eight
o'clock in the evening
The flames acquainted the French with the fact that the city had been evacuated , and at daybreak they entered the town , and soon afterwards their skirmishers opened fire on the Russians on the other side of the river . At eight o'clock a Spanish brigade crossed the river waist deep , and entered the suburb known as St. Petersburg , on the right bank ; but they were at once attacked ; many were killed or taken prisoners , and the rest driven across the river again . General Barclay then withdrew his army to the heights , wishing to tempt the enemy to cross , intending to give them battle before all had made the passage ; but Napoleon kept his troops in hand , except that his artillery maintained a fire to the right against the Russians . At eight o'clock in the evening some skirmishers crossed the river , and fires shortly broke out in St. Petersburg , and in an hour several hundred houses , extending for a mile along the river , were in a blaze , while those in Smolensk were still burning fiercely . At night the Russians again fell back . The direct road lay parallel with the river , but as it was commanded by the enemy 's guns General Barclay directed the force , divided into two columns , to march by cross roads . These led over two steep hills , and , owing to the harness breaking , these roads soon became blocked , and the march was discontinued till daylight enabled the drivers to get the five hundred guns and the ammunition trains up the hills .