The battalions which had served longest in the Tonkin campaign could only with difficulty field as many as 500 men, while Schoeffer and Comoy's recently arrived battalions could put 800 rifles into line.
Batalyon yang paling lama bertugas dalam kampanye Tonkin hanya bisa dengan susah payah menerobos sebanyak 500 orang, sedangkan batalyon Schoeffer dan Comoy yang baru tiba dapat menempatkan 800 senapan ke dalam barisan.