Editing Battle of Fleurus (1794) (section)

=== Orange's attack ===
On the French left, the prince of Orange commenced his advance at 1.30&nbsp;am on the morning of the 26th.{{sfn|Dupuis|1907|pp=336–342}}

Waldeck's column crossed the Pieton near Mont-A-Gouy (modern Gouy-lez-Pieton),<ref name="Charleroi"/> and advanced on Trazegnies, where he clashed with Montaigu, who retreated back across the Sambre by 9&nbsp;am to defend Marchienne-au-Pont, harried by Waldeck's forces, who occupied the forest of Moncaux behind them.{{sfn|Dupuis|1907|pp=336–342}}

Meanwhile, Frederic's column had encountered almost no resistance on its advance from Chapelle-lez-Herlaimont, capturing Anderlues and Fontaine l’Eveque and the castle of Wespes<ref name="Thuin">{{Cite web|last=KBR: The Royal Library of Belgium|date=1770–1778|title=The Ferraris Map|url=https://www.kbr.be/en/the-ferraris-map/|url-status=live|access-date=2 December 2021|page=82: Thuin|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530151728/https://www.kbr.be/en/the-ferraris-map/ |archive-date=2019-05-30 }}</ref> before finally being stopped at the heights of l’Espinette by Daurier's brigade, also between 9 and 10&nbsp;am. 

When Orange's forces attacked Montaigu, Kleber had immediately despatched 3 battalions and 3 guns from Duhesme's division in reserve to support Montaigu, but these arrived too late to help. With Montaigu in full retreat, these forces withdrew back to Kleber at the Pieton.{{sfn|Dupuis|1907|pp=336–342}}

At around 8&nbsp;am, Kleber decided to secure the bridges across the Pieton with General of Brigade [[Charles XIV John|Jean Bernadotte]]’s brigade of Duhesme's division to create a new refused French left flank after Montaigu's retreat. Later in the morning, with Montaigu holding the Sambre against Waldeck and Daurier holding l'Espinette against Frederic, Kleber decided to counterattack with Duhesme's reserve division in 3 columns.{{sfn|Dupuis|1907|pp=336–342}}

On the left, Kleber personally took command of one column against the forest of Moncaux. In the centre, Bernadotte would advance west from the bridge at Roux, and Duhesme would advance on the right against Courcelles and Trazegnies.{{sfn|Dupuis|1907|pp=336–342}}

Beginning their advance between 11&nbsp;am and noon, the columns of Duhesme's division pinned down Waldeck's forces throughout the afternoon, finally forcing him back to Forchies-la-Marche at 5&nbsp;pm.{{sfn|Dupuis|1907|pp=336–342}}

Meanwhile, Prince Frederic's column had been pushing hard against Daurier, and by noon, was threatening to capture the bridges further west at d’Aulnes and Lobbes, from which he could cross and cut off Daurier's retreat at Landelies. It was at this moment that Poncet's brigade of Montaigu's division, having retreated back across the Sambre at Rus and Marchienne-au-Pont, was ordered to recross and counterattack Frederic at Aulnes to support Daurier's defence.{{sfn|Dupuis|1907|pp=336–342}}

Poncet's brigade counterattacked in the early afternoon, and, combined with Daurier, drove Frederic back to the heights of Anderlues by 3&nbsp;pm.{{sfn|Dupuis|1907|pp=336–342}}

At this point, Orange, seeing that the French still stood strong and were even reinforcing their left, and concerned that he was too far forward to be supported by the next column on his left under Quosdanovich, decided to withdraw at around 5&nbsp;pm to Haine-Saint-Paul. Coburg's orders for a general withdrawal arrived soon after Orange had commenced his own withdrawal.

[[File:Map Fleurus 1794.jpg|thumb|Detailed contemporary map of the Battle of Fleurus, showing the total action of the battle from beginning to end. As this map was made while the war was still ongoing and the facts had not yet been clarified by later scholarship, note that there are some labelling inaccuracies, such as Muller's division being named instead of Duhesme's, and Kleber being given a division.]]