"The Saxons, the Belgians, the Hanoverians, the soldiers of the Confederation of the Rhine, lament that they are compelled to use their arms in the cause of the Princes, the enemies of justice and of the rights of all nations. They know that this Coalition is insatiable! After having devoured twelve millions of Poles, twelve millions of Italians, one million of Saxons, and six millions of Belgians, it now wishes to devour the States of the second rank in Germany. "Madmen! one moment of prosperity has bewildered them. The oppression and the humiliation of the French people are beyond their power. If they enter France they will there find their grave. "Soldiers! we have forced marches to make, battles to fight, dangers to encounter; but, with firmness, victory will be ours. The rights, the honour, and the happiness of the country will be recovered! "To every Frenchman who has a heart, the moment is now arrived to conquer or to die! "NAPOLEON." "THE MARSHAL DUKE OF DALMATIA, Major General." FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 6: In order to avoid the constant repetition of the prefix "von" to the names of the German Officers, I have omitted it altogether in the present edition; an omission, however, which I feel persuaded those Officers will not consider as involving any breach of courtesy or respect.] [Footnote 7: Prussian General Officers bearing the same family name, are usually distinguished by the addition of the Roman numerals. General VON PIRCH I. is named on the next page.] CHAPTER IV. NAPOLEON, by his precautionary measures of strengthening his Advanced Posts, and of displaying along the whole line of the Belgian frontier an equal degree of vigilance and activity, had effectually concealed from his adversaries the combined movements of his several _Corps d'Armée_, and their concentration on the right bank of the Sambre. During the night of the 13th, however, the light reflected upon the sky by the fires of the French bivouacs, did not escape the vigilant observation of ZIETEN's Outposts, whence it was communicated to the Rear that these fires appeared to be in the direction of Walcourt and of Beaumont, and also in the vicinity of Solre sur Sambre; further, that all reports received through spies and deserters concurred in representing that NAPOLEON was expected to join the French Army on that evening; that the Imperial Guard and the Second Corps had arrived at Avesnes and Maubeuge; also that, at one o'clock in the afternoon of that day, four French Battalions had crossed the river at Solre sur Sambre, and occupied Merbes le Château; that late in the night the Enemy had pushed forward a strong Detachment as far as Sart la Bussière; and lastly, that an attack by the French would certainly take place on the 14th or 15th.