About four o'clock in the morning
The royal bivouac was in a corn-field near to Merxleben , and everyone listened with anxious expectation until the morning dawned . All was quiet . The outposts sent in no news of any movement on the part of the enemy . About four o'clock in the morning one of the emissaries sent out several days before towards the south , returned with the intelligence that the Bavarians had been seen advancing in several detachments , and that even on the 25th they had reached Bacha . The complete inactivity of the enemy seemed to support this information , and it was believed the Prussian forces were drawn away in that direction . This idea gave great satisfaction in head-quarters , and it was determined to wait in a strong position for the confirmation of the intelligence and the approach of the Bavarians . General von Brandis alone shook his head , and opined that if the Bavarians were advancing and the Prussians occupied in the south , it was a stronger reason for hastening as quickly as possible to meet them , and stretching towards them a helping hand , before the overwhelming Prussian forces could come down upon them from the north .