The Memoirs of Baron De Marbot - Late Lieutenant-General in the French Army #267471

Meanwhile the day of the great battle was drawing on. Napoleon had assembled round Ebersdorf the Army of Italy, the corps of Davout and Bernadotte with the guard, and transformed the island of Lobau into a vast fortress. Three strong bridges secured the passage of the large arm of the Danube, and everything was ready for throwing several across the small arm. T o confirm the archduke in the belief that he intended to cross again between Essling and Aspern, Napoleon had the small bridge by which we had retreated after the battle of Essling reconstructed after the night of July 1, and sent across two divisions whose skirmishers might attract the attention of the enemy while all was making ready for our attack on Enzersdorf. It is hard to understand how the arch duke could have supposed that Napoleon would make a front attack upon the huge fortifications with which he had sur rounded Essling and Aspern; this would indeed have been taking the bull by the horns.