Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 7.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

The author of Soldiers and their science says of Tamerlane; “Born to comparatively humble fortunes, irresistible obstacles seemed to lie across the path of his ambition, and yet one by one he overcame them. . . His plans were deeply meditated; before embarking in an enterprise he examined the avenues of retreat, and he himself tells us that the principles of his tactics were uniform. It was his maxim that success came not from the greatness of armies, but from skillful and judicious measures. Shepherds and hunters, mounted on light hardy horses, and wielding the javelin and the bow, followed the standard of Timour; he covered them neither with defensive armor nor unfamiliar weapons. He respected and even drew advantage from that untamed and adventurous spirit, which, regarding close restraint as insupportable, gave so large a scope to daring intelligence and prowess. . . . He relied much on rapidity of movement, and often disconcerted his enemies by falling on them unawares, and cutting them up in detail — in his own words, he charged quick and hot on the foe, and never let the plain of battle cool. He at least had made, if not announced, the discovery, since attributed to Marshall Saxe, ‘that the secret of an army's success is in its legs.’ . . . . On all occasions his march was preceded by clouds of flying scouts, who, piercing the country in every direction, kept him constantly informed as to its varied resources and the dispositions of the enemy.” With change of name a better description of Forrest could scarce be written.