Part 3 (1/2)

When the lish fleet, a fog for sonal-guns during the night, the weather being fine though thick and hazy; soon after daylight they were seen very much scattered, while the British shi+ps were in a compact little body The look-out shi+p of the Spaniards, fancying that her signal was disregarded because so little notice seelish force consisted of forty sail of the line The captain afterwards said he did this to rouse the ad the whole fleet The absurdity of such an act shoas the state of the Spanish navy under thatoppressed and degraded, and finally betrayed In reality, the general incapacity of the naval officers was so well known, that in a pasquinade, which about this time appeared at Madrid, wherein the different orders of the state were advertised for sale, the greater part of the sea-officers, with all their equipift; and it was added, that any person ould please to take theratuity When the probability that Spain would take part in the war, as an ally of France, was first contemplated, Nelson said that their fleet, if it were no better than when it acted in alliance with us, would ”soon be done for”

Before the eneular order of battle, Sir J Jervis, by carrying a press of sail, cah their fleet, then tacked, and thus cut off nine of their shi+ps from the main body

These shi+ps atten of passing through the British line, or to leeward of it, and thus rejoining their friends Only one of them succeeded in this attempt; and that only because she was so covered with smoke that her intention was not discovered till she had reached the rear: the others were so warht, and did not appear again in the action to its close The admiral was now able to direct his attention to the enemy's main body, which was still superior in nuht of nal to tack in succession Nelson, whose station was in the rear of the British line, perceived that the Spaniards were bearing up before the wind, with an intention of for their separated shi+ps, or else of getting off without an engagement

To prevent either of these schenal without a moment's hesitation: and ordered his shi+p to be wore This at once brought him into action with the SANTISSIMA TRINIDAD, one hundred and thirty-six; the SAN JOSEPH, one hundred and twelve; the SALVADOR DEL MUNDO, one hundred and twelve; the SAN NICOLAS, eighty; the SAN ISIDRO, seventy-four, another seventy-four, and another first-rate Troubridge, in the CULLODEN, immediately joined, and most nobly supported him; and for nearly an hour did the CULLODEN and CAPTAIN maintain what Nelson called ”this apparently, but not really unequal contest;”--such was the advantage of skill and discipline, and the confidence which bravebetween theave them a respite, and poured in her fire upon the Spaniards The SALVADOR DEL MUNDO and SAN ISIDRO dropped astern, and were fired into in a wood The SAN ISIDRO struck; and Nelson thought that the SALVADOR struck also ”But Collingwood,” says he, ”disdaining the parade of taking possession of beaten eneallantly pushed up, with every sail set, to save his old friend and messmate, as to appearance in a critical situation;” for the CAPTAIN was at this time actually fired upon by three first-rates--by the SAN NICOLAS, and by a seventy-four, within about pistol-shot of that vessel The BLENHEIM was ahead, the CULLODEN crippled and astern Collingwood ranged up, and hauling up his mainsail just astern, passed within ten feet of the SAN NICOLAS, giving her a most tremendous fire, then passed on for the SANTISSIMA TRINIDAD The SAN NICOLAS luffing up, the SAN JOSEPH fell on board her, and Nelson resuside The CAPTAIN was now incapable of further service, either in the line or in chase: she had lost her foretop-mast; not a sail, shroud, or rope was left, and her wheel was shot away Nelson therefore directed Captain Miller to put the hel for the boarders, ordered them to board

Captain Berry, who had lately been Nelson's first lieutenant, was the first man who leaped into the ene, was ordered by Nelson to remain Berry was supported from the spritsail-yard, which locked in the SAN NICOLAS's

A soldier of the 69th broke the upper quarter-gallery , and jumped in, followed by the commodore himself and by the others as fast as possible The cabin doors were fastened, and the Spanish officers fired their pistols at theh the ; the doors were soon forced, and the Spanish brigadier fell while retreating to the quarter-deck

