THE WAR OF GREEK INDEPENDENCE 1821 TO 1833 BY W.ALISON PHILLIPS 1897

216 THE WAR OF GREEK INDEPENDENCE
chance skirmish brought on a general engagement
with the Ottoman troops stationed near the monastery
of Saint Spiridion.
Cochrane, seeing his opportunity,
put himself at the head of the Greeks, and,
armed only with a telescope, led them in person
against the Turkish entrenchments. The impetuous
onrush of the Greeks carried all before it; and, before
the victorious soldiery stopped, seven of the smaller
Turkish redoubts had been captured, communication
established between the Greek camps at Phalerum and
Munychia, and Kiutayeh's vanguard isolated in the
promontory of the Piraeus. In
the monastery of Saint
Spiridion, however, a band of 300 Albanians still held
out, and these it now became necessary to reduce.
For two days the brave defenders repulsed every effort
to storm their position; but on the third day want of
water compelled them to capitulate; and General
Church granted them honourable terms. Unfortunately,
he had taken very inadequate measures to insure
the terms being observed. They were to march
out with the honours of war, Karaiskakis and one or
two other leaders as hostages
in their midst. When
the Albanians emerged from the gate of the monastery
they were at once surrounded by an angry and excited
mob of Greek soldiery. Some chance altercation led
to a shot being fired;
and immediately there began a