the Circassians did when they tried to be ambitious, was a complete failure.
The Englishmen remained in Circassia some time, but they must have already known that their hopes that Britain would fight to secure their friendsâ freedom were pointless. Letters were few, but when they came they painted a uniformly gloomy picture of how Urquhartâs plan had unravelled. Longworth remained until June, spending much of that time bedridden with a fever. Bell stayed for another year, but eventually he too was forced to return home a broken man.
They did not vanish entirely from history, however, and were both to write about Circassia again. Bell found a new lost cause to champion, and became the British representative to the Mosquito Coast, a part of the Caribbean shore of central America that London claimed as a protectorate despite Nicaraguan and American objections, whence he wrote a letter to the London Times about Circassia in 1855. Longworth was to return to Circassia as an official government agent. Their actions were provoked by an event that could yet have saved Circassia from conquest: the Crimean War.
4.
Three Hundred Prime-Bodied Circassians
The cause of the Crimean War was in fact more bizarre than Urquhartâs peculiar plan of provoking Russia to seize a merchant ship, and ignite a world war. It started with a spat between France and Russia over who had the right to protect Christians in the Holy Land, but was really about the Russian desire to dominate the Ottoman Empire. Action rapidly moved into the Black Sea, where Russia destroyed the Ottoman fleet. The British and French navies stormed into the sea in response, forcing the Russians to scuttle their own ships in the harbour of Sevastopol.
That left Russiaâs Black Sea forts â its frontline against the Circassians â undefended, so their garrisons pulled back beyond the Kuban river, destroying the fortifications behind them. The Circassians had the best chance of securing their independence since Turkey had so casually given them away a generation before. They had powerful potential allies in Britain and France, who like them were sworn to fight the Russians. They had free access to the Turkish markets that had long been cut off by the Russian forts. They had the morale boost given by seeing their Russian enemies running away to the borders of three decades before. They could finally take the initiative.
They did nothing.
With the Russian evacuation of the Black Sea coast, Sefer Bey, a Circassian prince who had been friends with Urquhart, scurried back into action. The Turks despatched him to the old fort of Anapa, now once more in Turkish hands, to take control of Circassia. So began a great fiasco, despairingly chronicled by Longworth, in which all sides squabbled and disagreed and the prize of an independent, free Circassia was lost for ever.
Longworth returned to Circassia in 1855, shortly after British troops had moved into Crimea in their drive to destroy Russiaâs naval power in the Black Sea. He was an official agent of the British government but his trip was a sideshow, ignored rightly by historians of the terrible conflict which raged on the Crimean peninsula to the west of Circassia. But, for a historian of Circassia, his account provides unique information.
In his despatch of 2 July, Longworth was already frustrated and despairing. Sefer Bey, now called by the grander title of Sefer Pasha, was lying and wheedling to hide the truth that the Circassians had no army to speak of and no way of raising one. âI have despatched trustworthy messengers to ascertain the truth of this statement and have found it to be a deliberate falsehood,â Longworth wrote. The relations between Longworth and Turkish officials, who claimed they were ruling Circassia on Turkeyâs behalf, were strained since Britain still officially aimed for an independent Circassia. These relations collapsed almost completely when British and
The Englishmen remained in Circassia some time, but they must have already known that their hopes that Britain would fight to secure their friendsâ freedom were pointless. Letters were few, but when they came they painted a uniformly gloomy picture of how Urquhartâs plan had unravelled. Longworth remained until June, spending much of that time bedridden with a fever. Bell stayed for another year, but eventually he too was forced to return home a broken man.
They did not vanish entirely from history, however, and were both to write about Circassia again. Bell found a new lost cause to champion, and became the British representative to the Mosquito Coast, a part of the Caribbean shore of central America that London claimed as a protectorate despite Nicaraguan and American objections, whence he wrote a letter to the London Times about Circassia in 1855. Longworth was to return to Circassia as an official government agent. Their actions were provoked by an event that could yet have saved Circassia from conquest: the Crimean War.
4.
Three Hundred Prime-Bodied Circassians
The cause of the Crimean War was in fact more bizarre than Urquhartâs peculiar plan of provoking Russia to seize a merchant ship, and ignite a world war. It started with a spat between France and Russia over who had the right to protect Christians in the Holy Land, but was really about the Russian desire to dominate the Ottoman Empire. Action rapidly moved into the Black Sea, where Russia destroyed the Ottoman fleet. The British and French navies stormed into the sea in response, forcing the Russians to scuttle their own ships in the harbour of Sevastopol.
That left Russiaâs Black Sea forts â its frontline against the Circassians â undefended, so their garrisons pulled back beyond the Kuban river, destroying the fortifications behind them. The Circassians had the best chance of securing their independence since Turkey had so casually given them away a generation before. They had powerful potential allies in Britain and France, who like them were sworn to fight the Russians. They had free access to the Turkish markets that had long been cut off by the Russian forts. They had the morale boost given by seeing their Russian enemies running away to the borders of three decades before. They could finally take the initiative.
They did nothing.
With the Russian evacuation of the Black Sea coast, Sefer Bey, a Circassian prince who had been friends with Urquhart, scurried back into action. The Turks despatched him to the old fort of Anapa, now once more in Turkish hands, to take control of Circassia. So began a great fiasco, despairingly chronicled by Longworth, in which all sides squabbled and disagreed and the prize of an independent, free Circassia was lost for ever.
Longworth returned to Circassia in 1855, shortly after British troops had moved into Crimea in their drive to destroy Russiaâs naval power in the Black Sea. He was an official agent of the British government but his trip was a sideshow, ignored rightly by historians of the terrible conflict which raged on the Crimean peninsula to the west of Circassia. But, for a historian of Circassia, his account provides unique information.
In his despatch of 2 July, Longworth was already frustrated and despairing. Sefer Bey, now called by the grander title of Sefer Pasha, was lying and wheedling to hide the truth that the Circassians had no army to speak of and no way of raising one. âI have despatched trustworthy messengers to ascertain the truth of this statement and have found it to be a deliberate falsehood,â Longworth wrote. The relations between Longworth and Turkish officials, who claimed they were ruling Circassia on Turkeyâs behalf, were strained since Britain still officially aimed for an independent Circassia. These relations collapsed almost completely when British and
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