“We bivouacked at dark,” says Colonel Richardson, “some six miles from Azizieh, and next day received orders to retire about ten miles, in order to allow supplies, which we had outrun, and the infantry, to come up. On our way back we collected all that was possible of the ammunition and stores that might be useful to us. On the 28th of February we spent a very welcome rest day in camp. On the 1st of March we marched to Azizieh, where a halt was ordered.” In fact, the Infantry having fallen behind, or rather, perhaps, having been kept back by the difficulty of bringing up sufficient supplies, there was a pause of five days during which the British force was closed up and got ready for a farther advance. Baghdad now lay immediately ahead, but as the Turks were not in such a condition of rout that they could be hunted through the great town _l’épée aux reins_, it was necessary to move with the force thoroughly together, and not to risk a check. The following are further extracts from letters and diaries:-- _Private Massey--February 24, 1917._--“On the 24th, réveillé was at 2 A.M., and we turned out on parade at 4.30 A.M. The previous night the Engineers had thrown a bridge across at Shamran bend, and early this morning, the 24th,[30] the Infantry had succeeded in getting across, and we followed soon after. “The Turks, seeing their danger, had retreated the previous night, leaving only a rearguard to delay our advance, and cover the retreat of their main body.... After crossing the pontoon-bridge we formed troop, and went along in extended order, until we got close in on the enemy’s rearguard. Here we dismounted and brought the Hotchkiss guns into action, and V Battery opened a heavy fire on the retreating enemy. The Infantry must have been heavily engaged, as many of their wounded were at the advanced dressing station, close to the bridge-head, and we passed several dead. During the afternoon we reached Dahra Barracks (Turkish), which were littered with Turkish dead. Still pressing on towards nightfall, we came in touch with an enemy flank patrol, and opened fire on them with rifles, Hotchkiss guns, and artillery. It was now very late at night, so we returned back to Dahra Barracks for food and water for the horses. It was about 2 A.M. when we made down our beds and lay down for the night. When we had been in bed about half an hour, the order came for the 1st and 3rd Troops to saddle up at once, and I heard Mr Payne, the officer in charge, tell the troop sergeant that we were going out on the flank, on reconnaissance. On hearing the order, we jumped out of bed, saddled up our horses, and in a few minutes we were off in the early morning dusk. We were all tired and very sleepy, as we had only had half an hour’s sleep, but we had a rattling good officer in charge of us, always giving commands in a fine soldierly manner, and a leader in whom we all had confidence.[31]