Our business is, properly speaking, only with affairs afloat, but we
do not preclude ourselves from describing any display of gallantry by
naval men on shore. We therefore give a slight sketch of the last of
Commodore Napier's actions on shore before he delivered up the
command of the Turkish army to Colonel Sir Charles Smith, who was now
sufficiently recovered to assume it.
On the 15th of October, the Commodore was at breakfast in the convent
of Ornagacuan, on Lebanon, with the Egyptian army strongly posted
before him, when news was brought him that the 'Emir Bechir' had
arrived, and that Ibrahim Pacha was expecting strong reinforcements.
This decided him to attack the enemy forthwith. He and the officers
with him, among whom, were Lieutenants Bradley and Duncan, Mr. Pearn,
master of the 'Powerful,' and Lieut.-Col. Hodges, her Majesty's
Consul-General in Syria, instantly threw themselves on horseback, and
galloped to the advanced posts. The gallant Napier amusingly
describes the novelty of the occurrence of a British Commodore
standing on the top of Mount Lebanon, commanding a Turkish army, and
preparing to fight a battle which would decide the fate of Syria.
The enemy were strongly posted on lofty eminences, among rugged and
almost inaccessible rocks; but the Turks and mountaineers, led on by
their own and the British officers, gallantly stormed their position,
and put them to the rout. They fled, leaving their baggage,
ammunition, and provisions: night terminating the pursuit. Ibrahim
Pacha escaped with a few men; 600 or 700 prisoners were taken, and
the rest dispersed. In consequence of this victory, Beyrout was
abandoned, and the Turks took possession of it.
In one month the Commodore succeeded with his small army of marines
and Turks in freeing nearly the whole of Lebanon, in taking 5,000
prisoners, and in gaining over to the standard of the Sultan nearly
5,000 deserters. After this battle he went on board the 'Powerful,'
though he was not long idle before the attack on Acre was decided on.