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free, to commence its movement. If this is notprovided for, and the rear guard be closelypressed by the enemy, there will not be time toremove, or cut away, the butments, wharves, ortrestles; and some sacrifice must, in that case,be made: whereas, in this way, the bridge may,in a moment be detached from the bank in thepossession of the enemy; and, under cover ofthe fire from the other side, the whole of therear-guard thus withdrawn, upon the bridge, andbrought alongside the defensive bank.*

The manoeuvre of restoring the communica-tion, by hauling the bridge up against the cur-rent, page 66, fig. P, plate 2, has been executedon a small branch of the Rhine ;f but in widerivers it will be better, in general, to withdraw,and restore the bridge, by portions, each formedof 3, 4, or even 6 boats, as circumstances mayrequire.

In mountainous, difficult countries, the trans-port of pontoons, or bateaux, on carriages, may

* Tlie bridge of bateaux across the Danube at Deckendorf,1140 feet wide, was withdrawn, entire, in tlie campaign of1740, by a manoeuvre of this kind. The rear-guard, underM. Darimont, having retired from Deckendorf upon thebridge, destroyed that of rafts, “ et on replia celui debateaux." — Hist, du M. Saxe, vol. i. p. 451,

t This manoeuvre has been executed many times, witli suc- cess , at Strasburg.— Translator’s Note.