  Proposed attack upon Sidon—Correspondence between Sir Robert Stopford and the Author respecting the command—Attack on the Heights of Ornagacuan—Report to the Admiral—Return to D’Jounie. Having ascertained that Ibrahim had no immediate intention of attacking our position, it became necessary to undertake something bold immediately after the rally I intended to give the troops in our immediate front, should they not come over. I therefore proposed to the Admiral to make an attack upon Sidon, to which, with some reluctance he consented, and, in the afternoon, I was rather surprised at receiving the following letter: “My dear Commodore, “September 23d. “After having employed Captain Stewart, a junior officer, upon an expedition to Tripoli, I cannot, and ought not to cast such a stigma upon Captain Berkeley, as to consider him unworthy, or incapable of a similar employment at Sidon. “He must therefore go there, and he will be most happy to attend to all your suggestions, if I “Your fame, my dear Commodore, is too well established, and your liberality of thinking too well known upon points of service, to allow me to suspect for a moment that you would wish to deprive a brother officer of a few sprigs of laurel with which you are so well covered. The good of the service upon which we are employed, is your first wish, and to you our unexpected success is owing, aided as you have been by the zeal of the officers under your command. “I am aware that Captain Reynolds is the senior officer, but I hear that he has expressed a wish to remain here, and therefore there can be no jealousy against Berkeley. “Believe me your’s, &c., “Robert Stopford.” “P.S. I shall be obliged to you to organize the force intended for Sidon, so as to have them off Damour early on the 25th.” This appeared to be making me so complete a cipher, that I replied as follows: “My dear Admiral, “There is nothing in the whole world that I would not do to please you, or forward the service, but I do not see how I can, with any propriety, put myself under a junior officer, where we shall have 500 English marines and 500 Turks. You must know that as yet I have had all the fag, and surely I ought to reap the advantage of it. Captain Stewart went away without any force, therefore Captain Berkeley cannot complain of me, his senior officer, with a broad pennant flying, commanding an important expedition. God knows I should be sorry to rob any man of his share of service; but as you was good enough to allow me to plan all things, I do think it hard I am not allowed to execute them; as yet I have had nothing but fag, and it is natural that I should wish to reap the fruits I have been fagging for; I trust, therefore, you will allow it to go on as you agreed this morning. “Believe me, &c. “Chas. Napier.” The Admiral saw the reasonableness of my request, and replied as follows:— “My dear Commodore, “September 23rd. “I cannot resist the formal application made by an officer of your standing to command an expedition in preference to a junior officer. “I have, therefore, directed Captain Berkeley to proceed towards Sidon, looking out for you on the morning of the 25th off Damour, and to place himself under your orders. “I will give to any steamer you like an order to hoist your blue pennant, and to Commander Liardet to carry on the discipline of the Powerful during your temporary absence. “But as I do not see any probability of a further expedition, it is not worth while to change the Admiralty order for this once. “This is a final arrangement, upon which I request no further controversy. “I have heard from Captains Collier and Stewart, who have succeeded in doing all they could towards giving arms to the Syrians. Commander Robinson gave many to a parcel of men, who began robbing the moment they got them, though delivered under the authority of a Scheik. You will see, by the orders which I have given to Captain Berkeley, the “I wish you, however, to observe some attention to the family of Souliman Pacha, and if you can get communication with them, to offer protection on board our ships, to be conveyed subsequently to where they wish to go. “Yours, &c., “Robert Stopford.” I now thought everything finally settled, and I requested the Wasp might be sent off Sidon. The Admiral, however, fearing a heavy loss, was unwilling the town should be attacked, and he again wrote to me on the subject. “My dear Commodore, “September 23, 1840. “I am at a loss to know the advantage of making a regular attack by troops on Sidon. “Our only object is to land arms for the mountaineers, and if this cannot be accomplished without considerable loss, it is not worth the expense, and does not come within the scope of my instructions. “If there are any troops in the town determined to defend it, you will not easily take possession, unless by its destruction, a measure not justifiable for the object in view. “The steamer will clear the environs of the Egyptians, and the troops may be landed to cover your proceedings in the distribution of arms. “The country is open for the use of the enemy’s cavalry. “I plainly foresee that in all operations on shore, wherever there is any fighting, the brunt of the whole will fall on the marines, as you will see tomorrow. “Your’s, &c., “Robert Stopford.” “P.S. I will direct Wasp to go with Thunderer.” I left things in this state on the evening of the 23rd, and finding that no further communication had been made by the Albanian chief on our front, I directed General Jochmus to descend into the valley of the Dog River with three Turkish battalions, move up the valley, and take the road leading General Jochmus, the chief of the staff, accompanied by my aide-de-camp, Lieut. Bradley, put himself at the head of the skirmishers, and was followed by Selim Pacha, leading a Turkish battalion. The mountaineers also joined, and were not the last in advancing. The enemy’s skirmishers were driven in, and the main body, consisting of about seven hundred men, after firing two volleys, retired by the road of Boharsof; the Turks followed them up with great vigour, made three or four hundred prisoners, and dispersed the rest. This first success gave confidence to the Sultan’s troops, “Sir, “D’Jounie, head-quarters of the Army of Lebanon, Sept. 25, 1840. “In obedience to your directions to drive the enemy from the position they had been fortifying for some days, on the left of Dog River, I marched out of our cantonments at daylight of the 24th, with four Turkish battalions, under his Excellency Selim Pacha; the second battalion of Royal Marines, under Capt. Fegan; and an Austrian rocket detachment, under Alfred de Vasilli Baldisiritto. “The ground on either side of the river is very high and precipitous, and offers great advantages to the defending, and very considerable danger to the attacking party; to secure against this, a Turkish battalion descended unseen near the entrance of the gorge through which Dog River runs, and gained the heights on the other side. The marines and Austrian rocket detachment, covered by this battalion, crossed higher up, crowned the heights, and “Three Turkish battalions descended into the gorge before the marines pushed their way up the river, and advanced by a mountain path to turn the enemy’s left; this being perceived they abandoned their intrenchments, and occupied a new position on the heights of Ornagacuan, about a league to the right of their intrenchments. “The Turks advanced with great rapidity and gallantry. “General Jochmus, the chief of the staff, accompanied by my aide-de-camp, Lieut. Bradley, of the Powerful, put himself at the head of the skirmishers, and showed a noble example, which was as nobly followed by his Excellency Selim Pacha, at the head of a battalion. The country people also joined, and were not the last in advancing. The enemy’s skirmishers were speedily driven in, and their main body, consisting of about 700 men, fired two volleys, and retired in great confusion; the Turks following them up with so much vigour “This operation opened the whole district of Kata, and the mountaineers, who had been driven from their homes, flocked down in great numbers, and were immediately armed. “I have great reason to be satisfied with the conduct of his Excellency Selim Pacha, and with General Jochmus, who fearlessly exposed himself in front, accompanied by my young friend, Lieut. Bradley, who for the first time smelt powder. “We have had a Turkish officer wounded and two men killed. Inclosed is a list of Turkish officers who particularly distinguished themselves, and whom I trust will meet with some mark of favour from the Sultan. “I have the honour, &c. “C. Napier, Commodore.” “Admiral the Hon. Sir Robt. Stopford, &c., &c., &c.” |
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