The alterations which had been made in the French army during the short period of the King’s residence in the capital were annulled, and the veteran legions of Napoleon resumed their ancient organization. The soldiers, with feelings of transport, welcomed the return of those banners which were identified with their dearest interests, and with the memory of their bravest achievements: ambition for military fame may, indeed, be said to have become the most prominent feature in the character of a nation where the youth were trained up in the love of glory from the cradle to manhood. The appeal to arms was, therefore, answered by the enrolment of nearly the whole male population of France. The revolts excited by the partizans of the Bourbons, in the valleys of the Rhone, the Garonne, and the Loire, were easily quelled; and the authority of Napoleon was established over every part of the empire. Armies were formed and stationed along the whole frontier, and prior to the commencement of hostilities, the several corps of the Regular Army, and of the Armies of Observation, were disposed in the following order:

ARMÉE DE FLANDRE.

The 1st corps, commanded by Lieut.-General Count D’Erlon, consisted of four divisions of infantry, one division of light cavalry, five batteries of foot, and one of horse artillery, with reserves, and was assembled at Lille and in its environs.

This corps formed a part of the army of the North, or, as it was called, of the Armée de Flandre. The force of this corps, including the reserves, may be stated at 34,000 men.

The 2d corps, commanded by Lieut.-General Count Reille, consisted of four divisions of infantry, one division of light cavalry, five batteries of foot, and one of horse artillery, with reserves, and was assembled around Valenciennes. This corps also formed part of the Armée de Flandre, and its force, including reserves, amounted to 36,000 men.

The 3d corps, commanded by Lieut.-General Count Vandamme, consisted of three divisions of infantry, one division of light cavalry, four batteries of foot, and one of horse artillery, with reserves, and was collected around Mézieres. The strength of this corps, which also formed part of the Armée de Flandre, amounted to 26,000 men.

The 4th corps, commanded by Lieut.-General Count Gérard, consisted of three divisions of infantry, one division of light and heavy cavalry, four batteries of foot, and one of horse artillery, with reserves, and was assembled at Metz and in its environs. This corps formed the basis of an army called the ARMY OF THE MOSELLE, but its position facilitated its junction either with the corps upon its left, or with the troops in Alsace: its force may be estimated at 24,000 men.

The 5th corps, commanded by Lieut.-General Count Rapp, consisting of three divisions of infantry, one of light cavalry, and six batteries of artillery, with strong reserves, was assembled at Strasbourg, and occupied all the neighbouring towns on the left bank of the Rhine. This corps formed the basis of the ARMY OF THE RHINE: its force amounted to 23,000 men.

The 6th corps, commanded by Lieut.-General Mouton, Count of Lobau, consisted of three divisions of infantry, one of light cavalry, and five batteries of artillery: it was assembling in the environs of Laon, and may be estimated, with its reserves, at 27,000 men. This corps formed the reserve to the Armée de Flandre or army of the North.

The 7th corps, commanded by Marshal Suchet, consisting of two divisions of infantry of the line, two of national guards (d’élite), and a mixed division of foreign troops, together with one division of light cavalry, and three batteries of artillery, was concentrated around Chambery: its force may be estimated at upwards of 36,000 men. Its object was to guard this part of the frontier, and to cover the approach towards Lyons.

FOUR CORPS OF CAVALRY,
commanded in chief by Marshal Count Grouchy, were attached to those of the above-named corps, forming the Ar mée de Flandre. They were the following:

The 1st corps of cavalry, commanded by Lieut.-General Count Pajol, consisting of one division of hussars, one of lancers and chasseurs, with two batteries of horse artillery, was assembled in the country between the Aisne and the northern frontier: its strength was of 3900 men.

The 2d corps of cavalry, commanded by Lieutenant-General Excelmans, consisted of two divisions of dragoons, with two batteries of horse artillery, and amounted to 3800 men.

The 3d corps of cavalry, commanded by Lieut.-General Kellermann, Count de Valmy, consisted of two divisions formed of dragoons and cuirassiers, and with two batteries of horse artillery amounted to 5000 men.

The 4th corps of cavalry, commanded by Lieut.-Gen. Count Milhaud, consisted of two divisions, all cuirassiers, and amounted to 4500 men.

Besides these seven corps of infantry and four corps of cavalry of the line, corps of observation, formed partly of troops of the line, and partly of national guards, were assembled upon different parts of the frontier. They were as follows:

ARMIES OF OBSERVATION.
The 1st corps of observation (of the Jura), commanded by Lieut.-General Lecourbe, consisted of one division of infantry of the line, part of a division of reserve, and a division of national guards (d’élite), with five batteries of artillery, amounting together to 17,800 men, was assembled around Befort, and guarded the passes of the Doubs and Jura: its right wing communicated with the seventh corps d’armée, under Marshal Suchet, and its left with the right of Gen. Rapp’s corps in Alsace.

A franc corps of the Jura was also raised to defend the passes of Morteau, Jougne, les Rousses, and les Faucilles.

