The way in which the frontier was passed and the river sambre crossed before the first actions took place form between them the preliminaries of the campaign, and must be the subject of my next section.
"Waterloo"
Hilaire Belloc
It is at this stage advisable to consider why Napoleon had chosen the crossing of the sambre at Charleroi and the sites immediately to the north on the left bank of that river as the point where he would strike at the long line of the Allies.
"Waterloo"
Hilaire Belloc
The left, that is the First and Second Corps, to cross the sambre at Thuin, the Abbaye d'Aulne, and Marchiennes.
"Waterloo"
Hilaire Belloc