they retreated in confusion, leaving two gunboats in the hands of the
enemy.
As the affair had been conducted entirely between the different
flotillas, Nassau claimed all the credit for the brilliant maneuvers
of the Russians. Jones contemptuously allowed him to make any claims
he pleased in his report to Patiomkine, and gave Nassau credit for at
least having taken his advice. It would have been better for Nassau's
fame if he had continued to take Jones' advice. Having obtained this
slight success, Nassau, who knew how well his urgency would look in
the reports, again proposed to Jones that they should advance and
attack. The Russian army had not yet invested the place, and the
success they had gained was so slight that circumstances had not
changed. Jones still refused to be moved from the position he had
assumed, which the experience of the 18th of June had justified, and
calmly awaited the further pleasure of the enemy. It takes a high
quality of moral courage for a stranger, who has a reputation for
audacity and intrepidity, absolutely to refuse to do that thing to
which a subordinate urges him, and which has the appearance of courage
and daring; and I count this refusal, in the interests of sound
strategic principles, not an unimportant manifestation of Jones'
qualities as an officer.
Meanwhile, the Russian army, having passed the Bug, invested the city
on the 28th of June, and the Turkish fleet was forced to attack or
withdraw. The capitan pasha elected to do the former. Having
re-enforced his crews by some two thousand picked men from the great
fleet outside the Liman, he advanced down the bay to attack the
Russians. The wind was free, and the Turkish fleet came on in grand
style, the capitan pasha leading in the largest ship, with the
flotilla of gunboats massed on his left flank, making a brilliant
showing. Nassau's desire to advance suddenly vanished, and he clamored
for a retreat. Jones paid no attention to him, but weighed anchor,
and, as it was impossible for him to advance on account of the wind,
he waited for the enemy. Fortunately for the Russians, at one o'clock
in the afternoon the Turkish flagship, which had been headed for the
Wolodimer, took ground on the shoals near the south shore of the
Liman. The advance of the fleet was immediately stopped, and the
Turkish vessels came to anchor about the flagship.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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