The 2d corps of observation (of the Var), commanded by Marshal Brune, consisting of one division of infantry of the line, and one of national guards of the Dauphiny, with a corps of cavalry, and three batteries of artillery, amounting together to 16,900 men, was assembled around Antibes, and was intended to guard the frontier of the Maritime Alps.

The 3d corps of observation (of the eastern Pyrennees), commanded by Lieut.-General Delaborde, consisted of one division of infantry of the line, one division of national guards (d’élite), one of the national guards of Languedoc, a small body of cavalry, with three batteries of artillery, amounting to 22,500 men, were formed in Toulouse and the neighbouring districts.

The 4th corps of observation (of the western Pyrennees, or of the Gironde) commanded by Lieut.-Gen. Clauzel, consisting of one division of infantry of the line, one of national guards (d'élite), and one of national guards of Gascony, with a small body of cavalry, and four batteries of artillery, making together a force of 23,000 men, was concentrated round Bourdeaux.

The 5th corps of observation, or army of La Vendée, commanded by Lieut.-Gen. Travot, was formed of part of the troops of all the other corps excepting the 7th; of a part of the young guard; and of a very strong body of gendarmes, &c. &c.; with seven batteries of artillery, making together a force of 20,000 men. This force was actively employed in quelling the disturbances and revolts in la Vendée.

Thus a regular army of 224,200 men, formed into seven corps; and armies of observation, amounting to 100,200 men; making together a disposable force of 324,400 men, guarded the frontiers of the empire, besides THE IMPERIAL GUARDS, the élite of the whole French army, which were formed around Paris, consisting of three divisions of infantry, two divisions of cavalry, with strong reserves, and a large train of artillery, and amounting together to upwards of 30,000 men.

It must be observed, that the strength of those of the above named corps and of the imperial guard, which invaded Belgium, was not near so great as above stated; many being left in garrisons or detached on other services, and the reader is referred to the* special table of the forces which invaded Belgium, for an account of their composition and strength.

* See Appendix, No. V.

The forces which were raised for local defence, in national guards, coast guards, &c., may be estimated with tolerable accuracy, in round numbers, at 375,600. Hence we have,

The disposable force of  224,200 (troops of the line)
With the corps d’armées of
    observation of   100,200 (part of the line)
The imperial guard of  30,000 (all disposable)
The national guards, &c.  375,600 (troupes immobiles)

Making together a total of 730,000 effective men for the defence of the empire.

Paris and Lyons were fixed upon as two great centrepoints of resistance, around which, in the event of invasion, the different armies of the north and south were to rally. They were strongly fortified, and the different positions between the frontier and those capitals were intrenched. The fortresses along the whole line of frontier were placed in a respectable state of defence, and there was every appearance that the enemy would make the most determined resistance. Many of the most experienced officers were of opinion that Napoleon, contrary to the usual character of his tactics, would adopt this mode of warfare; but the brilliant prospect of defeating a part of the allied forces, by boldly carrying the war out of the French territory, and thus destroying the projected system of their combined efforts, was preferred. The allied forces were now formidably strong, and they were daily joined by fresh reinforcements; the delay therefore of a few days might destroy this chance of success, as it seemed probable that they themselves would in a short time become the assailants. Orders were therefore expedited for the assembly of the army of the north; but it did not appear that there was any particular point of concentration until after the seventh of June, on which day Caulincourt made his exposé on the state of the nation, and represented the immediate commencement of hostilities as the only means of securing the independence of France. From this time we may date the commencement of the campaign: the French army began to make important movements, and on the l0th it was concentrating in the following positions:

 The first corps at Valenciennes,
 The second corps at Maubeuge,
 The third corps between Marienbourg and Chimay,
 The fourth corps at Rocroy,
 The sixth corps at Avesnes,
 The imperial guard between Soissons and Laon.

The four corps of cavalry were distributed among the different corps of infantry on the banks of the Sambre.

At four o’clock in the morning of the 12th of June, Napoleon left Paris to join the army. He passed through Soissons, and arrived at Laon at six in the evening, immediately mounted his horse, made the tour of the city and ramparts, and at eight retired to the hotel of the prefecture, where he slept. On the following day he proceeded to Avesnes, and remained there on the 13th. On the 14th, at ten o’clock in the morning, he mounted his horse and rode to Beaumont; and the same day, the anniversary of the battles of Marengo and Friedland, issued his proclamation* to the army, which on that day occupied the following positions †:

 The first corps at Solre sur Sambre,
 Second corps at Ham sur Heure,
 Third corps in front of Beaumont,
 Fourth corps in front of Philippeville,
 Sixth corps in front of Beaumont,
 The imperial guard around Beaumont,
 The four corps of cavalry, under Marshal Grouchy, between Beaumont and Walcourt. The imperial head-quarters at Beaumont.

* See Appendix, No. VI.
† For the orders of the day, see Appendix Nos. VII. and VIII.