▁leaves . ▁Re jection ▁by ▁the ▁committee ▁members ▁delayed ▁the ▁appro val ▁of ▁Cast elli ▁until ▁ 1 7 9 6 . ▁ ▁British ▁invas ions ▁ ▁Bel gr ano ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁captain ▁of ▁the ▁urban ▁milit ias ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 7 ▁by ▁vic ero y ▁Pedro ▁de ▁Mel o , ▁who ▁was ▁instruct ed ▁by ▁Spain ▁to ▁prepare ▁def ences ▁against ▁a ▁possible ▁British ▁or ▁Portuguese ▁attack . ▁Bel gr ano ▁by ▁then ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁Cons ulate , ▁and ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁interested ▁in ▁purs uing ▁a ▁military ▁career . ▁Vic ero y ▁Rafael ▁de ▁Sob rem onte ▁requested ▁that ▁he ▁create ▁a ▁milit ia ▁to ▁counter ▁a ▁possible ▁British ▁attack , ▁but ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁take ▁interest ▁in ▁it . ▁His ▁first ▁inter vention ▁in ▁a ▁military ▁conflict ▁took ▁place ▁when ▁the ▁British , ▁under ▁William ▁Car r ▁Ber es ford , ▁arrived ▁with ▁ 1 , 6 0 0 ▁men ▁and ▁took ▁Buenos ▁Aires , ▁starting ▁the ▁British ▁invas ions ▁of ▁the ▁Río ▁de ▁la ▁Pl ata . ▁Bel gr ano ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁for tr ess ▁as ▁soon ▁as ▁he ▁heard ▁the ▁warning , ▁and ▁gathered ▁many ▁men ▁to ▁launch ▁resistance . ▁But ▁without ▁the ▁required ▁knowledge , ▁his ▁men ▁march ed ▁in ▁dis order ▁and ▁Bel gr ano ▁was ▁ordered ▁to ▁dis band ▁after ▁a ▁single ▁British ▁can non ▁shot . ▁Bel gr ano ▁would ▁write ▁later ▁in ▁his ▁aut obi ography ▁that ▁he ▁reg rett ed ▁not ▁having ▁by ▁then ▁even ▁the ▁most