The word "understate" in literature is often employed to indicate the act of presenting facts or figures as less significant than they truly are. For instance, in one historical example [1] from Sherman's memoir, the term is used to point out the misrepresentation of enemy strength by quoting a lower figure than the actual might of Forrest's force. This use accentuates how understatement can serve as a rhetorical device to suggest either error or deliberate minimization, thereby setting the stage for dramatic irony or a critique of flawed judgment in strategic assessments.