Human Nature Hitting Elephants

The universal human tendency to suffer from positive self-illusions not only starts many wars but also raises the chance of winning by bluffing... Perhaps the most famous last words in military history were uttered by an American Civil War officer, John Sedgwick: They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance. He was immediately killed by enemy fire at the battle of Spotsylvania in May 1864.
· Elephants [TelegraphUK]