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page arrived about night-fall on the 25tli ofSeptember. As soon as it was dark, the boatsconcealed near the village were carried in pro-found silence, by troops appointed to that duty,to the river, and ranged in three divisions uponthe bank. Some of the boats required 100 men,others about 20, to carry them with the easenecessary to preserve silence. The pontoneerswere ordered to lie down behind their respectiveboats, with their oars ready, until the signalshould be given. The artillery, to cover theoperation, took their allotted posts during thenight, and the troops for the first embarkationwere formed within 50 paces of the river, a littlebefore day.
These preparatory measures were executedwithout being discovered, and at day-break thesignal for action was made. The boats wereinstantly launched, and in three minutes con-veyed from the left bank a corps of 600 men,which, under cover of a powerful fire of artilleryfrom the branches of the sinuosity, soon madegood its landing, and the boats returned for asecond embarkation.
The bridge equipage from the Reuss advancedto the river at as rapid a pace as possible, as soonas the firing opened ; and the construction of abridge was commenced, under fire of the Russian