Charles Napier

“ To this I answered, that nothing could be done at Alexandria without troops, that the entrance of the harbour was too shallow for ships to enter with their guns, and that Mehemet Ali had declared that if the fleet appeared there, he should instantly direct Ibrahim to march on Scutari; this would inevitably bring down the Russians, who would object to the French and English approaching Constantinople, even if they could get a fair wind, and the probability would be that it would embroil Europe in war, and Turkey would be sacrificed. ”

“ I do not mean as to military affairs, for I know nothing about them, except that the troops are divided between Beyrout, Sidon, Tyre, and Acre; but the Pacha is disgusting everybody. The troops of the Grand Prince are left sometimes without provisions, or any thing else, for days. I send you the last letter I had from him. The appointments to the different places are made without judgment; and I verily believe, if the war lasts, Ibrahim Pacha will get a party in his favour. I understand Izzet openly says when Ibrahim is put down, the next thing to do is to disarm the mountaineers. ”

“ I send off the Princess Charlotte’s marines, and am glad you are going; the effect will be good. The marines of the other two ships shall be kept in readiness to go in Stromboli, but with your permission I will not embark them till after my interview with the prince, who is a trump. Permit me, my dear Admiral, to congratulate you on our unexampled success; all we have now to do is to act with great judgment, accompanied by dash when a favourable opportunity offers. ”

“ During the bombardment the principal magazine and the whole arsenal blew up. By the explosion, two entire regiments, formed in position on the ramparts, were annihilated, and every living creature, within the area of 60,000 square yards, ceased to exist; the loss of life being variously computed at from 1200 to 2000 persons. Those who may have been inclined to doubt the fighting qualities of the Egyptian troops might acquire a lesson from the example of their endurance, if they could but contemplate the devastation and scene of horror by which this once formidable fortress is enshrouded. ”

“ 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 ”

“ Mehemet Ali knew well the importance of keeping him faithful, and allowed him to do as he pleased in the mountain, and was content with a very small tribute, not exceeding 30,000 dollars a year.
After breakfast we took leave of our friends and proceeded to Beyrout, but a sad accident clouded our otherwise pleasant journey. The mountaineers are good horsemen, and fond of showing off whenever a little flat ground allows them to exhibit their dexterity in firing off their muskets and pistols and throwing the d’jerred at full gallop, reloading in an incredible short time. ”

“ We, the Admirals of the British and Austrian squadrons, acting in obedience to the instructions of our respective Governments, and in the interests of his Highness the Sultan, consider our duty to represent to your Excellency our earnest desire to stop the effusion of blood, and to call upon your Excellency to withdraw your troops from Beyrout, and to deliver the town to our united forces, to be retained in the name of the Sultan. ”

“ Experience has shown that the Egyptian army in Syria are disaffected, and the whole of the country are in arms against them; and if Ibrahim Pacha is attacked by a larger and increasing Turkish force, he will probably be forced to lay down his arms. Let his Highness look to Egypt: the Turkish seamen are all disaffected; the Vice-Admiral and several of his officers abandoned him a few days ago, and are now in the squadron; the Syrian troops in Egypt wish to return to their country; the Egyptians are in arrears of pay, and are sighing for their homes. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ The weather is still fine; but if a movement does not take place at once, it will be too late, and the troops must remain in garrison all the winter. Ibrahim will probably establish his head-quarters at Balbeck, if he intends remaining in Syria; but as he has given up the north, and lost Acre, I do not see what he is to gain by remaining in this country.
“We hear the French fleet are gone to Toulon; I fear they are up to some mischief. If this is true, we ought to be at Malta; but we never can, with our present force, watch both the French and Egyptians. ”

“ Within the inclosure, which files of armed troops surround, the wretched victims are crowded together, bowed down with despair, while, pressing upon every avenue, their wives and daughters and aged mothers may be seen, wildly darting their frenzied glances through the captives in search of a missing relative, or bursting into paroxysms of despair on beholding the lost objects of their fears ”

“ We should have lost men, it is true, but in war that must be expected, when a great point is to be gained; and gaining the principal sea port on the coast of Syria, in view of the mountains, was a great point, and would have had an immense moral effect. Withdrawing the squadron, which we did on the 16th, with the exception of the Edinburgh and 61Hastings, which ships occasionally kept up a fire on the town, gave Souliman the opportunity of telling the mountaineers that he had beaten off the British squadron. ”

“ Alexandria is a tolerably good town, and is fast improving. The naval establishments of the Pacha are wonderful, and whatever may be said against Mehemet Ali, it must be admitted, that no man of ordinary abilities could have in so short a time accomplished what he has done. I am not sure that the means employed were justifiable, but judging him by an Oriental standard, which is the only fair way of judging him, he must be considered an astonishing man. ”

“ Inhabitants of Lebanon, who are more particularly under my eyes, I call upon you to rise and throw off the yoke under which you are groaning; troops, arms, and ammunition, are daily expected from Constantinople, and, in the mean time, the Egyptians shall no longer molest your coast. ”

“ The entrance into the courtyard is very strong, and capable of resisting anything but artillery, which could not easily be brought against it; the court-yard is large, and surrounded by a high wall, and in the time of the late prince several hundred armed men were constantly kept in the barracks adjoining, and a body of horse, richly caparisoned in the Eastern style, were always ready in the yard. Some of the rooms are handsome, particularly those of the harem, but mostly unfurnished, the Emir having removed everything he could to Sidon, and from thence to Malta. ”

