The War in Syria, Volume 1 (of 2)

CHAPTER VIII.

State of Affairs at D’Jounie—Effect of the Capture of Sidon—The Emir Bechir Cassim joins the Allies—Overtures from the Emir Bechir—Movements of Ibrahim Pacha—Capture of Caiffa, and of Tyre; Captain Collier’s Report—Conflicting opinions as to future Operations—Letter from Sir R. Stopford—Insufficient boating of War Steamers.

On the following morning I examined our positions, and found the enemy had again established themselves on the heights of Boharsof, and set fire to the habitations of the mountaineers of that district, (who had assisted in the first attack,) and driven their wives and families across the Nahr-el-Kelb, to Antoura, Argentoun, and the adjacent villages. War at all times is the parent of misery and destitution, and in this instance I found none of its horrors alleviated; it was heart-rending to see the unfortunate women and children encamped under trees in the mountains, without the means of subsistence, and on our part, without being able to offer them much relief.

The effect of taking Sidon soon began to show itself. Hitherto the Chiefs on the Mountain had not much confidence in our operations. Beyrout was still in the possession of the enemy, and they could not understand how a defenceless town could hold out against a powerful squadron, but when they heard of the capture of Sidon, their eyes began to open.

The Emir Bechir Cassim, the next in succession to the old Emir Bechir, found means to escape with a few horse from the neighbourhood of Beyrout, and joined our camp, and the old Emir sent me a message by a priest, with a request to meet one of his emissaries at our advanced posts after dark, and he proposed the following terms:

1. Secresy: granted.

2. That he should retain his government, and be guaranteed by the Four Powers.

This, I said, was inadmissible, that his Firman was here confirming him in his government, and it depended on himself.

3. That he should be allowed time to withdraw his sons and grandsons from Ibrahim Pacha before he declared himself. This I thought reasonable, and acceded to it, with the understanding that I was to see a beginning as soon as possible.

I had no great confidence in this prince, as he had deceived me before; and it was arranged that the Firman of the Porte should be given to the Emir Bechir Cassim, in the event of his not presenting himself at the appointed time. This prince, after staying a few days at D’Jounie, where he was well entertained, proceeded to take the command of the mountaineers who were watching the movements of Ibrahim and Osman Pacha at Merouba. When the former heard of the loss of Sidon, he was confounded, and immediately marched a part of his forces on Ibteddeen, the residence of the prince, for the double purpose of securing his fidelity, and endeavouring to recapture Sidon. On hearing of Ibrahim’s departure, I reinforced Captain Berkeley, who commanded at Sidon, with a battalion of Turks, and shortly after with one of marines; this cooled Ibrahim’s courage, and after staying a few days with the Emir, he set out for Beyrout, to concert measures with Souliman.

On the 29th of September, the Pique arrived with the accounts of the capture of Caiffa and Tyre, by that active officer, Captain Collier, who wrote as follows:

“Sir,

“H.M.S. Castor, off Acre,

Sept. 20, 1840.

“In compliance with your orders of the 14th instant, I have the honour to acquaint you that the Castor, with the Pique and Ottoman frigate Dewan, appeared off Caiffa, in the evening of the 16th, and the following morning about six o’clock, a boat was dispatched with an officer of the Turkish frigate, accompanied by Lieutenant Shadwell, in one from this ship, both bearing flags of truce, to demand the surrender of the place to the Sublime Porte; the flag was refused, and peremptorily warned off; the ships took up their berths, Lieutenant Wellesley, of this ship, ably assisting in placing the Ottoman frigate, and a fire was opened on the batteries, the Castor commencing, which were manned and ready to receive us, with 500 men in the town; but such was the effect of the first few broadsides, that the troops abandoned their posts, deserted the town, leaving their arms, knapsacks, &c., in all directions. The Ottoman flag was soon planted on the ramparts by Lieutenant Patey, accompanied by Lieutenant Winthropp, Messrs. Connelly and Boyd, mates; Mr. Hare, midshipman; and Mr. Cole, second master; who were immediately joined by Lieutenants Carey and Macdougall, and a party of seamen and marines from the Pique; and the whole party proceeded to spike and destroy, by knocking off the trunnions and burning the carriages of the eight guns on the ramparts. A quantity of arms, stores, and munitions of war were found in the magazines, all of which were either brought off or destroyed, amongst which were two 13-inch mortars, which were put on board the Ottoman frigate.

