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:
“September 23d.
“My dear Commodore,
“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 may venture, under such circumstances, to hope
that you will go with the expedition.
“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:—
“September 23rd.
“My dear Commodore,
“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 nature
and object of this expedition, on which success is certain under your
management.
“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.
“September 23, 1840.
“My dear Commodore,
“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. “Sidon,
I am told, is a very solidly built town, as are the works about it.
“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 to the heights of Ornagacuan on the enemy’s left. Another
battalion crossed the bridge near the mouth of the river, and occupied
the heights on the opposite side, to watch the Beyrout road, and cover a
battalion of marines and the Austrian rocketeers who crossed higher up,
and advanced on the enemy’s front. The Albanians, afraid of being cut
off from the road leading to Boharsof, and not liking the appearance of
the marines in their front, moved to their right, and gained the heights
of Ornagacuan, occupying a strong position above the road by which
General Jochmus was advancing. The Turks, moved with great rapidity and
gallantry.
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, and opened the whole district of the Kata, and
enabled us to arm many of the mountaineers of that province. Our loss
was only an officer wounded, and two men killed.
“D’Jounie, head-quarters of the Army
of Lebanon, Sept. 25, 1840.
“Sir,
“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 advanced on the enemy’s position,
about two leagues off; the Turkish battalion remained in position to
cover our right, in the event of Souliman Pacha advancing from Beyrout
to disturb our operations.
“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 that between
300 and 400 prisoners were made, and the rest dispersed. The enemy’s
moving from their first position, on which the marines advanced, threw
them out, and the work was done entirely by the Turks; they are,
however, most anxious to try their strength, and I hope an opportunity
will soon offer.
“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.”
It would have been desirable to have continued on these heights, but the
advance from Beyrout, where Souliman Pacha was encamped, with from
10,000 to 12,000 men, was so easy, and our retreat across the
Nahr-el-Kelb so difficult, that I thought it prudent next day to recross
the river, and occupy our former position, and prepare for a blow on
Sidon, where it was least expected.
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