No power, infernal or divine,
Should once my soul to rest incline,
Until I had dimmed their armour shine
In glorious battle fray!
yet I said to my friend Hodges:—“If we can get the Turks and mountaineers to mount that rugged hill, and Omar Bey attacks at the same time their rear, Ibrahim will get such a dressing as he never had before.”
The troops being now assembled just out of musket-shot, two small field-pieces opened their fire, and pitched their shot into the position where the Albanians were posted; the armed peasantry were directed to throw themselves among the rocks and work their way to the heights, and two Turkish battalions and the Arab battalion were in readiness, under cover of their fire, to advance along the winding road. 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 Arab battalion was then brought up, but there was no keeping them together; they also broke into skirmishers, and the whole advanced with so much rapidity, (with the exception of some few, who I was obliged to stir up with my stick,) that I thought it best to keep my last battalion in reserve to cover their retreat in the event of disaster.
This was an anxious moment, for our success depended on the steadiness of the Turks when they came in contact with the enemy on the top of the hill, but it was soon over; the moment the hill was crowned the Turks ran in upon the Egyptians, the firing ceased, and the latter laid down their arms.
The reserve was now brought up, and the battalion which had crossed the gorge was making great progress on the enemy’s left.
The Egyptians kept up a heavy fire from their second position, and it was with some difficulty I succeeded in persuading the troops to renew the attack; but the example of Selim Pacha, General Jochmus, Lieutenants Bradley and Duncan, Mr. Pearn, Captain Loué, and the other Turkish officers, who all behaved well, encouraged them to storm the second position, which was carried in less than half an hour. It now became a complete rout, the enemy dispersed in all directions, leaving their baggage, ammunition, and provisions behind. Night put an end to the pursuit. Ibrahim, who commanded, escaped with a few men, leaving between 600 and 700 prisoners behind.
Our Arab battalion, seeing a Turkish force advancing, took them for the enemy, and lined a wall that had been thrown up to resist Omar Bey; he on the other hand, took them for Ibrahim’s troops, and seeing myself and several officers with them, thought we were prisoners. A sharp fire was now opened on both sides, and it was with some difficulty I put an end to the conflict, which might have been attended with serious consequences.