On 7 April 1825, 4000 men under the inexperienced Skourtis had taken up defensive positions in the hills above the village of Kremhidion, a few kilometers inland from Pylos. The experienced Roumeliot captains, who after the second civil war had stayed in Moreas, to face the Egyptians, were discontented with the appointment of a sailor as field commander and the soldiers were nervous with the whole situation. These captains were Roumeliot Georgios Karaiskakis, Bulgarian Chatzihristos, Macedon Karatasos, Suliots Drakos, Kostas Botsaris and Kitsos Tzavelas. The peloponnesian captains who knew the area, had been eliminated by the civil war, and the most competent of all, Theodoros Kolokotronis was in jail. Ibrahim attacked with 4000 Egyptians. These soldiers were very obedient, disciplined, extremely hardy and had a formidable commander, who personally cut down any of his men who broke ranks. The Greeks held out for some time, but their centre, which was defended by Skourtis' men, broke and Ibrahim's cavalry began spreading the death and the panic. 600 Hellenes were killed and among them were Mitros Mpotaitis, Thimios Ksidis, Vasilis Hormovas and Kostas Petropoulos. Kostas Botsaris, brother of Markos, almost was caught alive but his Suliots saved him from the hands of the enemy. After the battle, the Roumeliots accused the government for the war plans and for keeping Kolokotronis in jail, and they left for Roumeli.
Ibrahim's next objective was the island of Sphaktiria, which is separated
from Pylos or Navarino by a narrow channel. It was held by 800 Hellenes
with 8 cannons. On 26 April 1825, Mavrokordatos was invited by captain
Tsamados on the island. The Egyptians suddenly
landed on Sphaktiria and a fleet of dozens ships blocked the entrance of the port.
The Greek defenders were defeated and within hours the island was in Egyptian hands.
When Mavrokordatos asked the Italian Santaroza,
to follow him and to abandon the fight, Santaroza told him: 'I came to fight and die for
the Liberation of Hellas'. Santaroza, the famous fighter Anagnostaras and Sahinis were
among the deads. The Ares was left alone amongst the enemy ships, and all the
sailors prayed to the icon of Panaghia which was held by a priest. After three hours
of battle, the ship of Tsamados, without its captain, managed to get out of the bay
and escape into the open sea.
The fall of Sphaktiria was followed by the fall of Palaeo Navarino. On 29 April,
Ibrahim's troops attacked on the fortress of Palaeo Navarino, bombarding it from ships
in the bay and from the landward side. The defenders without water and provisions,
could no longer resist and they surrendered. Only Sotiris Hotzamanis and his men managed to escape through the enemy
but all the rest were captured. Among the captives were the bishop of Methoni, Hatzihristos,
Anagnostis Kanellopoulos and Varvoglis. The 786 prisoners were left alive and were sent away.
The same day that fell the fortress of Palaeo Navarino, the Hydrian Miaoulis with his fleet,
entered during the night in the harbour of Methoni and destroyed about ten enemy ships.
Only the castle of Neokastro or Neo Navarino held out, with Makrygiannis leading the
defence. The fortress was not organized for a proper defence, there were no provisions or
ammunition and Makrygiannis was enraged with the governement which did nothing to help
the defenders of Neo Navarino. The garisson had 1180 men and was in desperate condition.
On 6 May, Makrygiannis was sent to talk with Ibrahim and arranged to surrender the
fortress. Because the Greeks were afraid of their lives, they sent a Cypriot, who swam
during te night, to an english fregate and half drowned asked the english captain to
mediate for the negotiations. The Greeks were carried to European ships and only sixty-three,
according to Makrygiannis' memoirs, were kept and slaughtered by the Egyptians. Also
the Maniats Giatrakos and Georgakis Mavromichalis were kept prisoners by Ibrahim.
So Egyptians were in possesion of all the castles in southern Peloponnese, and Ibrahim
was preparing to conquer the whole peninsula.
But at least, the Greek navy continued to have success.
When the Ottoman armada of 51 ships appeared in the Aegean sea,
the Greek fleet, under the command of Sahtouris, Kolandroutsos and Apostolis,
sailed to face the superior enemy forces. The two fleets met
on 16 May southern of Tenedos and fought for several hours without any result.
They were met again on 20 May 1825, on the narrow passage between Andros
and cape Kafireas, of Evoia and the Turkish fleet suffered a desaster.
