In the first place he had to collect together the fragments of the disbanded army; to separate the men who were armed from those who had lost their arms, and to divide the comparatively speaking small number of the former, into such bands or regiments as would make them serviceable in case of need.
De Lescure was unable to give him any actual assistance in his work; but his thoughtful brain, reflecting on all the difficulties of Henri's situation, conceived how much they would be increased by the want of any absolute title to authority; he therefore determined, ill as he was, to invest him with the command-in-chief of the shattered army.
Early on the morning after their arrival he begged that all such men as had acted as chief officers among the Vendeans, and who were now in St.
Florent, would form themselves into a council in his room, and that it might be proclaimed to the army that they were about to nominate a General-in-Chief.

The council was not so numerously attended as that which on a former occasion was held at Saumur.

As Peter Berrier had said, most of those who then sat around that council table were now dead, or were, at any rate, hors-de-combat.

Only four of the number were now present.

De Lescure was lying on his bed, and was a spectacle dreadful to look upon.