On the 9th of June, having meanwhile received re-enforcements of
soldiers to complete the crews, the squadron, followed by the
flotilla, got under way and stood toward the entrance of the Liman.
The combined force anchored in two lines, the squadron forming an
obtuse angle in the channel with the opening toward Otchakoff, so as
to be able to pour a cross fire upon any approaching ships. On the
right and left flanks in the shallow water divisions of gunboats were
stationed, with another division immediately in the rear of the
squadron, and a reserve division at hand to re-enforce any threatened
point of the line. The station was just in front of the mouth of the
Bug, and commanded the entrance to that river and the Dnieper as well,
thus protecting Kherson from any attack by the Turks, and affording
Patiomkine's troops a free and unimpeded passage of the Bug when they
marched to invest the town. The position was most advantageously
chosen by Jones. His force was too weak to attack the Turks with any
hope of success at present, and he had been ordered by Patiomkine not
to enter upon any operation until the Russian army arrived. Absolutely
no fault can be found either with his location or his dispositions.
The Turks made no movement to attack them, and Nassau, who was good at
proposing aggressive movements when no dangers threatened, suggested
that they abandon their position and move forward nearer the town.
Nothing would be gained by this maneuver, and opportunities for a
successful attack by the Turks would have been greater than in their
present position. Jones realized that the Turks must of necessity
attack them sooner or later; that no commander could afford to throw
away such advantage in force as the Turks enjoyed, when any hour might
bring re-enforcements to the Russians, and the battery which Suvorof
had completed would prevent further re-enforcements being received by
the Turks. So Jones grimly held to his position in spite of Nassau's
remonstrances, which were seconded by those of Alexiano, and waited.
To wait is sometimes braver than to advance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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