gry ▁drag ons , ▁and ▁reducing ▁Napoleon ' s ▁zone ▁of ▁control . ▁Laur ence ' s ▁orders ▁specify ▁that ▁no ▁pitch ed ▁batt les ▁are ▁allowed , ▁and ▁no ▁quarter ▁is ▁to ▁be ▁given , ▁despite ▁the ▁British ▁gu err illas ▁having ▁clear ▁superior ity ▁in ▁military ▁strength ; ▁Laur ence , ▁understanding , ▁dem ands ▁that ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁formation ▁receive ▁written ▁orders ▁that ▁they ▁follow ▁Laur ence ' s ▁commands ▁but ▁not ▁specifying ▁what ▁those ▁commands ▁might ▁be , ▁thus ▁protect ing ▁them ▁from ▁cul p ability ▁in ▁war ▁cr imes . ▁The ▁mission ▁is ▁instrument al ▁in ▁acc ustom ing ▁the ▁citizens ▁of ▁Britain ▁to ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁drag ons , ▁who ▁are ▁now ▁def ending ▁them ▁against ▁the ▁dep red ations ▁of ▁French ▁for aging ▁parties ; ▁despite ▁the ▁larger ▁size ▁of ▁these ▁resistance ▁f igh ters , ▁the ▁British ▁coun tr ys ide ▁becomes ▁as ▁protect ive ▁of ▁them ▁as ▁any ▁other . ▁Despite ▁this , ▁however , ▁Laur ence ▁eventually ▁dec ides ▁to ▁dis ob ey ▁orders ▁and ▁communic ates ▁this ▁to ▁W elles ley . ▁ ▁Fort un ately , ▁W elles ley ▁has ▁jud ged ▁the ▁time ▁ri pe ▁for ▁battle ▁and ▁mis const ru es ▁Laur ence ' s ▁reply ▁as ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁pass ▁responsibility ▁back ▁up ▁the ▁chain ▁of ▁command . ▁The ▁British ▁Army ▁is ▁deployed ▁out ▁to ▁the ▁southern ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁mouth ▁of ▁the ▁Th ames , ▁a ▁question able ▁position ▁which ▁W elles ley ▁knows ▁Napoleon ▁will