Journal of a Visit to Greece
Chapter IV
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CHAPTER IV.
The campaign of 1824 began by the loss of Ipsara, in the month of
July. The Turks effected a landing in boats, on a rocky and unguarded part of the shore, and
surprised the town. The Ipsariots made a brave but ineffectual resistance. The women threw
their children into the sea, and sprung after them. Few of the inhabitants escaped. But it was
a dear-bought victory for the Capitan Pacha, who lost 2000 of his best men. The fortress of
Napoli di Romania was ceded by the Government to the remaining brave and unfortunate Ipsariots.
The Egyptian fleet of Mahomet Ali, which threatened a
descent on the Morea, had put back to Rhodes, owing to the great sickness that pre-![]()
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ailed on board. The Greek fleet, under Admiral
Miaulis, attacked that of Constantinople at Samos, burning with their ships two
frigates and a brig; the brave Ipsariot, Capt. Canaris,
displaying his usual intrepidity. The Constantinopolitan fleet afterwards joined the Egyptians
at Stanco. Three camps were to be formed in the Morea; one at Patras, another in the plain of
Gastouni, and the third near Navarino. General
Anagnostara was to command at Gastouni, with Generals Coliopulo and Cryssantho, Sessini’s eldest son,
and Londos, with Zaimi and Gennao Colocotroni at the camp
of Patras.
Two columns of Turks had advanced on Salona and Athens: the main body, under the
command of Dervish Pacha, advanced from Zeitouni to within eight miles of
Salona. Javela, Drako, and Danzley, Suliote captains, in
conjunction with Pannuria, the chief of Salona, had formed a camp at
Albania, an advantageous post, which commanded the principal pass from Zeitouni. The Turks from
Larissa and Ne-![]()
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gropont had been engaged by Gennao near Marathon, and worsted in a well-fought skirmish. On the advance of
the Turks, the inhabitants yearly take refuge in the neighbouring Islands of Coulouris and
Ægina; Goura, with about 500 men occupying the fortress, which the Turks this year made no
further attempt to attack. Great dissensions prevailed among the Albanians, the best troops of
the Ottoman empire; and they wanted but little encouragement to embrace, in great numbers, the
cause of the Greeks. Seven hundred Albanians had made offers to Ulysses to desert to him when he was in Negropont; but not having friends to
pay either them or his own troops, he could not receive them. The Greeks inhabiting the
mountains of Olympus, to the number of 12,000 fighting men, wanted only a supply of ammunition
openly to revolt; but, though the benefit of having such a considerable force co-operating in
the rear of the enemy was evident, no advantage was taken of either circumstance.
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At Napoli the Government had attempted the organization of regular troops, and
the command had been given to the then acting secretary of state, Rhodios; who was as inadequate to one situation as the other, having no
military knowledge or experience, though a well-intentioned young man.* The Greeks are much
prejudiced against regular troops;† and the measure required the greatest eclat at the commencement, as
* Rhodios began his military
career early in Greece, as lieutenant in a company I held, and for the short time of my
former stay in the country, at the siege of Tripolizza, in a regiment raised by
Ipsilanti, and commanded by a Colonel Ballestre, and, from knowing the language, was
the most useful of the two. When we ascribed the ideas we connect to Government
ministers and secretaries of state, to the same thing in this infantine Republic, it
seemed like playing at a game of assuming such characters; but it had the advantage,
that, divested of all that imposing veil of grandeur and inaccessibleness, men were
more open to observation, and the springs of action and their real merits were more
easily distinguished. † I remember, at the siege of Tripolizza, when the Greeks used
to speak at night from our little battery to the Turks on the walls, the Turks
reproached them, saying, “You will now be made Frank soldiers of, and slaves,
worse than with us.” |
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well as good management, to give it a chance of success. It required also
some popular and well-known commander among the natives, or a distinguished foreigner; but the
members of the Government seemed determined to invest all power in weak hands alone; and in
those who owed their elevation entirely to themselves, as if they dreaded the assumption of
office in any others. The same line of suspicious and misgiving policy was pursued with
Ulysses; who, on his part, was equally distrustful of
them, and of their intentions towards him. By Conduriotti, he had been well received, and with sincerity; but his enemies
were busy against him, and his own retainers sought advantage, in insinuating to him reports of
designs to his disparagement. It was proposed that he should remain with the Government as
their counsellor and adviser; but his being attended by a body-guard of ten followers, which he
required, was objected to. He refused a command at Hydra; as being shut up in a fortified
island, he was there too much at ![]()
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their disposal. Goura, in the meantime, instigated and guided by his
secretary, Sophionopulo, a villainous character, had been supplanting
Ulysses at Athens, which with the Athenians, fickle as of old, was not
difficult; and, though he obeyed the orders he received from Ulysses to
come to him at Napoli, it was the last act of his obedience, and he soon after assumed the
chief command. The soldiers and retainers of Ulysses were in long arrears
of pay; his demands for which, and even for brevets, in general so liberally bestowed,* were
not accorded him, though many of his soldiers were, immediately on leaving his service,
appointed to the rank of colonels and captains.