“The following morning, the 18th, the Castor shifted her berth to cover the entrance to the Acre gate, at the distance of one mile from which 500 troops were distinctly seen drawn up. Towards the middle of the day, an officer and a few men had planted themselves in a castle, mounting five guns, in the rear of, and commanding the town, but the well directed fire of the Pique and Castor soon wounded the officer and dislodged the men, some of the latter seeking safety on board this ship. Considering the destruction of this castle and its guns most desirable, I ordered the marines of the two frigates, with their respective officers, Lieutenants Varlo, Moubray, and Hamley, Lieutenant Wellesley; Messrs. Cockburn and Gibbard, mates; Mr. Foley, midshipman; and Mr. Ramage, clerk; with a few seamen, all under command of Lieutenant Patey, senior Lieutenant of this ship, on that service, which was gallantly and completely executed, by the guns being thrown out and the walls shook to their foundations, and this in full view of 500 of the Egyptian army.

“I am pleased to observe, that all this service has been performed without the loss of a man, although I am grieved to say that Lieutenant Macdougall, of the Pique, has been severely wounded, by the discharge of one of the enemy’s guns, whilst in the act of spiking it; and also Mr. Gill, carpenter of that ship, by the same explosion.

“To my much valued friend, Captain Boxer, who has been unceasing in his exertions, both on shore and on board, in the execution of this service, I am much indebted for the success of the enterprise. The destruction of the defences of the town has been most complete; some prisoners have been taken, and many deserters have come over to us. I have great pleasure in apprising you, that the zealous co-operation of the Ottoman frigate Dewan, in the service, has been highly meritorious to all on board, and calls for my warmest approbation.

“To Mr. Young, the Consul of Palestine, I am much indebted for the service he has rendered me, by his knowledge of the people and localities of country.

“Captain Boxer speaks in high terms of the conduct of Lieutenant Galway, who accompanied the boats of the Pique both days; Messrs. Morris and Heath, mates; Messrs. Hawkins, Kenly, and Bridge, midshipmen; and Mr. Partridge, volunteer of the first class.

“I consider it my duty to recommend to your notice, Lieutenant Patey, senior Lieutenant of this ship, as well as Mr. Cockburn, the senior mate, employed on shore, for their officer-like, cool, and steady conduct; indeed, too much praise cannot be given to every officer and man employed on this service, for the manner in which they conducted themselves through three days of arduous and fatiguing duty.

“I am, &c.,

“Edward Collier, Captain.”

“Admiral Sir Robert Stopford, G.C.B.,

Commander-in-Chief.”

“Sir,

“H.M.S. Castor,

Tsour, September 26.

“I have the honour to acquaint you, that agreeably with the arrangements I had made, the Castor appeared off Jaffa on the 22nd, the following day calling again off Caiffa, whence, proceeding in the further execution of your orders of the 14th instant, the Pique, and Ottoman frigate Dewan, in company, I beg to acquaint you that Her Majesty’s two frigates took up their positions off this town about noon on the 24th instant, (having ordered the Ottoman frigate to take a position in the South Bay, which the badness of the anchorage prevented her doing, and from the calms and light winds she did not rejoin until yesterday): the town was summoned by an officer bearing a flag of truce, to surrender to the Sultan, to which the civil authorities readily consented; but as 500 Egyptian troops still kept possession, I directed the inhabitants to be warned to quit the town immediately, as it was my intention to dislodge the soldiers, and having given them sufficient time to do so, a fire was opened by both ships at the distance of about 500 yards, which soon accomplished the object. At day-light the following morning, Captain Boxer having gallantly landed and reconnoitred to prevent surprise, the marines of the two frigates, with a few small-arm-men, under the command of Lieutenant Patey, senior Lieutenant of this ship, landed and took possession of the town, which we still hold. Two guns were found mounted on the works, the trunnions of which were knocked off; also, a vast quantity of grain in the public stores, and some munitions of war; a brig has been loaded with part of the former, and the latter brought off.

“The arduous duty of levelling great sandbanks ten feet high, thrown up by the enemy to cover the approach to the town from the fire of the ships, loading grain, and in gun-boats by day and night, all in full view of 1500 of the enemy’s troops, who are two miles off, will, I hope, sanction my recommending to your notice every individual officer and man of the two ships, for each man has nobly performed his part in like manner as at Caiffa.

“To my gallant friend, Captain Boxer, I am deeply indebted for the assistance he has afforded me on every occasion in the execution of this service, but particularly for his vigilance each day in preventing surprise on the troops landing. He speaks in the highest terms of Lieut. Curry, senior Lieutenant of the Pique, who had charge of the party employed levelling the approach to the town.

