“After the great advantages gained by the Emir Bechir over Osman Pacha, at Merouba, it became necessary to move on Souliman Pacha, defeat him, and obtain possession of Beyrout; I in consequence directed the Emir Bechir to join me on the heights of Ornagacuan on the 9th inst., and on the 8th General Jochmus marched with four battalions, and was followed the day after by the Arab battalion, composed of Turkish and Egyptian deserters; on the 9th two steam-boats anchored in St. George’s Bay, with a Turkish and marine battalion, ready to disembark when necessary. At nine in the morning I arrived on the heights, and found that our picquets had been driven in by an enemy we did not expect in that quarter; a Turkish battalion and the mountaineers sent them back; and on reconnoitring I found to my surprise between 2000 and 3000 men in a position that appeared unassailable. No time was to be lost, as the deserters assured me they expected a reinforcement of 2000 men the next morning. “My own position was strong, being in a long narrow range of hills; my left almost inaccessible, and my right protected by a deep gorge, at the head of which the hills on which I was posted, after a considerable descent, turned off to the right; this part of the hill the enemy occupied in force, amongst rugged, and apparently inaccessible rocks; a road considerably below the top of the mountain wound round it; above the first position there was a second, still stronger, and above that again a third. In the course of the day, I learned that the Emir Beshir had crossed Dog River, and arrived at Basquinta, in the enemy’s rear; I desired him to continue his march, and I directed Omar Bey, who had been left with four battalions in our lines, to march at night with two on Argentoun, descend into the deep gorge of the Dog River with great caution and secresy, and cross over to Bechfeya, in the rear of the enemy, and effect a junction with the Emir Beshir; this very dangerous movement (for had he been discovered in the bottom of the gorge he would have been destroyed) was executed with great skill by Omar Bey, and about two o’clock we were delighted to hear a firing in the enemy’s rear. By this time the other two Turkish battalions who were ordered from our lines were in sight, and another that I had passed over the gorge in our right was rapidly advancing on the enemy’s left.