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INGILBY DIARY. 
plete. The deserter perhaps got scared at the difficulties he saw there 
might prove in passing across either the chasm or river, which was 
filled to the banks with the heavy rains, or, on the other hand, he 
might have been put upon the affair in order to gain an opportunity 
of ascertaining the state of the bridge. At all events several of the 
picquet were on the edge of the chasm directing the man to take the 
rope and, putting it round his body, allow himself to be pulled across 
the river. The bridge might be forty paces in length and he retired 
from the opposite edge of the chasm seemingly with the intention to 
follow the directions we gave him, but when at the end of the bridge 
he suddenly lifted his piece and fired upon the party, and it was done 
so instantly no soldier of the picquet had time to return the fire before 
he had sheltered himself from harm. The road went off in an oblique 
direction to the right from the end of the bridge, and was raised 
above the plain in order to be on a tolerable level with the. arch of the 
bridge and so to lead the road over a gentle ascent, the pretended 
deserter jumped off the road to the side which preserved him from 
being seen and the fire of the picquet, and he continued in safety. 
Mounted on a grey horse and amidst the soldiers on the bridge, it 
might be the man suddenly conceived I was an officer of rank, for the 
ball passed me very close, but happened to miss everyone. If he had 
repented his first intention to desert, perhaps he expected this vile 
attempt would recommend him to the mercy of his General. 
Oct. 25th. We occupied the left bank of the Pisuerga and covered the bridge 
of the village of Calecon, which was already mined and charged to be 
destroyed. In the night the French attempted to force the passage 
of the bridge, but were repulsed, and left several dead within a few 
paces of the picquet which was stationed on the middle of it. 
„ 27 th. The French army was encamped on the plain before us. They 
advanced a numerous battery of guns which began to play upon the 
bridge and village. The village of Calecon stands on the left bank 
of the Carrion, which rises into a height perpendicularly from the 
bridge, the road turned at right angles from the bridge being the 
only space between the river and the height. As our guns of the 
several Divisions were distributed to the different advantageous posts 
in the village, we commenced a furious and destructive fire upon the 
artillery of the French and forced them quickly to retire. 
„ 29th, The river becoming fordable and the enemy threatening our left by 
marching upon Valladolid, the bridge of Calecon was destroyed and, 
continuing our retreat, we passed the Puente del Duero and bivouacked 
on the left bank of the river. 
n 30th. We marched along the left bank of the Duero (or Douro), and 
bivouacked in front of Tordesillas, which was in possession of the 
French, and the bridge also in their occupation. The nights became 
excessively cold, and the ground was covered every morning with a 
severe hoar frost. The position was an extensive plain gently rising 
from the Deuro, without shelter or a single tree, and fuel scarce, even 
for the purpose of cooking, and obtained only by the Commissariat 
purchasing some old houses, of which the beams and wood were served 
out in the usual regular proportions, to regiments and companies. 
