From Mouvements des Troupes, #235

Paris, June 5, 1815

Order to begin the Army of the Moselle’s march upon receipt of the present; that is on 5 June and to direct it following the itinerary established for it to Rocroi where it must be on the thirteenth of this month without fail.

Draft of order from archives:

Paris, June 5 1815

To Lieutenant General Gérard, Commander of the Armée de la Moselle,

The Emperor, Count, has ordered me to inform you that his plan is that you begin the Army of the Moselle’s march, upon receipt of this order, that is to say, 7 June, and that you direct it following the itinerary, attached, to Rocroy where it must be on the thirteenth of this month without fail.

You will have your divisions march with the greatest of order, Generals, sergeants and officers at the head of their troops and leaving no man behind. You will determine the days, without subjecting yourself to the stages, but by war marches. You will first have your infantry divisions leave which will take with them their artillery, ambulances, etc., as well as their military transports; your artillery park will follow the infantry divisions and the Cavalry will leave only last. This Cavalry can even allow the infantry some lead and after, as it goes more quickly, it will catch up.

You will remain, in person, until the tenth on the line in order to place the National Guards of the 2nd Division of reserves commanded by General Rouyer, to whom I am giving the order to leave Nancy, upon receipt of my letter, that is to say, the seventh, to go without pause between Metz and Thionville. I am stipulating to General Rouyer that he precede his division and go immediately to you, in order to receive your instructions on the service for which his division will be responsible, and to take all of the service details upon his arrival.

The Emperor’s plan is that General Rouyer’s division relieve the army that you command on the line of the Moselle, and that it supply the posts necessary for the principal outlets; you will give instructions accordingly to this General and you will alert him as to the establishment of all of the posts of National Guard, Customs officers, forestry guards and Corps francs of partisans who are already established on the line and who must remain there under his orders.

After having thus agreed with General Rouyer, you will join your army at post and you will report its movement as well as the instructions that you will have left with General Rouyer to me.

You will ensure to hide your movements as much as possible, and you will announce that the army is headed toward Luneville; you will furthermore take new measures to stop any sort of communication with the border.

You will take care to ensure that before leaving, the troop is well provided for with an advance of four days of bread and a half pound of rice per man and that independently the caissons are brought with subsistence to be delivered during the route, or at Rocroy upon your arrival, in order that the advance not be undermined; it will furthermore be necessary that you have your divisions preceded by a War Commissary officer in order to have the previsions prepared along the way.

You will take the mounted artillery battery that is coming from the 5th Division of Cavalry Reserves, in order that it be ready on your arrival at Rocroy.

If the Cavalry movement that was stipulated to you in the order of the 3rd of this month has not already been executed, you will hurry it, such that no regiment remains behind.

Report to me all of the arrangements that you will make for the execution of this movement and make me aware of your troops’ march, day by day, in order that I can report it to the Emperor.