His Lordship’s letter and his Lordship’s speech puzzled me more than the Oriental Observer. I began to doubt whether I had commanded the Turkish army, or had ever been on the heights of Boharsof at all, as I most certainly never sent this flag to Lord Ponsonby, and I again wrote to his Lordship for an explanation.
“My Lord,
“I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, the 25th of September, inclosing the copy of a speech your Lordship made to the Sultan on presenting the standard of Ibrahim Pacha to His Majesty, taken by the Sultan’s troops under my command, at the battle of Boharsof.
“Your Lordship says it was sent to you by the officer who had the happiness to direct the action of those brave men in the glorious contest of the 10th of October. I fear some deception has been practised on your Lordship. I never sent the standard, nor did I ever see it. General Jochmus reported to me it was taken, and when I desired it might be produced, he made inquiry, and found it had been lost.
“The standard ought to have been brought to me, and by me delivered to Sir Robert Stopford, and I have considered it necessary to write officially to him to request that he will order an inquiry into this mysterious affair.
“Your Lordship must not be satisfied with the capture of Acre; the next attempt should be made on Damascus. I am ordered to Alexandria, and I shall see what can be done there.
“The Sultan had better form the whole of the Egyptian troops who have been captured or deserted, give them their arrears of pay, promote the officers, and land them in Egypt, promising that when Mehemet Ali is put down they should go to their homes, and that the rest of his army shall have their arrears, and go home also, if they come over; let him do that, and he will get Egypt as easily as he has got Syria.
“I have the honour to be, &c.
“Chas. Napier.”
“Right Hon. Lord Ponsonby.”