Nelson pushed on, and found Berry in possession of the poop, and the Spanish ensign hauling down He passed on to the forecastle, where he met two or three Spanish officers, and received their swords The English were now in full possession of every part of the shi+p, when a fire of pistols and allery of the SAN JOSEPH Nelson having placed sentinels at the different ladders, and ordered Captain Miller to sendthat shi+p from the SAN NICOLAS It was done in an instant, he hi, ”Westminster Abbey or victory!” Berry assisted him into the main chains; and at that moment a Spanish officer looked over the quarter-deck rail, and said they surrendered It was not long before he was on the quarter-deck, where the Spanish captain presented to hi of his wounds There, on the quarter-deck of an eneiving them, as they were delivered, one by one to William Fearney, one of his old AGAMEMNONs, ith the ut thewood, ”with as h twenty-two sail of their line were still within gunshot” One of his sailors ca took hiht not soon have such another place to do it in, and he was heartily glad to see him there Twenty-four of the CAPTAIN's men were killed, and fifty-six wounded; a fourth part of the loss sustained by the whole squadron falling upon this shi+p Nelson received only a few bruises

The Spaniards had still eighteen or nineteen shi+ps which had suffered little or no injury: that part of the fleet which had been separated fro up, and Sir John Jervisto His shi+ps could not have for those which they had captured, and running to leeward: the CAPTAIN was lying a perfect wreck on board her two prizes; and many of the other vessels were so shattered in their eable The Spanish adether undecided in his own opinion respecting the state of the fleet, inquired of his captains whether it was proper to renew the action; nine of them answered explicitly that it was not; others replied that it was expedient to delay the business

The PELAYO and the PRINCE CONQUISTADOR were the only shi+ps that were for fighting

As soon as the action was discontinued, Nelson went on board the admiral's shi+p Sir John Jervis received him on the quarter-deck, took him in his arms, and said he could not sufficiently thank him For this victory the commander-in-chief was rewarded with the title of Earl St

Vincent Nelson, who before the action was known in England had been advanced to the rank of rear-adiven him The sword of the Spanish rear-ad, he presented to the Mayor and Corporation of Norwich, saying that he knew no place where it could give him or his family more pleasure to have it kept than in the capital city of the county where he was born The freedom of that city was voted hiratulations which he received, none could have affected hiht than that which came from his venerable father ”I thank rateful soul, for theyou Not only eneral, met ed to retire frolory to which your professional judguarded by Providence, has raised you, few sons, my dear child, attain to, and fewer fathers live to see Tears of joy have involuntarily trickled down eneral congratulation? The nah this city of Bath--froood old lory, in which he had so long been conspicuous, was still open, and by giving hi

Sir Horatio, who had now hoisted his flag as rear-ad away the troops fro perfor to the THESEUS That shi+p, had taken part in the er was apprehended from the temper of the men This was one reason why Nelson was removed to her He had not been on board ned in the name of all the shi+p's co these words: ”Success attend Admiral Nelson!

God bless Captain Miller! We thank them for the officers they have placed over us We are happy and comfortable, and will shed every drop of blood in our veins to support theh as her captain's” Wherever Nelson commanded, the men soon became attached to him; in ten days' time he would have restored the most mutinous shi+p in the navy to order Whenever an officer fails to win the affections of those who are under his command, he may be assured that the fault is chiefly in himself

While Sir Horatio was in the THESEUS, he was employed in the co this service, the ed Making a night attack upon the Spanish gun-boats, his barge was attacked by an aroyen, carrying 26 emen, Captain Freemantle, and his coxswain, John Sykes, an old and faithful folloice saved the life of his ad the blows that were aimed at him, and at last actually interposed his own head to receive the blow of a Spanish sabre, which he could not by any other means avert; thus dearly was Nelson beloved This was a desperate service--hand to hand with swords; and Nelson always considered that his personal courage washis whole life

Notwithstanding the great disproportion of numbers, 18 of the enemy were killed, all the rest wounded, and their launch taken Nelson would have asked for a lieutenancy for Sykes, if he had served long enough; his manner and conduct, he observed, were so entirely above his situation, that Nature certainly intended hierous wound which he received in this act of heroic attachratitude and friendshi+p of his commander

