Military: The engagement at the river ford was apparently rather limited. Because of the ford, the Nephite army had to cross as a narrow, not a broad, column, thus creating a very concentrated military front with reinforcements coming up in a narrow column from the rear. Militarily, it was not a strong position for meeting an army across a broad front. Furthermore, at the moment of engagement, most of the Nephites had not yet crossed (vv. 33–34).