As word spread along the line of vehicles dark figures rose up and waved and cheered as Napoleon and his escort trotted past without acknowledging them. The road began to climb the slope and as the gradient steepened the road ended and a crude track began, snaking up the hill. Here Napoleon found the head of the artillery train, where a small crowd of gunners and their officers stood in the light of several torches and lanterns. Scores of men were labouring on traces to haul a twelve-pounder up the narrow track, and every pace gained came with painful slowness.

‘What is going on here?’ Napoleon called out sharply as he reined in. ‘Why the delay? These guns should be halfway up to the ridge by now.’

The brigadier in charge of the artillery train stepped forward with an apprehensive expression and gestured towards the track.‘Sire, you can see for yourself. It’s the track. Little more than a bridle path. It’s poor going for anything larger than a dog cart.’

Napoleon swung himself down from the saddle, took a lantern from one of the artillerymen and began to examine the ground just in front of the leading gun.The path was narrow, uneven and littered with small boulders, some wedged into the soil and loose gravel. More than enough of a challenge to the artillery train, he conceded. Nevertheless, the guns had to be in position on the ridge and ready to fire at first light. Napoleon strode back down the hill towards the brigadier.

‘Order the artillery train to halt.’

‘Yes, sire.’

‘Then give the order for every pick and shovel in the artillery train, and from the engineers back in Jena, to be brought here.’ Napoleon turned to one of his escort.‘I want each battalion of the Imperial Guard to work for an hour on improving the track before they move up to the ridge. Pass the word.’

While the two officers hurried off to carry out his orders Napoleon walked a short distance up the narrow path, inspecting the ground closely. In places the track was little more than a pace wide and that width would need to be tripled before the twelve-pounders and artillery caissons could pass along it. In addition, the boulders would have to be dug out to make the route as level as possible for the heavy wheels of the wagons and gun carriages. It would be back-breaking work and the men would curse him for it, but there was no other way to get the guns to the top of the Landgrafenberg by dawn.