The toil was stupendous:  in one of the steep hollow tracks a number of cannon and wagons stuck fast; but the Emperor, making his rounds at midnight, brought the magic of his presence to aid the weary troops and rebuke the officers whose negligence had caused this block.  Lantern in hand, he went up and down the line to direct the work; and Savary, who saw this scene, noted the wonder of the men, as they caught sight of the Emperor, the renewed energy of their blows at the rocks, and their whispers of surprise that he should come in person when their officers were asleep.  The night was far spent when, after seeing the first wagon right through the narrow steep, he repaired to his bivouac amidst his Guards on the summit, and issued further orders before snatching a brief repose.  By such untiring energy did he assure victory.  Apart from its immense effect on the spirits of his troops, his vigilance reaped a rich reward.  Jena was won by a rapid concentration of troops, and the prompt seizure of a commanding position almost under the eyes of an unenterprising enemy.  The corps of Soult and Ney spent most of the night and early morning in marching towards Jena and taking up their positions on the right or north wing, while Lannes and the Guard held the central height, and Augereau’s corps in the Muehl-thal threatened the Saxons and Prussians guarding the Schnecke.[106]

A dense fog screened the moves of the assailants early on the morrow, and, after some confused but obstinate fighting, the French secured their hold on the plateau not only above the town of Jena, where their onset took the Prussians by surprise, but also above the Muehl-thal, where the enemy were in force.

By ten o’clock the fog lifted, and the warm rays of the autumn sun showed the dense masses of the French advancing towards the middle of the plateau.  Hohenlohe now saw the full extent of his error and despatched an urgent message to Ruechel for aid.  It was too late.  The French centre, led by Lannes, began to push back the Prussian lines on the village named Vierzehn Heiligen.  It was in vain that Hohenlohe’s choice squadrons flung themselves on the serried masses in front:  the artillery and musketry fire disordered them, while French dragoons were ready to profit by their confusion.  The village was lost, then retaken by a rally of the Prussians, then lost again when Ney was reinforced; and when the full vigour of the French attack was developed by the advance of Soult and Augereau on either wing, Napoleon launched his reserves, his Guard, and Murat’s squadrons on the disordered lines.  The impact was irresistible, and Hohenlohe’s force was swept away.  Then it was that Ruechel’s force drew near, and strove to stem the rout.  Advancing steadily, as if on parade, his troops for a brief space held up the French onset; but neither the dash of the Prussian horse nor the bravery of the foot-soldiers could dam that mighty tide, which laid low the gallant leader and swept his lines away into the general wreck.[107]