Twelve days after this rencontre, Nelson sailed at the head of an expedition against Teneriffe A report had prevailed a few months before, that the viceroy of Mexico, With the treasure shi+ps, had put into that island This had led Nelson to meditate the plan of an attack upon it, which he communicated to Earl St Vincent He was perfectly aware of the difficulties of the attempt ”I do not,” said he, ”reckon ht, he wasoff the land than to any exertions of his own The approach by sea to the anchoring-place is under very high land, passing three valleys; therefore the wind is either in from the sea, or squally with calms from the mountains:” and he perceived that if the Spanish shi+ps on, the object would still be frustrated if the wind did not coht, would render success certain; and there were the troops from Elba, with all necessary stores and artillery, already embarked ”But here,” said he, ”soldiers must be consulted; and I know, fro a political measure that we have: we look to the benefit of our country, and risk our own fame every day to serve her; a soldier obeys his orders, and no more” Nelson's experience at Corsica justified hilorious days of the British ar of 3700 men, would do the business, he said, in three days, probably in much less time; and he would undertake, with a very sh the shore was not easy of access, the transports ht run in and land the troops in one day

The report concerning the viceroy was unfounded: but a homeward-bound Manilla shi+p put into Santa Cruz at this time, and the expedition was determined upon It was not fitted out upon the scale which Nelson had proposed Four shi+ps of the line, three frigates, and the FOX cutter, formed the squadron; and he was allowed to choose such shi+ps and officers as he thought proper No troops were eht sufficient His orders were, to orous attack; but on no account to land in person, unless his presence should be absolutely necessary The plan was, that the boats should land in the night, between the fort on the NE side of Santa Cruz bay and the town, make theovernor Bythe force on board which was intended for this debarkation, approached within three ale of wind in the offing, and a strong current against theet within a -place before daybreak; and then they were seen, and their intention discovered Troubridge and Boith Captain Oldfield, of the marines, went upon this to consult with the admiral as to be done; and it was resolved that they should atteates accordingly landed their men; and Nelson stood in with the line-of-battle shi+ps,the attention of the garrison A calue of the shore; and the heights were by this tied impracticable Thus foiled in his plans by circumstances of wind and tide, he still considered it a point of honour that some attempt should be made This was on the 22nd of July: he re-eot the shi+ps on the 24th to anchor about two miles north of the town, and hts At six in the evening signal was made for the boats to prepare to proceed on the service as previously ordered

When this was done, Nelson addressed a letter to the coht hand ”I shall not,” said he, ”enter on the subject, e are not in possession of Santa Cruz Your partiality will give credit, that all has hitherto been done which was possible, but without effect This night I, humble as I am, command the whole destined to land under the batteries of the town; and to-morrow my head will probably be crowned either with laurel or cypress I have only to recommend Josiah Nisbet to you and my country The Duke of Clarence, should I fall, will, I am confident, take a lively interest formentioned”

Perfectly aware how desperate a service this was likely to prove, before he left the THESEUS he called Lieutenant Nisbet, who had the watch on deck, into the cabin, that hehised him to remain behind ”Should we both fall, Josiah,” said he, ”ill become of your poor mother! The care of the THESEUS falls to you: stay, therefore, and take charge of her” Nisbet replied: ”Sir, the shi+p ht, if I never go again”

