ved Napoleon to be there,
while the Swiss strategist saw in this movement merely a means of
effecting a junction with Bernadotte's army, so as to cut off Napoleon
from the Rhine.[356] Unaware that the rich prize of Dresden was left
almost within their grasp by Napoleon's eastward move, the allies
plodded on towards Freiberg and Chemnitz, when, on the 23rd, the
capture of one of St. Cyr's despatches flashed the truth upon them.

At once they turned eastwards towards Dresden; but so slow was their
progress over the wretched cross-roads now cut up by the rains, that
not till the early morning of the 25th did the heads of their columns
appear on the heights south-west of the Saxon capital. Yet, even so,
the omens were all in their favour. On their right, Wittgenstein had
already carried the French lines at Pirna, and was now driving in St.
Cyr's outposts towards Dresden. The daring spirits at Schwarzenberg's
headquarters therefore begged him to push on the advantage already
gained, while Napoleon was still far away. Everything, they asserted,
proved that the French were surprised; Dresden could not long hold out
against an attack by superior numbers: its position in a river valley
dominated by the southern and western slopes, which the allies
strongly held, was fatal to a prolonged defence: the thirteen redoubts
hastily thrown up by the French could not long keep an army at bay,
and of these only five were on the left side of the Elbe on which the
allies were now encamped.

Against these manly counsels the voice of prudence pleaded for delay.
It was not known how strong were St. Cyr's forces in Dresden and in
the intrenched camp south of the city. Would it not therefore be
better to await the development of events? Such was the advice of Toll
and Moreau, the latter warning the Czar, with an earnestness which we
may deem fraught with destiny for himself--"Sire, if we attack, we
shall lose 20,000 men and break our nose."[357] The multitude of
counsellors did not tend to safety. Distracted by the strife of
tongues, Schwarzenberg finally took refuge in that last resort of weak
minds, a tame compromise. He decided to wait until further corps
reached the front, and at four o'clock of the following afternoon _to
push forward five columns for a general reconnaissance in force_. As
Jomini has pointed out, this plan rested on sheer confusion of
thought. If the commander meant merely to find out the strength of the
defenders, that c