Amédée Courbet
Admiral Amédée Courbet led the bulk of the Tonkin Expeditionary Corps to Sơn Tây. The French deployed around 9,000 men for the campaign, organised into two columns under the respective command of Colonel Belin and Colonel Bichot. Belin's column, 3,300 men strong, consisted of two Turco battalions ("chefs de bataillon" Jouneau and Letellier), one marine infantry battalion ("chef de bataillon" Roux) with an attached company of Cochinchinese riflemen, the 1st Foreign Legion Battalion (Lieutenant-Colonel Donnier), 800 Tonkinese riflemen ("chef de bataillon" Bertaux-Levillain) and three marine artillery batteries. Bichot's column consisted of three marine infantry battalions ("chefs de bataillon" Chevallier, Dulieu and Reygasse), each with an attached company of Cochinchinese riflemen, a battalion of "fusiliers-marins" ("capitaine de frégate" Laguerre), three marine artillery batteries and a 65-millimetre naval battery.