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commanding ground on either side of the river. The old town of La
Ferte, so famous in Napoleon's campaign of 1814, presented a
picturesque appearance with its ancient church and buildings.
Surrounded and held by the enemy, it seemed to frown down on the
broken bridge, forbidding all approach. The enemy was vigorously
defending the passage, strongly supported by artillery from the high
ground north of the town.

The 4th Division in two columns attempted to advance on the bridge
with a view to repairing it and then to close and establish a
bridgehead on the northern bank, but all their attempts were
frustrated by the German guns. Just after dark, however, Hunter
Weston's 11th Brigade (1st Batt. Somersetshire Light Infantry, 1st
Batt. East Lancashire Regt., 1st Batt. Hampshire Regt., and 1st Batt.
Rifle Brigade) was able to reach the southern bank, where a number of
boats were seized. In these the brigade was pushed across, and by 10
p.m. had established an effective footing on the northern bank, under
cover of which a pontoon bridge was constructed by the Royal Engineers
of the 4th Division under very heavy fire. It was a very fine piece of
work, to which the Commander of the 3rd Corps particularly
drew my attention. During this operation Colonel Le Marchant was
killed.

Another detachment also effected a crossing further up the river in
the neighbourhood of Chamigny, but the main body of the 3rd Corps
crossed by the pontoon bridge in the early hours of the 10th.

I found Smith-Dorrien at Pulteney's Headquarters.

The 3rd and 5th Cavalry Brigades were operating between the 3rd and
2nd Corps, filling up the gap, which, however, in view of the enemy's
hurried retirement, never caused me any apprehension.

It has been stated that on the 8th I called upon General Maunoury for
assistance in forcing the river, and that this was the reason why the
French 8th Division was not taken away.

I can only say that no such request was ever made by me or my
Headquarters Staff, nor had any other commander my sanction for such a
demand. I felt throughout the battle that my principal _role_ was to
bring assistance in the best manner and in the most effective
direction to the 6th Army, for I fully appreciated the much greater
difficulty of the task which they were undertaking. On the other hand
my diary shows that on the 9th I received two urgent messages from
Maunoury begging me to take the pressure of the enemy's 3rd Corps off