from
Givonne to Bazeilles; a triangle of which the Meuse formed the
hypothenuse. The 12th Corps, formed of the three divisions of
Lacretelle, Lartigue, and Wolf, ranged on the right, with the artillery,
between the brigades formed a veritable barrier, having Bazeilles and
Givonne at each end, and Daigny in its centre; the two divisions of
Petit and Lheritier massed in the rear upon two lines supported this
barrier. General Lebrun commanded the 12th Corps. The 7th Corps,
commanded by General Douay, only possessed two divisions--Dumont's
division and Gilbert's division--and formed the other battle front,
covering the army of Givonne to Floing on the side of Illy; this battle
front was comparatively weak, too open on the side of Givonne, and only
protected on the side of the Meuse by the two cavalry divisions of
Margueritte and Bonnemains, and by Guyomar's brigade, resting in squares
upon Floing. Within this triangle were encamped the 5th Corps, commanded
by General Wimpfen, and the 1st Corps, commanded by General Ducrot.
Michel's cavalry division covered the 1st Corps on the side of Daigny;
the 5th supported itself upon Sedan. Four divisions, each disposed upon
two lines--the divisions of Lheritier, Grandchamp, Goze, and
Conseil-Dumenil--formed a sort of horseshoe, turned towards Sedan, and
uniting the first battle front with the second. The cavalry division of
Ameil and the brigade of Fontanges served as a reserve for these four
divisions. The whole of the artillery was upon the two battle fronts.
Two portions of the army were in confusion, one to the right of Sedan
beyond Balan, the other to the left of Sedan, on this side of Iges.
Beyond Balan were the divisions of Vassoigne and the brigade of Reboul,
on this side of Iges were the two cavalry divisions of Margueritte and
Bonnemains.

These arrangements indicated a profound feeling of security. In the
first place the Emperor Napoleon III. would not have come there if he
had not been perfectly tranquil. This Givonne Valley is what Napoleon I.
called a "washhand basin." There could not be a more complete enclosure.
An army is so much at home there that it is too much so; it runs the
risk of no longer being able to get out. This disquieted some brave and
prudent leaders such as Wimpfen, but they were not listened to. If
absolutely necessary, said the people of the Imperial circle, they could
always be sure of being able to reach Mezieres, and at the worst the
Belgian fro