Two burlota or fireships under Matrozos and Mousios, burnt a fregate of 66 cannons.
All 800 men were killed. Later Mpotis with his burloto burnt a corvette of 34 cannons.
The enemy fleet retreated and left for Suda of Crete.
The people of Peloponnese were paniced by the advance of Egyptian forces and asked the
government to release all the prisoners. Finally Koundouriotis reluctantly, on 18
May 1825 amnestied all the political prisoners who were released from prisons on Hydra.
Theodoros Kolokotronis was appointed commander-in-chief of the Greek forces.
Kolokotronis' aim was to block the way to Tripolis, a city which he regarded as the key to control
Moreas. He had suggested to the government to wreck the walls of the city, but the
government didn't support this plan. Kolokotronis with the
kapetanioi Koliopoulos, Kanellos Deligiannis, Papatsonis, Giatrakos,
Antonis and Genneos Kolokotronis fought klephtopolemo - guerrilla war but
didn't make it to stop the advance of
Ibrahim's forces and the Turkoegyptian managed
on 10 June to occupy the town.
The clerical Papaflessas or Gregorios Dikaeos worried with the successive victories
of Ibrahim, decided to face the enemy in the south-west Peloponnese. He had planned to gather
2500 men, but the reinforcements didn't appear. So most of his men left, and
Papaflessas remained only with 300 men, near the village
Maniaki. On 19 May, several thousands
Egyptians attacked to the positions held by the Greeks. The battle continued for nine hours,
and all the Greeks were killed. The legend says that after the battle Ibrahim searched
for the body of Papaflessas, and kissed him.
This was the end of the Mpourliotieris ton psihon, as he was called for his ardor and
fervency when he was struggling to convince all Greeks to start the Revolution.
Spuridon Trikoupis wrote for him that he acted like Alcibiadis, but one is certain that
he loved his homeland and was sacrified for her freedom.
Ibrahim's next objective was Navplion, the seat of Greek governement. Near Navplion lays
the village of Miloi or Mills which supplied the capital with water and also there, Greeks
held the main stores of ammunition. Makrygiannis, Ypsilantis and Konstantinos Mavromichalis
organised the defence of the area. Makrygiannis in his memoirs gives full description of the battle.
Before the battle, the french admiral De Rigny visited Makrygiannis and asked him to avoid the
battle because the Greek force was too small to encounter Egyptians. Makrygiannis answered
that always Greeks were outnumbered but with the help of God they always had victories
against the barbarians. Makrygiannis was determined to hold Miloi, so he sent all horses to Navplion
and the small boats were also sent away. Greeks now had no way to escape and they had to fight
or to die. The Egyptians attacked on 13 June and managed to enter into the enclosure. But Greeks
with their swords counterattacked and followed a hand-to-hand combat. Egyptians withdrew with heavy
losses while only two Hellenes were killed. Among the wounded was
Makrygiannis who was transferred to the french fregate
of De Rigny for treatment. After his defeat Ibrahim didn't attack to Nafplion, not
knowing how weak was the defence of the Greek capital. He moved to the interior of Peloponnese
burning, pilaging and killing but without succeding to destroy any military force of
Kolokotronis who conducted his klephtopolemo, a war tactic which he conducted since
he was sixteen years old. Ibrahim's troops did great damage to Moreas and also had all
trees and crops burnt. This tactic and his barbaric ways gave an alibi to the Great Powers
later to intervene.
A brilliant achievement which shows the courage of Greek sailors was the attempt to burn
the whole Egyptian fleet inside the port of Alexandreia, the capital of Mehmet Ali.
If they succeeded they would cut Ibrahim's provisions and reinforcements and he would be in a
very difficult position.
On 29 July 1825, two warships under Manolis Tompazis and
Antonis Kriezis with three fireships or mpourlota
of Kanaris, Antonis Vokos and Manolis Mpoutis reached outside the Egyptian port. The
fireships having hoisted European flags got into the harbour. They raised the Greek flags
and attempted to burn the admiralship. The good luck deserted them, the wind changed,
one fireship was set alight
but drifted away uselessly and the Greek boats escaped through cannon fires. Mehmet Ali was
furious and had many fregates chase the Greek fleet without success. The Greeks ships, next day
attacked a turkish warship of 16 cannons which had sailed from Attalia, a port south of Minor Asia,
and captured all its crew. On 13 August they reached safe Hydra.