“ Ibrahim’s intention is evidently to cover Damascus, but if it is true what a chief has written to the Prince, who had reconnoitred from the Haouran to the gates of Damascus, Ibrahim cannot stay where he is, and we ought to be ready to harass his retreat; if this is not true, the Prince has not a sufficient force to prevent his penetrating into the mountains, and doing much mischief. If the Prince had 5000 muskets to arm the Druses, who are all with him, he would not require troops, but it is absolutely necessary, till arms arrive, that he should be reinforced by three battalions and four guns. ”

“ I believe history does not record such unexampled successes gained in so short a time by so small a force. We landed on the 10th of September, at D’Jounie, with 5300 Turks, 1500 marines, and about 100 Austrians; by the 10th of October we had managed to storm and take Sidon, defeat the Egyptians at Ornagacuan, Ibrahim Pacha at Boharsof, and what between prisoners and deserters, get possession of 10,000 men, had freed all Lebanon, and forced Ibrahim to withdraw his troops from Tripoli and Latakia, abandon the passes of the Taurus, and concentrate the whole of his army at Zachle and Damascus. ”

“ This morning I reconnoitred the enemy’s position on our right; we have had a communication with their chief, who promises to come over: if he does not I shall beat up his quarters to-morrow, open the province between the Nahr-el-Kelb (Dog River) and Beyrout, and arm it; that done, we ought to make a reconnoissance on Beyrout, our left covered by the mountaineers, and our right by the steamers, gun-boats, and small craft. The proposal of Selim Pacha to advance on Ibrahim is out of the question; we have no means of transport, nor have the troops shoes. ”

“ The taking of Acre has had the same effect in the south. The garrison of Jaffa has marched to Acre, and a body of Naplouses have come in from the mountains. Five hundred irregular cavalry have marched in from Marash. A vigorous attack on Zachle would finish the war which was so happily begun. I hope the Admiral will not leave the coast: the anchorage in St. George’s Bay is quite open, but the holding-ground is good, and country vessels lay there all winter, therefore there can be no reason why a fleet should not lay there. It never blows home. ”

“ His tribute to the Porte was small, and he possessed the power to render the people both prosperous and happy. The conduct of his army, too, when passing through Syria had been most exemplary, and the inhabitants had to their astonishment observed the wonderful difference between an irregular and undisciplined Turkish force and the order and regularity of the Egyptian troops, and, generally speaking, were most favourable to the change of masters. ”

“ When I see the effects of our fire upon so formidable a fortress, I cannot help feeling the greatest obligation to every officer and man engaged in this enterprise. The cool, steady, and beautifulbeautiful style in which the ships and vessels, through shoals and banks, came into their positions, and the noble spirit that animated the whole, in the destructive fire opened and maintained against a very smart return from the forts and batteries, were most gratifying, and drew forth my admiration, being enabled in the steamer to observe the simultaneous attacks on both faces ”

“ The peasantry were rather shy, and required a good deal of coaxing, and occasionally a little manual persuasion, to get them forward, but, knowing the country, they took a long circuit on the enemy’s left, and advanced unseen to the heights without firing a shot; a Turkish battalion was now sent forward en tirailleur, and advanced with caution, but great gallantry, under a heavy fire, and they unexpectedly found much good cover under the rocks; a second battalion, headed by General Jochmus, was directed to advance along the road in column, but they broke into skirmishing parties ”

“ The Turks in Beyrout treat the mountaineers very ill, and they are beginning to find they will not be a bit better off than they were. At present I have great influence over them, and can make them do just what I like, but I am unfortunately going to Alexandria, where I do not believe anything can be done without troops, and there will be no one here to look after their interests. My son is come out to join me; he is Major in the 46th. I have some idea of sending him to the Emir, but he ought to have Turkish rank ”

“ All kinds of fruit and vegetables are also produced, and the vine flourishes in great luxuriance nearly up to the summit of the mountain. As we were winding along the difficult passes we observed a steam-ship at sea, several thousand feet below us, making the best of her way to Beyrout, and before we had finished our repast, which the kindness of Mr. Moore had provided, we were agreeably surprised by the appearance of Captain Henderson, of the Gorgon, who had arrived from Alexandria, with orders to join the Commander-in-chief in Vourla Bay ”

“ We have then Tripoli to turn our attention to, which I think will be an easier conquest. Acre will be a tougher job, but I believe within our power to accomplish, unless more forces are brought against us; we expect 4000 more Turkish troops every day, which will be a great assistance. Sir Charles Smith, I hear, is better; if he is able to take the command, my functions cease, which I am sorry for. I hope, in the final settlement of this question, some attention will be paid to the mountaineers of Lebanon; they ought to have added to their territory the seaports of Sidon, Beyrout, and Tripoli ”

“ By what has taken place in Syria, his Highness must be aware what can be accomplished in a country where the inhabitants are disaffected to the Government. In one month 6000 Turks and a handful of marines took Sidon, Beyrout; defeated the Egyptian troops in three actions; possessed themselves of 10,000 prisoners and deserters; and caused the evacuation of all the seaports, the passes 256of the Taurus and Mount Lebanon; and this in the face of an army of more than 30,000 men; and in three weeks more, Acre, the key of Syria, fell to the combined fleets, after a bombardment of three hours. ”