Onthetwenty-fifthofAugust, sohishistorianstellus, Napoleonspentthewholedayonhorsebackinspectingthelocality, consideringplanssubmittedtohimbyhismarshals, andpersonallygivingcommandstohisgenerals.
TheoriginallineoftheRussianforcesalongtheriverKolochahadbeendislocatedbythecaptureoftheShevardinoRedoubtonthetwenty-fourth, andpartoftheline—theleftflank—, militaryornot, , noranyparticularcareortroubleonthepartoftheEmperorandhismarshals, norwasthereanyneedofthatspecialandsupremequalitycalledgeniusthatpeoplearesoapttoascribetoNapoleon; yetthehistorianswhodescribedtheeventlaterandthemenwhothensurroundedNapoleon, andhehimself, thoughtotherwise.
Napoleonrodeovertheplainandsurveyedthelocalitywithaprofoundairandinsilence, noddedwithapprovalorshookhisheaddubiously, , whowasnowcalledPrinced'Eckmuhl, toturntheRussianleftwing, Napoleonsaiditshouldnotbedone, (whowastoattackthefleches) toleadhisdivisionthroughthewoods, Napoleonagreed, thoughtheso-calledDukeofElchingen (Ney) venturedtoremarkthatamovementthroughthewoodswasdangerousandmightdisorderthedivision.
HavinginspectedthecountryoppositetheShevardinoRedoubt, NapoleonponderedalittleinsilenceandthenindicatedthespotswheretwobatteriesshouldbesetupbythemorrowtoactagainsttheRussianentrenchments, andtheplaceswhere, inlinewiththem, thefieldartilleryshouldbeplaced.
Aftergivingtheseandothercommandshereturnedtohistent, andthedispositionsforthebattlewerewrittendownfromhisdictation.
