[The following takes place during the American Civil War.]
He called for the surrender of the Union troops of Colonel Abel Streight near Rome, Georgia, after a long march that had exhausted both sides. Though he was significantly outnumbered, Forrest created an illusion of strength. He had only two artillery pieces, for example, but he ordered them passed back and forth across Streight’s line of vision as the two parlayed. “Name of God!” Streight exclaimed after watching this demonstration for a while. “How many guns have you got? There’s fifteen I’ve counted already!” Forrest glanced in the direction the Union commander was looking and replied nonchalantly, “I reckon that’s all that has kept up.”
As the discussion with Streight continued, Forrest periodically issued fake orders for the movement of troops that did not in fact exist. The few Confederates that were there marched back and forth across Streight’s line of sight, just as the artillery men had done with the two guns. It was a simple ploy, but it was enough to fool the Union commander. Streight ordered the surrender of fifteen hundred Federals to a rebel force half that size.
Source:
Farquhar, Michael. “The Wars of the Ruses.” A Treasury of Deception: Liars, Misleaders, Hoodwinkers, and the Extraordinary True Stories of History's Greatest Hoaxes, Fakes and Frauds. Penguin, 2005. 64-5. Print.
Further Reading:
I was listening to this podcast a bit back about Forrest that was pretty interesting. This tactic does not surprise me as Forrest was an expert card player, quite good at winning on a bluff.
https://www.spreaker.com/user/10740198/nathan-bedford-forrest-racist-kkk-founde