It was eight o'clock when these dispositions were completed; and about eleven o'clock, Pirch's Corps, which more than an hour before had quitted its bivouac near Mazy, was formed up in reserve to Zieten. The Fifth Brigade (General Tippelskirchen) stood across the high road, near its intersection with the old Roman road, in the customary Prussian Brigade order of three lines of Columns of Battalions at deploying intervals, and had in its front the two Batteries, Nos. 10 and 37. The Sixth Brigade (General Krafft) was posted in similar order in the rear of the Farm of Bussy, and in left rear of Bry. The Seventh Brigade (General Brause) stood more to the left: it had only the 14th Regiment then present, for the 22nd Regiment and the Elbe Landwehr did not rejoin it until one o'clock in the afternoon. The Eighth Brigade (Colonel Langen) was ordered to remain upon the high road leading from Sombref to Fleurus, until the arrival of the Third Corps (Thielemann's). One of its Battalions—the 3rd of the 21st Regiment—as also two Squadrons of the Neumark Dragoons attached to this Corps, had been left in the line of Outposts beyond the Meuse, towards Philippeville; and did not rejoin it until the 20th of June.
The Reserve Cavalry of Pirch's Corps, under General Jürgass, was stationed in rear of the high road, and on the west side of Sombref.
The twelve pounder Batteries, Nos. 4 and 8, and the Horse Batteries, Nos. 5 and 18, remained in reserve, near Sombref.
Thielemann's Corps, which had quitted Namur about seven o'clock in the morning, had reached Sombref before twelve. It was immediately assigned its position in that part of the Field which lies between Sombref and Balatre, and was posted in Columns upon both high roads, here to remain available for either a movement to the right, or for the occupation of the position in Left Front of Sombref, along the Heights in rear of the Ligny rivulet.
Such were the dispositions made by Blücher previously to Napoleon's advancing from Fleurus. The occupation of Ligny and St Amand—the most salient part of the position—by Zieten's Corps, and the posting of the Reserve Cavalry of the latter in the intervening space between those Villages and Fleurus, were justly calculated to secure for the Prussian Commander ample time for further developing his Line of Battle in such a manner as the direction and mode of his opponent's attack might render most expedient.
In the morning of the 16th, the French troops which lay along the Sambre, and which belonged to that main portion of the Army which was more immediately under the orders and guidance of Napoleon, quitted their bivouacs, and marched to join their leading Columns, the position of which in front of Fleurus was described in the Fourth Chapter.
It was past ten o'clock when these troops debouched in two Columns from the Fleurus Wood—the one along the High road, the other more to the right—and drew up in two lines within a short distance of Fleurus. In the First Line Pajol's Light, and Excelmans' Heavy, Cavalry, formed the Right, and Vandamme's Corps, the Left, Wing; while Gérard's Corps which had not received the Order to march until half past nine o'clock, arrived much later, and occupied the Centre. Girard's Division was detached some little distance on the extreme Left. The Imperial Guard and Milhaud's Corps of Cuirassiers constituted the Second Line. More than an hour was passed in this position before the arrival of the Emperor, who then rode along the line of Vedettes, and reconnoitred the Enemy's dispositions.