“Ibrahim on the 26th of May, ordering the generals, colonels, and chiefs of battalions into his tent, made the following arrangements for carrying the place by storm. Ahmed Bey, General of Brigade, with the first battalion of the second regiment of infantry, was directed to mount the breach near the tower of Kapoo-Boorjou; to the second battalion, the breach opposite Nebi-Saleh was assigned, and to the third, that of Zavié; each assaulting party to be supported by a party in reserve. About an hour after midnight, scaling ladders were commanded to be brought to the trench near the tower of Kerim Boorjou. Each officer, moreover, received particular instructions. During the night the batteries kept up a continual fire upon the city, and immediately after sunrise the order for the assault was given. The breaches of Zavié and Nebi-Saleh were at once carried; but the detachment which had been directed against the tower of Kapoo-Boorjou, meeting with some resistance, exhibited signs of trepidation, and was about to give ground. Observing this, Ibrahim, sabre in hand, advanced towards them, and succeeded, by vehement menaces, in arresting their retrograde movement. At the same time the reserve advanced to their support, and while a part of the men kept the enemy in check by a well-directed fire, the others threw up an intrenchment.
“In the city, the Turkish soldiers, whose numbers had been reduced to about 2000, with the chivalrous Abdallah Pacha at their head, exhibited eminent proofs of bravery. In one hour and a half they made three different sallies, and though constantly repulsed, left upon the minds of the besiegers a high idea of their indomitable[indomitable] intrepidity. The cannonading continued all day on both sides. At the breach of Zavié, the Arabs having penetrated to the gate near the tower of the Khazné, Abdallah Pacha, followed by his staff, attacked them in person, and driving them beyond the ditch where they were exposed to the fire of the besieged, they retired under the cover of their own battery. Ibrahim, supported by a great number of inferior officers, endeavoured to bring them once more to the charge; but they again gave way, and retired before the Turks. He now ordered one of his chaooshes to snatch the colours from the standard-bearer, and advance towards the enemy. The soldier refused to deliver them. A second was sent, and met with the same refusal; but the standard-bearer himself now marching forward to the breach, was followed by the Arabs, who returned to the charge with so much fury, that they succeeded in reaching the parapet, from behind which they dislodged the enemy with stones. Such was the nature of the contest for hours, a series of successes and disasters, more fatal, however, to the Turks than to the Arabs, since, their numbers being small, every man was missed. At length the firing ceased on both sides; and this suspension of slaughter continued until half past five in the afternoon.
“In this interval, the principal engineer was directed to reconnoitre a part of the wall, where Ibrahim supposed the scaling ladders might be successfully applied; and his report confirming the suspicion of the General, orders were issued to commence the escalade. As the operation was conducted in the teeth of the enemy, who maintained a constant and murderous fire, the number of men who fell in effecting it was considerable; but their efforts were at length crowned with success, and a party of horse also throwing themselves into the town, the besieged perceived that all further defence was impracticable, and demanded quarter. Immediately afterwards, a deputation consisting of certain officers of artillery, with the mufti and imam of Abdallah Pacha, arrived, imploring the clemency of the victor. They were graciously received by Ibrahim, who promised them his protection, and even allowed the officers to retain their arms. To Abdallah Pacha, life only was guaranteed. By this time the city was filled with soldiers, and those excesses and atrocities, too common on the storming of towns, took place; but such property as could be discovered was next day restored to the owners. It has been asserted, upon the authority of an European consul, then in the city, that the soldiers of Ibrahim were allowed seven days’ sack of the town; but the author of this report is an ardent partisan of Abdallah Pacha; and it may be further remarked that, since Mohammed Ali aimed at gaining a permanent footing in Syria, the thing itself is improbable.
“Abdallah Pacha, two days after the taking of Acre, was sent prisoner into Egypt, where he was received with the honours due to a brave man, and had a palace, situated on the island of Rhouda, assigned him for his residence.”
The Turkish Government were not unwilling to see Abdallah Pacha deprived of Acre, as they thought he had assumed an air of too much independence, and they also hoped that Mehemet Ali, who they saw with a jealous eye was becoming too powerful, would exhaust his resources by undertaking a campaign in Syria. After the capture of Acre the Porte soon began to perceive that Abdallah Pacha’s position was taken possession of by a more powerful, a more ambitious, and a more dangerous vassal; they therefore ordered him immediately to withdraw from Syria, and not expecting compliance, collected an army of 20,000 men on the banks of the Orontes, and advanced another from Anatolia, to oppose him.
Mehemet Ali, however, had no idea of satisfying himself with the capture of Acre. He had now passed the Rubicon, and he directed Ibrahim to advance a part of his army on Balbeck to watch the operations of Hussein Pacha, who commanded the Ottoman army, and to occupy Damascus with the remainder. Ali Pacha, who commanded the Turkish troops in that city, evacuated it without firing a shot, and retired on Homs, by the old road of Palmyra, and joined the Turkish army.
Ibrahim Pacha, having now possession of Damascus, advanced on Khan Kousseir, where he arrived on the 6th of July. The next morning he attacked and defeated a part of the Turkish army, and took 3000 prisoners and 13 field pieces. On the 8th the Egyptian army entered Homs, and took 1500 prisoners and 14 guns. The remains of the Ottoman army retired on Aleppo, and formed a junction with the force under Hussein Pacha; from thence they continued their retreat, in two columns, on Beylan, and soon after Ibrahim took possession of Aleppo, where he halted a short time to reorganize his army.[his army.] On the 29th he again came in sight of the Ottoman army, again attacked, and again defeated them, taking 25 guns and 2000 prisoners. On the following day the Egyptians entered Alexandretta, where they found 14 guns and abundance of stores and provisions; and the Turks now retired on Mount Taurus.
The Sultan becoming alarmed for the stability of his throne, made great exertions, and speedily collected an army of 50,000 men, and a good train of artillery, and placed them under the command of Rechid Pacha, the Grand Vizier. The Egyptian army had now assembled at Adana, and on the 14th of October they drove the Turks from the defiles of Mount Taurus, and on the 20th the Egyptian advanced guard occupied Erekli, where they remained till the 27th of November.
On the 13th of December, the whole army was put in motion, and arrived at Koniyeh on the 17th, the day after the Turks had evacuated it. From that time to the 20th of December, various movements took place on both sides, and on the 21st the battle of Koniyeh was fought, when the Ottoman army was totally defeated and dispersed by Ibrahim Pacha, and the Grand Vizier taken prisoner.
Nothing now hindered the conqueror from marching on Scutari, where he might have arrived early in January, and before the Russians had reached the Bosphorus. Had he followed this course, Constantinople would have been revolutionized, and the power of the Sultan overturned, and most probably Mehemet Ali would have been placed on the throne of Osman.