The blockade of Sebastopol having been established, some of the lighter
cruisers were sent along the coast on various detached enterprises, for
the purpose of annoying and misleading the Russians, and effecting the
destruction of government property.
Two of the cruisers, the _Firebrand_, Captain Hyde Parker, and the
_Vesuvius_, Captain Powell, were despatched to destroy the guard-houses
and signal-stations on the banks of the Danube, which kept up the
communication with the Russian forts. On the morning of the 22nd of
June the boats of the two steamers, manned and armed, with a Turkish
gunboat, all under the command of Lieutenant Jones, of the _Firebrand_,
pulled off towards a guard-house and signal-station about twenty miles
north of Sulineh. As they approached, the signal was made from station
to station, summoning aid. Behind some banks, close to the beach, were
posted bodies of Cossack cavalry, while others were scattered about
wherever they could find shelter from the shells and shot fired from the
boats' and ships' guns. They, however, could not stand this long, and
fled in confusion.
On the boats reaching the shore, the seamen and marines landed, and,
forming on the beach, advanced in skirmishing order towards the
Cossacks, who, mounting their horses, fled in all directions. The
guard-houses were immediately burnt, the signal-staff destroyed, and the
men returned to their ships in admirable order. Several other stations
were destroyed on that and the following days; and on one occasion, on
the night of the 27th of June, Captain Parker surprised the garrison of
Sulineh, whom he put to flight, after capturing the officer in command
and others. The officer was forwarded to Lord Raglan, who obtained some
important information from him.
The _Firebrand_ and _Vesuvius_ now kept up a strict blockade of the
Danube, and the crews were allowed to land without opposition; but at
length Captain Parker suspected that the gabion battery attached to the
quarantine ground was occupied, and, for the purpose of examining it,
entered the river on the 6th with the boats of the two ships. Nothing
was discovered until Captain Parker's galley arrived opposite the gabion
battery, when a single rifle-shot was fired, which passed through the
boat, and this was followed by a volley, piercing the boat, grazing the
captain's elbow, and severely wounding one man. Captain Parker on this
ordered the boat to pull round, and, as she retreated, with the greatest
coolness he discharged his rifle at the enemy, who were now pouring in a
galling and heavy fire on all the boats. The pinnace, being in advance,
was especially exposed, and unhappily grounded within fifty yards of the
battery.
On seeing this, Captain Parker leaped on shore from his galley,
exclaiming, "We must storm--follow me, my men!" and gallantly rushed
forward, followed by all who had then come up. Parallel with the river,
and at about fifteen yards from it, ran a line of high canes growing in
a marsh. He advanced along this, and having fired and knocked down a
Cossack, he was reloading, when a volley of bullets came flying round
him, one of which pierced his heart, and he fell dead into the arms of
his coxswain, Mr Everard, a naval cadet, being at the moment by his
side.
Commander Powell, who succeeded to the command, ordered a heavy fire of
shell and congreve rockets to be opened on the battery, under cover of
which the marines and seamen stormed the place, and drove out the
Russians, who took shelter in the marsh, where they could not be
followed.
Captain Parker was a most gallant officer, and his loss caused deep
regret among all his brother officers.
On the 13th, the _Spitfire_, Lieutenant Johnstone, towing the boats of
the _Vesuvius_, crossed the bar at the Sulineh mouth of the Danube, and,
having driven off the enemy, the marines and bluejackets landed and
totally destroyed the town of Sulineh, by setting it on fire in every
direction.