“His Highness Omar Pasha has requested me to write to your Lordship, to return his best thanks for the services rendered to his army by Major Bent, of the royal engineers, and the detachment of sappers under his command.
“His Highness desires me to express his regret at the losses which have been sustained by this small detachment, who, under the direction of Major Bent, have well sustained the character of the British army.
“His Highness has already expressed to your Lordship his regret at the loss of Lieutenant Burke, of the royal engineers, whom His Highness considers to have been an officer of much merit.
“His Highness desires me to inform your Lordship, that he has done himself the honour to write to the Turkish Ambassador at the Court of St. James’s expressing the desire of His Majesty the Sultan that private Andrew Anderson, of the royal sappers and miners, may receive and wear the decoration of the fourth class of the order of Medjidie, in commemoration of his gallantry in recovering the body of Lieutenant Burke, after he was killed at the passing of the Danube on the 7th of July last. In the meantime he has presented private Anderson with the decoration, and trusts your Lordship will allow him to wear it until the commands of Her Majesty may be received.[[166]]
“His Highness further desires me to express to your Lordship his entire approbation of the manner in which Major Bent has conducted his duties.
“He desires me to inform your Lordship that this officer showed great energy in his endeavours to enter Silistria before the siege was raised; that he subsequently showed great gallantry at the passage of the Danube, when he was the first to land on the left bank, and covered the landing of the Turkish troops with a detachment of riflemen, who maintained their ground under a heavy fire until the disembarkation of the supports was effected.
“Major Bent and his sappers were subsequently of great service in throwing up the tête de pont at Giurgevo, and in the construction of the bridge across the Danube.
“His Highness desires to take this opportunity of expressing to your Lordship his high sense of the services rendered by Lieutenant Glyn, R.N., and H. S. H. Prince Ernest of Saxe Leiningen, with the detachment of sailors of Her Majesty’s fleet under their command, in the construction of the bridge across the Danube.
“His Highness considers that the success of the construction of this bridge is in great measure attributable to their well-planned dispositions, which, although executed with limited means, proved fully effective to resist the storms and strong currents of the Danube.[[167]]
“He desires me to say that he is fully satisfied with the zeal and energy of this detachment of Her Majesty’s fleet under the able direction of Lieutenant Glyn, whom he considers a very promising officer, and entirely worthy of the confidence of your Lordship.