Livius permitted Hasdrubal to penetrate into Italy to a point a few miles south of the Metaurus River; whereupon Nero, taking 7,000 of his best troops, by a rapid march of 200 miles united with Livius; and the two consuls at once falling upon Hasdrubal utterly annihilated the Carthagenian army. Nero returned at all speed and the first news of his march and of the death blow to the Carthagenian projects against Rome was furnished by the sight of his brother’s head, which Nero cast into Hannibal’s camp from a military machine.
The true method for uniting the Columns of Support to a Column of Attack is thus shown by Gustavus Adolphus:
“We encamped about Nuremberg the middle of June, the army after so many detachments was not above 11,000 infantry and 8,000 horse and dragoons. The King posted his army in the suburbs and drew intrenchments around the circumference so that he begirt the whole city with his army. His works were large, the ditch deep, planked by innumerable bastions, ravelins, horn-works, forts, redoubts, batteries and palisades, the incessant labor of 8000 men for fourteen days.
“On the 30th of June the Imperialists, joined to the Bavarian army arrived and sat down 60,000 strong, between the city and the friendly states; in order to intercept the King’s provisions and to starve him out.
“The King had three great detachments and several smaller ones, acting abroad, reducing to his power the castles and towns of the adjacent countries and these he did not hasten to join him until their work was done.
“The two chief armies had now lain for five or six weeks in sight of each other and the King thinking all was ready, ordered his generals to join him. Gustavus Horn was on the Moselle, Chancellor Oxenstern about Mentz and Cologne and Dukes William and Bernard and Gen. Bannia in Bavaria.
“Our friends were not backward in obeying the King’s command, and having drawn together their forces from various parts and _ALL_ joined the chancellor Oxenstern, they set out in full march for Nuremburg, where they arrived Aug. 21, being 30,000 old soldiers commanded by officers of the greatest conduct and experience in the world.”
Only once, at the battle of Torgau, (Nov. 5, 1760) did Frederick the Great rely upon the co-operation of his Columns of Support for victory.