[Translator's Note: This set of orders is found on page 169 of Jean Lambert Alphonse Colin's Les Campagnes du Mar6chal de Saxe, Vol. III, Paris (1901-6). It has been translated from French into English. No doubt the original manuscript would have been in Dutch.

This document is remarkable in that it indicates that the Dutch were preparing to assault works or fortifications of some sort. This is implied by the assignment of 500 carpenters to a sort of "forlorn hope" consisting of 6 battalions of infantry and 12 squadrons of cavalry. One would assume that the carpenters were deemed necessary to cut openings in the French fortifications. In view of the fact that Prince Waldeck is frequently censured for his supposed failure in reconnaisance prior to the attack, this apparent Dutch awareness that they were about to attack a built-up area tends to contradict such allegations.

The other interesting fact is that Waldeck had ordered the army to march via the right. It is only at 2:00 a.m. that this order is contradicted by orders to march via the left. This last minute change in orders, especially the way in which it is worded, would seem to imply some missed communications and/or vacillating going on at the very highest links in the chain of command. Was Cumberland keeping Waldeck properly informed of plans, or did the Dutch so boggle their deployment as to require a totally different approach march than originally envisioned? All in all, it would appear that things were not going as originally planned.]

Orders for the Dutch Army Given Before and After the Battle of Fontenoy

Introduction
Camp of Brissoeil, 10th of May, 1745, 7:00am
Orders of General Cronstrom Cense de Bouchegnies, 10th of May, 1745, noon
2 o'clock in the evening [probably 2:00 a.m., 11 May]