entertain, for
the moment any immediate uneasiness. They knew, or at least they
thought they knew, that the enemy was a long way off. On calculating
the stages at four leagues daily, it was three days' march distant.
Nevertheless, toward evening the leaders took some wise strategic
precautions; they protected the army, which rested in the rear on
Sedan and the Meuse, by two battle fronts, one composed of the Seventh
Corps, and extending from Floing to Givonne, the other composed of the
Twelfth Corps, extending from Givonne to Bazeilles; a triangle of
which the Meuse formed the hypothenuse. The Twelfth Corps, formed of
the three divisions of Lacretelle, Lartigue and Wolff, ranged on the
right, with the artillery between the brigades, formed a veritable
barrier, having Bazeilles and Givonne at each end, and Digny in its
centre; the two divisions of Petit and Lheritier massed in the rear
upon two lines supported this barrier. General Lebrun commanded the
Twelfth Corps. The Seventh 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 two cavalry divisions of Margueritte and Bonnemains, and by
Guyomar's brigade, resting in squares on Floing. Within this triangle
were encamped the Fifth Corps, commanded by General Wimpfen, and the
First Corps, commanded by General Ducrot. Michel's cavalry division
covered the First Corps on the side of Digny; the Fifth 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 toward 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 division 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 c