It was soon too evident that the battle was lost, and that all that valour and skill could do, was to change the flight into a retreat.
Many personal reasons would have made Henri prefer returning towards Chatillon, but it had been decided that, in the event of such a disaster as that which had now befallen them, the cause in which they were engaged would be best furthered by a general retreat of all the troops across the Loire into Brittany; and consequently Henri, collecting together what he could of his shattered army, made the best of his way to St.Florent.The men did not now hurry to their homes, as they did after every battle, when the war first began; but their constancy to their arms arose neither from increased courage nor better discipline.
They knew that their homes were now, or would soon be, but heaps of ruins, and that their only hope of safety consisted in their remaining with the army.

This feeling, which prevented the dispersion of the men, had another effect, which added greatly to the difficulty of the officers.

The wives, children, and sisters of the Vendean peasants, also flocked to the army in such numbers, that by the time the disordered multitude reached St.Florent, Henri found himself surrounded by 80,000 human, creatures, flying from the wrath of the blues, though not above a quarter of that number were men capable of bearing arms.
De Lescure, in a litter, accompanied them to St.Florent, and Chapeau was sent back to Chatillon to bid the ladies and the old Marquis join the army at that place.

Chapeau was sent direct from the field of battle before it was known whether or no M.de Lescure's wound was mortal, and at a moment when Henri could give him nothing but a general direction as to the route which the army was about to take.

Chapeau reached Chatillon without accident; but having reached it, he found that his difficulties were only about to commence.