“It affords me much pleasure to say we have not lost a man on this service, and I am much gratified in being able to state that none of the inhabitants have been hurt.

“I feel myself called upon to recommend especially to your notice Lieutenant Patey of this ship, as an officer of great merit, who has highly distinguished himself on this service as well as at Caiffa.

“I have, &c.,

“Edward Collier, Captain.”

“Admiral Sir Robert Stopford, G.C.B.,

Commander-in-Chief.”

The most difficult part of my task was to contend against the conflicting opinions of officers, both English and Turks; every man had his notions; one wanted one plan of operations, another a different one, each person very naturally thinking the part of the coast he had been employed upon the best to occupy, without having the smallest knowledge of what was going on in the mountains. No sooner was the Pique arrived than the Admiral wrote to me:

“My dear Commodore,

“Pique arrived, and brought the letters I send you. I fear we have too many irons in the fire, we must begin to concentrate. Captain Boxer thinks that Tyre is very preferable to Sidon for permanent holding for winter; I send him to you that you may compare your opinions and decide which is best, and by degrees the stores from hence may be removed. I must soon embark the marines to have the ships efficient.

“Revenge must go off to Acre with the Pique to cut off communications. If the Turks cannot defend themselves they must also embark. I will not agree to any further operations.

“Yours, &c.,

“Robert Stopford.”

“To Commodore Napier.”

I plainly saw that the Admiral was tormented with the conflicting opinions of those who had access to him, and who gave him the most absurd reports. At one moment the enemy were said to be advancing upon us with 20,000 men, though there was a deep ravine between us which could only be crossed at one or two places, and those places watched; at another moment it was said I was preparing to march the troops into the interior of the country without even consulting the Commander-in-Chief; this was deliberately communicated to him by an officer, without having the smallest foundation, and a strong letter was actually written to me on the subject, and which letter would have been sent had not Captain Berkeley, who happened to be on board the flag ship at the time, assured the Admiral that there was not one word of truth in it.

It was necessary to be patient and persevering, and I wrote to the Admiral that I was sorry to find that he had decided not to undertake any further operations, because, in that case, I feared that all we had already done would be lost, and I felt quite satisfied, were we to go away without taking Beyrout, which would free the country from Souliman and Ibrahim Pacha, all the arms we had issued would fall into their hands; that the family of Emir Haider, who was a prisoner in Egypt, had decided to declare for the Sultan, the moment they could get rid of Ibrahim and procure arms, and that I saw no means of doing this but by taking Beyrout; that it was impossible to cross Dog River and attack Ibrahim with Souliman on my right and Osman Bey in front. The latter might be surprised, but it must be done by troops who could march well, because it would not do to be long absent from our camp. To which the Admiral replied in the following terms:

“My dear Commodore,

“September 30, 1840.

“By what process of reasoning you have brought your mind to hazard so unwarrantable an assertion, that unless we take Beyrout all the arms we have issued will fall into the hands of Mehemet Ali’s generals, is to me quite incomprehensible. I assert directly the contrary, and say the attack of a place like Beyrout, having had ample time to prepare for its defence, conducted by a skilful general, would mar all that we have hitherto so successfully done; no place, so circumstanced, ought to be attacked upon rumours, upon surmises, and expectations.

“We are certain of sustaining a great loss of men, equally certain are we that, with our present force, and we cannot hold it after getting possession; any number of troops can approach on the front of the town without being annoyed, as we can only command the two flanks. Could we depend on the co-operation of 3000 or 4000 mountaineers at the least, knock down every house in Beyrout, the enemy’s troops would still remain in it, and we shall have to force our way through barricaded streets, placed so low that our shot cannot destroy them.

“Under all these circumstances I shall not take upon myself to order an attack on Beyrout of such very doubtful issue.

“With respect to what I said to you yesterday, about not entering, at present, into any new enterprise, I did not by any means wish to restrain the operations of our troops against the enemy near our positions, or at any reasonable distance from it. All that has been hitherto performed with so much spirit and ability, as to give me full confidence in the success of similar skirmishes.

“Your’s, &c.

“Robert Stopford.”

“To Commodore Napier.”

In all our expeditions with steam-vessels we found great difficulty in landing troops, from the insufficient manner in which the steamers are boated, and we were obliged to take the line-of-battle ships’ boats to enable us to land a sufficient number of men; and I take this opportunity of strongly recommending the paddle boats invented by Capt. G. Smith, particularly for steam vessels on military excursions.

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