There was not much speed to be got out of these farm animals, to be sure, but they were of prodigious strength.

The ordinary gun teams were relieved, and numbers of these plow-horses attached to the limbers pulled the precious artillery steadily toward the enemy.
Scouts had discovered the fact that Olsuvieff's division was preparing breakfast on the low plateau upon which was situated the village of Champaubert, which had been observed by Marteau and Bal-Arret.
Napoleon reconnoitered the place in person from the edge of the wood.
Nansouty's cavalry had earlier driven some Russian skirmishers out of Baye, but Olsuvieff apparently had no conception of the fact that the whole French army was hard by, and he had contented himself with sending out a few scouts, who, unfortunately for him, scouted in the wrong direction.
While waiting for the infantry under Marmont to come up, Napoleon sent Nansouty's cavalry around to the left to head off Olsuvieff's advance and interpose between him and the rear guard of Sacken's division.
Even the noise of the little battle--for the skirmish was a hot one--a mile down the road, did not apprise the Russian of his danger, and it was not until the long columns of the French came out of the wood and deployed and until the guns were hauled into the clearing and wheeled into action, that he awoke to the fact that an army was upon him and he would have to fight for his life.
With his unerring genius Napoleon had struck at the key position, the very center of Bluecher's long drawn-out line.

With but thirty thousand men attacking eighty thousand he had so maneuvered as to be in overwhelming force at the point of contact! In other words, he had got there first with the most men.

Bluecher's army was separated into detachments and stretched out over forty miles of roads.
Olsuvieff's division comprised five thousand men with twenty guns.

At first Napoleon could bring against him not many more than that number of men and guns, to which must be added Nansouty's small cavalry division.