The principle of pursuit, the Trump reprieve, and the place of New St. Andrews and all of this.

January 22nd, 2025. Introduction. In the history of warfare, many a victory has been thrown

away through a failure to pursue. Sometimes the victory has been thrown away

entirely, and other times the victor is settled for an okay victory instead of an overwhelming

one. Pursuit is one of the basic principles of war, with principles here being distinguished

from methods. Methods of warfare would include destroyers or triremes, arrows or bullets,

howitzers or trebuches. But principles would be things

like surprise, mobility, concentration, and pursuit. Principles apply in every age, while methods

vary according to age and circumstance. Moreover, principles apply in every kind of conflict,

physical war, business competition, athletics, cultural war,

and spiritual war. And one of those principles is pursuit. Nothing can be done about it. There it is.

It will either be obeyed or neglected. How pursuit is neglected. After their victory at Gettysburg,

the Union forces prolong the war unnecessarily through their failure to pursue. And such a

failure is at least understandable, is it not? The two armies have faced off and you didn't know

who was going to hold the field at the end of the three days. When you were the one who emerged

from that battle victorious and the enemy has retreated and left you in possession of the field,

that is undeniably a victory. At such a point,

there's a real pressure on a general to just call it good. His troops are both bloody and weary.

They are ready to rest, exulting in their victory. It takes real wisdom and insight and charisma

for a general to be able to say, and now we will march all night. We can see Gideon observing this principle in his great challenge to the Midianites.

He had already routed them completely, but he was not content with having routed them completely.

He wanted much more than that.

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