be added,
the appreciation of whose movements and failure is the whole explanation
of the coming battle.

The fifth column was a body of no less than 16,000 men coming from the
main Austrian body far south, and ordered to be at St Amand upon the
Scheldt somewhat before the concentration of the other four columns, and
to advance from St Amand to Pont-a-Marcq. Upon reaching Pont-a-Marcq this
fifth column would be in line with the other four at Warcoing, Bailleul,
Templeuve, and Froidmont, and ready to take its part in the great forward
movement towards the north.

In order to appreciate the way in which the issue was bound to depend upon
this fifth column, I must now detail the orders given to all six, the five
columns in the valley of the Scheldt, and the sixth body, under Clerfayt,
north of the Lys; for it is these orders which constitute the soul of the
plan.

Bussche, with his small body of 4000 Hanoverians, the first column, had
the task of "holding" the apex of the French wedge when the attack should
begin. That is, it was his task to do no more with his inferior forces
than send one portion up the road towards Courtrai, so that the advanced
French troops there should be engaged while another part of his small
command should attack the little town of Mouscron, which the French held,
of course, for it was within their wedge of occupation. It was obviously
not hoped that this little body could do more than keep the French
occupied, prevent their falling back towards Lille, and perhaps make them
believe that the main attack was coming from Bussche's men.

The second column, under Otto, was to advance upon Tourcoing, in those
days a little town, now a great manufacturing city.

The third column, that under the Duke of York, was to march side by side
with Otto's column, and to make for Mouveaux, a village upon a level with
Tourcoing upon this line of advance, and to be reached by marching through
Roubaix (now also a great manufacturing town, but then a small place).

None of these advances, Bussche's, Otto's, or York's, was of any
considerable length. The longest march through which any of these three
columns had to fight its way was that of the Duke of York from Templeuve
to Mouveaux, and even this was not eight miles.

The fourth column, under Kinsky, had a harder task and a longer march. It
was to carry Bouvines, which was in the hands of the French and nearly
seven miles from Froidmont (Kinsky's point of depar