il ▁knew ▁that ▁the ▁For re au - L amy ▁and ▁V ou let ▁miss ions ▁were ▁march ing ▁on ▁southern ▁Ch ad , ▁respectively ▁from ▁Al ger ia ▁and ▁Niger . ▁His ▁primary ▁goal ▁was ▁to ▁un ite ▁his ▁forces ▁with ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁V ou let - Ch ano ine ▁Mission ; ▁but ▁first ▁he ▁felt ▁he ▁had ▁to ▁free ▁himself ▁of ▁Rab ih , ▁and ▁so ▁left ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 3 ▁Fort - Arch amb ault , ▁leaving ▁only ▁twenty ▁men ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁mar éch al ▁de ▁log is ▁Bau gu ies . ▁Gent il ▁started ▁navig ating ▁the ▁Ch ari ▁up river , ▁counting ▁on ▁three ▁can n ons , ▁while ▁the ▁steam bo at ▁Lé on - B lot ▁and ▁their ▁bar ge ▁had ▁other ▁two . ▁A ▁column ▁formed ▁by ▁C oint et ▁and ▁Lam othe ' s ▁men , ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁Captain ▁Rob ill ot , ▁took ▁instead ▁the ▁ground ▁route ▁march ing ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁rivers ide . ▁ ▁On ▁October ▁ 2 6 ▁Gent il ▁enc amp ed ▁himself ▁near ▁the ▁hills ▁of ▁T og ba o , ▁at ▁only ▁ 2 0 ▁km ▁from ▁Rab ih ' s ▁forces , ▁where ▁he ▁ins pected ▁the ▁battle field ▁of ▁the ▁previous ▁fight ▁and ▁un ited ▁his ▁forces ▁with ▁those ▁of ▁Rob ill ot . ▁On ▁October ▁ 2 8 ▁Gent il ▁board ed ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁forces , ▁and ▁proceeded ▁to ▁K ou no ▁that ▁was ▁first