Fruitless Journey of the Envoys sent in quest of Ibrahim Pacha—Arrival of part of the Egyptian Army at Gaza—Promised Neutrality of the Turks—The Egyptians informed of the Cessation of Hostilities by the English Officers—Terms recommended by Mr. Wood to be imposed upon Ibrahim Pacha—Colonel Napier’s Narrative of the Retreat of Ibrahim Pacha.
On the 30th January, General Jochmus writes from Jaffa to the Admiral: “Hamid Bey, Major Wilbraham, and Selim Bey (the Turkish Commissioner,) after fruitless attempts to communicate with the Pacha (Ibrahim), have returned to Gaza[[41]].”
This is not to be wondered at: no assistance was given them, as will be seen hereafter by Lieutenant Loring’s report, and they were reluctantly obliged to return to Gaza on the 22nd of January. Ahmed Menikli Pacha had arrived there the day before with the main body of the cavalry, and Ibrahim himself came in on the 31st, with the rest of the army, the greater part of whom must have been resurrection men, as we have seen they had been destroyed in the retreat.
It has been seen that General Jochmus’s report of the 17th of January, to the Admiral, of the affair of Gaza[[42]], affirms that he intended to resume his operations when the ground became practicable, but on his arrival at Jaffa he was officially informed of the complete submission of Mehemet Ali, and the consequent cessation of the state of rebellion of his army; “our troops,” he adds, “have been ordered to cease offensive hostilities. His Excellency, the Seraskier Ahmed Zacharias Pacha, commanded in person since we left Ramla.” I presume General Jochmus means that Lieutenant Loring arrived with my despatches to the authorities in Syria.
These despatches were certainly sufficient authority for the Allies to suspend all hostilities against Ibrahim Pacha, but we shall see that notwithstanding the opinion of the British officers, difficulties were endeavoured to be thrown in the way, both by General Jochmus and Mr. Wood. It has before been shown that both General Michell and Captain Stewart, in consequence of the submission of Mehemet Ali, and the instructions from Sir Robert Stopford, had decided on taking only precautionary measures, and the Turkish authorities, acting under the Admirals orders, were bound to follow the same course, notwithstanding any directions to the contrary they might have received from the Ambassador at Constantinople, whose orders, Captain Stewart justly remarks, must be subordinate to those of Lord Palmerston.
Two days after my despatches arrived at Jaffa the Seraskier received his instructions from Constantinople; the nature of them will appear in Mr. Wood’s Protest, at which I shall presently arrive: nevertheless the Seraskier, after holding a council, gave General Michell and Captain Stewart a positive assurance that no further act of hostility should take place, and that he had no wish to deprive Ibrahim Pacha of either his arms, baggage, or guns[[43]]. The Seraskier was a wise man, he knew very well he had not the power to deprive him of either the one or the other. Captain Stewart and General Michell most properly wrote to Ibrahim Pacha and the Egyptian officer in command at Gaza, to inform them of the cessation of hostilities[[44]], and of their intention to give every possible facility for the evacuation of Syria, and the embarkation of the women, children, and sick at Caiffa, or any other more convenient port; and Captain Arbuthnot and Colonel Colquhoun were despatched with the letters to Ibrahim Pacha and the Egyptian officer commanding at Gaza, and they were instructed to protest against any act of hostility the Turks might commit[[45]].
So ignorant were the Turkish authorities of the movements of Ibrahim, who they fancied was wandering in the Desert, without an army, that on the very day on which Captain Stewart signed the instructions to Captain Arbuthnot and Colonel Colquhoun, to insist on Ibrahim retiring by Gaza in successive columns of 3000 men each, Ahmed Menikli Pacha arrived at Gaza with the main body of Ibrahim’s cavalry in excellent order, and the infantry in three columns. Ibrahim himself bringing up the rear was shortly expected: and on that day also General Jochmus and Mr. Wood, the emissary of Lord Ponsonby, wrote to the Seraskier[[46]] to inform him that the Baron Dumont having destroyed the magazine at Maan, Ibrahim’s army being cut in two, and gone back in thorough disorder, and his 150 guns being already in their power, according to the official orders read at the council of the preceding day Ibrahim would only be allowed the choice of two conditions,—viz.
“1. To march upon El-Arish by the south of the Dead Sea, also upon Suez, with the men, arms, and conveyance which he now possesses.
“2. To come in detachments of 3000 men by Gaza upon El-Arish, leaving his cannon in our hands, in consideration of the power which is granted to him of being permitted to follow this road, provided that he leaves all the Syrians in their country.”
The march of Ibrahim on Gaza, by the south of the Dead Sea, shows very clearly that he never had the intention of entering Palestine, and that his crossing the Jordan was a manœuvre to mislead the Turks, in which he completely succeeded, and arrived safe at Gaza, without having encountered a single outpost of the Turkish army.