In the campaign of 1745, Marshal Turenne lost the battle of Marienthal,
by neglecting this principle; for if, instead of reassembling his
divisions at Erbsthausen, he had rallied his troops at Mergentheim,
behind the Tauber, his army would have been much sooner reunited; and
Count Merci, in place of finding only three thousand men to fight at
Erbsthausen (of which he was well informed), would have had the whole
French army to attack in a position covered by a river.
Some one having indiscreetly asked Viscount Turenne how he had lost the
battle of Marienthal: “By my own fault,” replied the marshal; “but,”
added he, “when a man has committed no faults in war, he can only have
been engaged in it but a short time.”