The first supply of the Loan reached Na-
* On speaking to Coletti, on
the subject of giving, in such numbers, the rank of generals and lieutenant-generals,
he answered,“Que voulez-vous? quand on n’a pas de
l’argent, il faut payer avec du papier.” It was also
proposed, by introducing gradations of high rank, to do away with the title of
Capitanos, applied generally to any military commander, which proposal originated with
General Londos. |
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poli in July, instructions having been given to place it at the disposal
of the Greek Government.* The seat of Government was a crowded Babel of vagabonds, in diverse
dresses of all nations,—a mingled scene of dirty splendour, and dirtier wretchedness; and
the streets wore the appearance of a sorry masquerade. Half-starved adventurers, candidates for
posts and employments in the Government, open-mouthed in expectation of the English Loan, and
straining every nerve to have a share, however small, in the general scramble. Never was warmer
zeal displayed in support of supreme power than in Napoli. Every shadow of being a
non-opinionist in the immaculate proceedings and omniscience of the existing rulers; the, to
be, dispensators of this “cornu copium;” incurred instant censure; and Colocotroni, Ipsilanti,
Ni- * This unconditioned concession of the money in the hands of the
Greeks themselves, has eventually caused all but their utter ruin; and whoever were the
instigairs of this measure, theirs is the guilt. |
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ketas, Ulysses, names that had gained
celebrity by their gallant defence of their country, were all doomed, without appeal, to the
appellation of traitors and anti-patriots. The incense and flattery offered to those in power,
in proportion as they were unaccustomed to it, deprived them of all moderation and prudence.*
Giving Ulysses the command of the forces opposed to Dervish
Pacha was talked of; but, after having been shot at, when sitting by a window in
Niketas’s house, his demands refused, and his
nomination delayed, Ulysses, accompanied by Trelawney and General Karaiscaki,
quitted Napoli in disgust, leaving Negris there; and,
with about 1000 men, joined the Greek camp at Albani. On a commissary being appointed, for the
supply and * It is remarked by some author; “The generous love of
liberty which warms the bosom of the true patriot, is not the mean offspring of
envy and malice, nor of a proud and peevish opposition to the ruling powers, whatever they may be.” In speaking of the ruling
powers of Greece, as they are—bad, I should be very sorry
to be thought opposed to ruling powers, “whatever they may
be.” |
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payment of the troops, Ulysses learnt that the
Government afforded no support to his soldiers, and that Goura was nominated to replace him in the command of Athens.
Ulysses then made a seizure of Government money, disbanded his
soldiers, and retired to his fortress at Parnassus; and the rumour spread that he was treating
with the Turks.
At Albania, near Salona, the inactivity of the opposed camps, (posted as
usual—the Greeks occupying the mountains, the Turks the plains) had been broken by one
general engagement. The Turks attacked the Greek entrenchments; but being received by a sharp
fire of musquetry, they soon retired, without attempting an assault. The Turks lost about 200
men, the Greeks four or five. This was the most important engagement that took place by land,
during the whole campaign; and constituted the operations of the Turkish army, of above 20,000
men, opposed to 4000.
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On the Western side of Roumelia, Omer
Vrioni, at the head of about 6000 men, had advanced towards Messolunghi.
Mavrocordato, again assuming a military capacity
with Zougas, Maccrie, and Rango, Roumeliot captains,
posted themselves on the heights of Lugovitza; where they remained, in complete inactivity, for
three months, but their whole force did not amount to 3000 men. A detachment of cavalry passing
their camp, surprised the town of Vrachova, and took or killed 300 of the inhabitants; the town
had been before nearly destroyed, and with this exploit Omer Vrioni was
satisfied.
In the Morea, an attack had been made, in the early part of the year, on Modon;
this, with occasional skirmishes with the garrison of Patras, comprised the whole exertions of
either side in the Morea. The Turkish garrisons, at Modon, Coron, and also Lepanto, remained
very tranquil, and were left undisturbed. The Turks evince an unparalleled constancy in
supporting ![]()
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the privations of a siege, and this seems the only excellence
they retain of their once renowned qualities for war! It was hardly possible to conceive the
exaggerated reports, and for which rejoicings were celebrated, that were circulated and
credited from one part of Greece to another. Government despatches and Gazettes (for two others
had appeared besides the Messolunghi Chronicle; one
at Hydra, entitled ό ϕίλος των
Νόμων, Ami des Lois, and another at
Ægina) gave accounts of battles and successes that had no other existence but in their
pages: and which reports were promulgated in Europe, and magnified as they got farther off
till, according to them, the dark blue waters of these classic shores were made blood-red with
slaughter.*
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* My offers to serve in any military capacity not being accepted by the
Government, I passed over to Roumelia, with a few soldiers in my own pay, visited Ulysses and Trelawney, in their mountain fortress on Mount Parnassus; and finding nothing
going on in either camp, passing through Messolunghi, I returned to the Morea,
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By sea, the operations had been more active: the Greeks attacked the combined
fleets at Stanco, and with their formidable brulots (fire-ships) burnt several vessels. They
repulsed an attempt of the Egyptians to effect a landing at Candia, making some prizes, and
driving them back towards Rhodes; when part of their fleet returned to Alexandria, and the
Constantinopolitan retired to Mitylene. After keeping the sea for three months, the whole Greek
fleet returned to port, and the Egyptians seized the opportunity of
and took up my quarters for the winter at
Gastouni: which the cordiality and hospitality of Sessi, governor of that Province, made an agreeable residence to
strangers. Here, in the summer months, had Lord Charles
Murray, after a short stay in Greece, fallen a victim to the unhealthy
climate of the Moron. Go, stranger, tract the deep, Free, free, the white sail spread; Wave may not flow, nor land wind sweep, Where rest not England’s dead:— The warlike of the isles, the men of field and wave, Are not the rocks their funeral piles, the seas and shores their grave. |
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effecting a landing in Candia. No aid had been afforded the Cretans by
land; and the Pacha of Egypt’s son, Ibrahim Pacha,
who commanded the expedition, and of whose courage and talent report speaks well, confined his
operations to gaining possession of that Island.
Hellenica Chronica. (1824-26). A biweekly Greek language newspaper edited by Jean Jacques Meyer; most of the subscribers
lived outside of Greece.
