You will send tomorrow, the 4th, and at the latest, with any delay, in the morning on the day after tomorrow, the 5th, the four batteries of the Old Guard, the batteries of the Young Guard, all that remains of the supply trains, the administration of the Guard, the Sapper Company, the Marines company, the four Marines workers companies, the Bakers company and the other workers of the Guard, who will go to Soissons by Dammartin.

You will give orders to all of the Guard at Compiègne, Young Guard, artillery, cavalry, to also go to Soissons.

You will also prepare to send, Monday the 5th to go to Soissons: the 1st Lancers Regiment, a force of four squadrons and having at least 400 horses, the 1st and 2nd Chasseurs regiments, each one at a force of 400 horses, that will make the basis of the 1st Division; the 1st Dragoons Regiment and the 1st Grenadiers à Cheval Regiment, each with four squadrons; the total of this first column, five regiments or 2,000 horses.

You will also send with 60 Gendarmes, so as to form, with the 40 who are with the army, a number of 100.

You will send, Tuesday the 6th the 2nd Lancers Regiment (Lanciers Rouges), 3rd Chasseurs, 2nd Dragoons, and 2nd Grenadiers, that will make 1,600 horses that will also go to Soissons. These columns will go to Soissons in three days, to be there on the 8th or the 9th.

You will also order that the three Regiments of Lancers and the 1st and 2nd Chasseurs, each one at a force of 400 men, leave as soon as possible; and you will make sure that steps are taken so that there can be no delay.

All of these Guard detachments will take the Dammartin route.

You will send, also on Monday, the 3rd and 4th Chasseurs à Pied; Tuesday, the 3rd and 4th Grenadiers à Pied; Wednesday, the two 4the Regiments of Grenadiers and Chasseurs with the two 3rd Regiments of Voltigeurs and Tirailleurs, and you will take my orders Wednesday for the departure, on Thursday, for the two 1st Regiments of Grenadiers and Chasseurs, so that, on the 10th, all of the Guard, artillery, infantry, cavalry, military supplies, engineers, and administrations, are gathered in Soissons.

You will give the orders so that, on the 10th, all the Guard have four days of biscuit bread, and that its ordinary and auxiliary caissons are filled with bread; finally that at that time it presents a corps formed with three infantry divisions, of two cavalry divisions, and of one artillery reserve. All of the ambulances, all of the artillery, and the various detachments will be at their posts.

You will request from the artillery a company of pontoniers to support the Guard Marines and Sappers. Have a good officer from the pontonniers.

Correspondance Napoléon, 22006, 39927