At 7.30 on the evening of August 25 the orders were issued for the retreat to be continued the next day for a further ten or fifteenmiles. TheBritishhighercommands,intheconfusionof retirement, were in a considerable fog as to the exact direction of the German pursuit or the strength of the forces which were immediately threatening them. That within a few miles there were formidable bodies of the enemy, the actions at Landrecies and Maroilles clearly showed. The 2nd corps, too, had been inv'olvedinarearguardactionatSolesmes. TheGermanswere known to be hurrying troops towards the west flank of the
British. Sir John French evidently considered that the best means of saving his small army was by continued retirement.
The retreating units of the 2nd corps were in some considerable confusion, and Sir H. Smith-Dorrien's decision to stand was partly based on the impossibility of assembling them for further retirement before dawn. General Allenby had reported that unless this were practicable the enemy would be upon them before they could escape. He further reported that his cavalry were too scattered and too exhausted to be of effective assistance in covering the retreat. General Hubert Hamilton (3r(f division), when asked by the corps commander whether he could be on the move whOe it was yet dark, replied that many of his units were only just coming in, and that it would be impossible to assemble them for retreat before 9 a.m. It was after consultation with these generals, and bearing in mind the fatigued condition of his troops, that Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien made his momentous decisiontogivebattle. Todothatitwasnecessarytosecurethe consent of the divisional commanders to act directly under his orders—^andthiswasreadilygiven. Amessagewassent(about 5 a.m.) to G.H.Q., St. Quentin, and it is interesting to record the first reply from Sir John French to Sir Horace Smith- Dorrien's decision. It concluded
If you can hold your ground the situation appears likely to improve. Fourthdivisionmustcooperate. Frenchtroopsare takingoffensiveonrightofistcorps. Althoughyouaregiven a free hand as to method, this telegram is not intended to convey the impression that I am not as anxious for you to carry out the retirement, and you must make every endeavour to do so.
The 4th division here mentioned was *a unit of the 3rd army corps,themainbodyofwhichwasstillinEngland. Itwascom-
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THE BRITISH RETREAT