General Jochmus to Admiral Stopford.
| Sir, | Head-quarters, Jaffa, Jan. 17, 1841. |
I have the honour to inform your Excellency, that on the 14th instant I directed a division of ten battalions of infantry, 1800 irregular and Tatar horse, 150 regular cavalry, and 14 pieces of artillery, to march from Ramla towards Gaza.
This latter village is abandoned by the enemy, who has a flying camp of 1200 regular and 1800 irregular horse, with eight pieces of horse artillery, at three-quarters of an hour’s march south of Gaza, whence he draws his forage and provisions: but ravages, at the same time, the country, carrying off cattle and mules to a great extent from most of the villages south of Ramla.
The object of my movement was the protection of these villages, but principally the destruction of the enemy’s provisions at Gaza, in case Ibrahim Pacha, distressed in the Desert, should have struck off south of the Dead Sea towards Gaza.
On the 14th of January the division encamped at Ashdod; on the 15th it could only make a march of three hours to El-Meshdel on account of the incessant heavy rain, which poured down ever since it left Ramla.
Towards the afternoon, a reconnoitring party of the enemy of 500 horse approached the camp; but the commanding officer making a very silly manœuvre was taken in flank and rear by about 400 or 500 of our cavalry, who pursued him for two hours, taking between forty and fifty prisoners, and killing and wounding as many. Our loss was about four killed and twelve wounded.
Hearing nothing positive about Ibrahim’s immediate approach, and the low country towards Gaza having become a complete marsh by the continued floods of rain up to the 16th in the evening, and the troops having been completely drenched day and night in the bivouacs, I suspended the movement, and sent the infantry and guns to Jaffa, advancing, at the same time, the cavalry detachments to the neighbourhood of Ascalon and some villages towards the river of that name, with their head-quarters at El-Mesde, intending to resume the operations the moment the ground had become practicable; but on my arrival here, informed officially of the complete submission of Mehemet Ali Pacha, and the consequent cessation of the state of rebellion of his army, our troops have been ordered to cease offensive hostilities. His Excellency the Seraskier Ahmed Zacharias Pacha commanded in person since we left Ramla.
I have, &c.,
(Signed) A. Jochmus, Lieut.-Gen.