ntier. Was it, however, needful to provide for such extreme
eventualities? In certain cases foresight is almost an offence. They
were all of one mind, therefore, to be at their ease.

If they had been uneasy they would have cut the bridges of the Meuse;
but they did not even think of it. To what purpose? The enemy was a long
way off. The Emperor, who evidently was well informed, affirmed it.

The army bivouacked somewhat in confusion, as we have said, and slept
peaceably throughout this night of August 31, having, whatever might
happen, or believing that they had, the retreat upon Mezieres open
behind it. They disdained to take the most ordinary precautions, they
made no cavalry reconnaissances, they did not even place outposts. A
German military writer has stated this.[37] Fourteen leagues at least
separated them from the German army, three days' march; they did not
exactly know where it was; they believed it scattered, possessing little
unity, badly informed, led somewhat at random upon several points at
once, incapable of a movement converging upon one single point, like
Sedan; they believed that the Crown Prince of Saxony was marching on
Chalons, and that the Crown Prince of Prussia was marching on Metz; they
were ignorant of everything appertaining to this army, its leaders, its
plan, its armament, its effective force. Was it still following the
strategy of Gustavus Adolphus? Was it still following the tactics of
Frederick II.? No one knew. They felt sure of being at Berlin in a few
weeks. What nonsense! The Prussian army! They talked of this war as of a
dream, and of this army as of a phantom.

During this very night, while the French army was sleeping, this is what
was taking place.

[37] M. Harwik.

CHAPTER III.

At a quarter to two in the morning, at his headquarters at Mouzon,
Albert, Crown Prince of Saxony, set the Army of the Meuse in motion; the
Royal Guard were beat to arms, and two divisions marched, one upon
Villers-Cernay, by Escambre and Fouru-aux-Bois, the other upon
Francheval by Suchy and Fouru-Saint-Remy. The Artillery of the Guard
followed.

At the same moment the 12th Saxon Corps was beaten to arms, and by the
high road to the south of Douzy reached Lamecourt, and marched upon La
Moncelle; the 1st Bavarian Corps marched upon Bazeilles, supported at
Reuilly-sur-Meuse by an Artillery Division of the 4th Corps. The other
division of the 4th Corps crossed the Meuse at Mouzon, and ma