, which were seventeen, and thirteen appeared large.

No general in the midst of battle has a great discussion about what he is going to do if defeated.

Soldiering … is the coward's art of attacking mercilessly when you are strong, and keeping out of harm's way when you are weak. That is the whole secret of successful fighting. Get your enemy at a disadvantage; and never, on any account, fight him on equal terms

We want to put pressure on the defense.

If we wish to fight, the enemy can be forced to an engagement even though he be sheltered behind a high rampart and a deep ditch. All we need do is attack some other place that he will be obliged to relieve.

When you determine to risk a battle, reserve to yourself every possible chance of success, more particularly if you have to deal with an adversary of superior talent, for if you are beaten, even in the midst of your magazines and your communications, woe to the vanquished!

Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted.

Surprise becomes effective when we suddenly face the enemy at one point with far more troops than he expected. This type of numerical superiority is quite distinct from numerical superiority in general: it is the most powerful medium in the art of war.

[The] aim is not so much to seek battle as to seek a strategic situation so advantageous that if it does not of itself produce the decision, its continuation by a battle is sure to achieve this. In other words, dislocation is the aim of strategy.

The spot where we intend to fight must not be made known; for then the enemy will have to prepare against a possible attack at several different points; and his forces being thus distributed in many directions, the numbers we shall have to face at any given point will be proportionately few.

Mass becomes immobile; it cannot manoeuvre and therefore cannot win victories, it can only crush by sheer weight.

With regard to ground of this nature, be before the enemy in occupying the raised and sunny spots, and carefully guard your line of supplies. Then you will be able to fight with advantage.

Ground which can be freely traversed by both sides is called accessible.

Appear at points which the enemy must hasten to defend; march swiftly to places where you are not expected.

One who has few must prepare against the enemy; one who has many makes the enemy prepare against him.

The art of war is to gain time when your strength is inferior.

With regard to narrow passes, if you can occupy them first, let them be strongly garrisoned and await the advent of the enemy.

As with ships, so with men; he who turns his back to his foe gives him an advantage.

It is very true that I have said that I considered Napoleon's presence in the field equal to forty thousand men in the balance. This is a very loose way of talking; but the idea is a very different one from that of his presence at a battle being equal to a reinforcement of forty thousand men.