Star.
London, England, 1826-05-23 00:00:00

THE FALL OF MISSOLONGHL

FROM TIM !TOILE.
ANCONA, MAT 8.
What melancholy and afilicting news ! I bear, on
my arrival at Ancona, that Missolonghi no longer exists!
I am overwhelmed, annihilated ! I arrive full of hope,
and find all is over. The population of heroes is no
more. The following are the particulars—too positive
facts—which I have been able to collect :

On the 15th April the Greek fleet had an engagement
with the Turkish squadron. The combat was terrible;
the Greeks had the advantage, yet it was not so deci-
sive as to enable them entirely to drive away the Turks
and throw provisions into Missolonghi. Miaulis, there.
fore, waited for fresh divisions to renew the combat.
Ibrahim, wearied out by so many fruitless attacks, in
which he had sustained so many severe losses, directed
all his attention to prevent the arrival of supplies but in
small vessels from Zutte.

On the 16th all the communications were cut off by
means of rafts, and flat bottomed boats arrived with
heavy artillery. Min that time the provisions which
were at Petal* and Porto Soro could not arrive ; the be-
sieged, who maintqiyed themselves only by means of the
the
we
plies vrhicho'hey daily received, began to be in
deplorable situation. - On the 17th and 18th
set i women, children, and old men, died of hunger.
On the 19th the evil increased. Notwithstanding the
horrors of this situation, nobady thought of surrendering,
all still placed their hopes on the fleet, but every one
prepared to sacrifice his life. Several parts of the town
were selected to receive the women, the children, and
the aged, and every prep rrarion was made to blow up
the place. • On the 21bt and 22d prayers were performed,
several parts of the town were underrnin d, and the in-
habitants determined that all tsose who should not be
able to make a sally, as well as the wounded, the wo-
men, and children, should bury themselves by springing
the mines. On the 21st and 22d, Miaulis again attacked
the Turkish fleet; but what could a number of little
vessels do against six ships hi the line, eight or ten
frigates, and ninety other vessels, which had the advan-
tage of the wind? All their efforts were u eless, it was
impossible to get a vessel laden with provisions into the
town, and the Greek fleet in vain lost its best vessels, ex-
posed to the fire of the large Turkish men of war. The
unfoitunate besieged, seeing their last hope vanish,
thought only of executing their heroic. project. Every
thing was prepared for the great sacrifice ; the women
and children were placed over the mines; tome of the
most intrepid old men promised to set fire to the mines
the moment the signal should be given ; the men who
were still able to carry arms resolved to make a sally to
force their way through Ibrahim's army, to join their
brethren, and revenge, if possible, the women and
children whom they abandoned to death. About 2,000
attempted to execute this design ; ISO or 140 men re-
mained in the town, and retired into a house, which they
convened into a fortress. Oa the 29d, in the evening,
their departure took place, and at the same moment
the frightful volcano blew up, and the population was
now reduced to 6,000 souls.

The Turks, who knew the project of the unhappy
besieged, made a very great resistance to the sally of the
Greeks. A d►eadful carnage took place, and at least
one half of this sacred battalion perished. It is hoped,
however, that about 700 or 800 may have gained the
mountains. 0.1 t!,e following day, the heroic town and
its inhabitants no longer exited. The Turks, on enter-
ing the town, found only ruin and dead bodies. How-
ever, the ISO men who hid fortified themselves in the
house, defended themselves the whole day, making a
great carnage of the Egyptians. At length, exhausted
by fatigue and want of food, they blew themselves ups
at the moment when the Turks were going to take them.
Almost every week (and, since the sth of April, every
day) English vessels entered Missolonghi. Sir F. Adam
before his departure for. London, had interposed be.
tween the town and Ibrahim, and exerted all his efforts,
as a private individual, to bring about a capitulation.
The inhabitants of Missolonghi had consented to leave
the town with their arms, baggage, &c. and with drums
beating. Ibrahim refused; he promised that property
should be respected, and their lives spared, but be in-
sisted that the whole garrison should be prisoners of
war. Our heroes indignantly refused, and declared
they would blow themselves up. The English seeing
that Missolonghi was not tenable, and that it was im-
possible for the Greek fleet to throw in supplies, made
the greatest eff•trts to induce Missolonghi to surrender,
but all was in vain.