He met his captains at supper on board the SEAHORSE, Captain Freemantle, whose wife, whom he had lately married in the Mediterranean, presided at table At eleven o'clock the boats, containing between 600 and 700 men, with 180 on board the FOX cutter, and from 70 to 80 in a boat which had been taken the day before, proceeded in six divisions toward the town, conducted by all the captains of the squadron, except Freeulate and lead the way to the attack They were to land on the reat square; then form and proceed as should be found expedient They were not discovered till about half-past one o'clock, when, being within half gun-shot of the landing-place, Nelson directed the boats to cast off froive a huzza, and push for the shore But the Spaniards were exceedingly well prepared; the alarm-bells answered the huzza, and a fire of thirty or forty pieces of cannon, with musketry from one end of the town to the other, opened upon the invaders Nothing, however, could check the intrepidity hich they advanced The night was exceedingly dark: h a raging surf, which stove all to the left of it The Admiral, Freemantle, Thompson, Bowen, and four or five other boats, found the h it was defended, as they iuns, which were six-and-twenty pounders, were spiked; but such a heavy fire of rape was kept up from the citadel and the houses at the head of the mole, that the assailants could not advance, and nearly all of the out of the boat, Nelson received a shot through the right elbow, and fell; but as he fell he caught the sword, which he had just drawn, in his left hand, detered to his uncle, Captain Suckling, and he valued it like a relic Nisbet, as close to him, placed him at the bottom of the boat, and laid his hat over the shattered arreat abundance, should increase his faintness He then exa soht above the lacerated vessels Had it not been for this presence of mind in his son-in-law, Nelson emen, by na with them for the broken limb They then collected five other sea the boat afloat; for it had grounded with the falling tide Nisbet took one of the oars and ordered the steersht be safe fro his voice, Nelson roused hiht look about hi could be seen except the firing of the guns on shore, and what could be discerned by their flashes upon a storeneral shriek was heard from the crew of the FOX, which had received a shot under water, and went down Ninety-seven men were lost in her: 83 were saved, reatly increased the pain and danger of his wound The first shi+p which the boat could reach happened to be the SEAHORSE; but nothing could induce hih he was assured that if they atteht be at the risk of his life ”I had rather suffer death,” he replied, ”than alar her see s whatever of her husband” They pushed on for the THESEUS When they caetting on board, so impatient was he that the boat should return, in hopes that it ht save a few le rope thrown over the side, which he twisted round his left hand, saying ”Let eon to ht arm, so the sooner it is off the better” The spirit which he displayed in ju up the shi+p's side astonished everybody

Freeht arh to find a boat on the beach, and got instantly to his shi+p Thoret of Nelson: as was also one of his own officers, Lieutenant Weatherhead, who had followed hireatly and deservedly esteee, meantime, fortunately for his party, missed the mole in the darkness, but pushed on shore under the batteries, close to the south end of the citadel Captain Waller, of the EMERALD, and two or three other boats, landed at the sah that many others put back The boats were instantly filled ater and stove against the rocks; andcollected a fewthere to find the admiral and the rest of the force The ladders were all lost, so that they could eant with two of the town's-people to su waited about an hour in painful expectation of his friends, marched to join Captains Hood and Miller, who had effected their landing to the south-west They then endeavoured to procure soence of the admiral and the rest of the officers, but without success By daybreak they had gathered together about eighty hty sood their landing They obtained some ammunition from the prisoners whom they had taken, and marched on to try what could be done at the citadel without ladders They found all the streets commanded by field-pieces, and several thousand Spaniards, with about a hundred French, under ar himself without provisions, the poet, and no possibility of obtaining either stores or reinforcee with great presence of overnor to say he was prepared to burn the town, and would instantly set fire to it if the Spaniards approached one inch nearer This, however, if he were coret, for he had no wish to injure the inhabitants; and he was ready to treat upon these terms--that the British troops should reembark, with all their arms of every kind, and take their own boats, if they were saved, or be provided with such others asthat the squadron should not molest the town, or any of the Canary Islands: all prisoners on both sides to be given up When these terlish ought to surrender as prisoners of war; but Captain Hood replied, he was instructed to say, that if the tere would set the town on fire and attack the Spaniards at the point of the bayonet Satisfied with his success, which was indeed sufficiently coallantry of his enemy, the Spaniard acceded to the proposal, found boats to re-e all been dashed to pieces in landing, and before they parted gave every man a loaf and a pint of wine

”And here,” says Nelson in his journal, ”it is right we should notice the noble and generous conduct of Don Juan Antonio Gutierrez, the Spanish governor The reed to, he directed our wounded men to be received into the hospitals, and all our people to be supplied with the best provisions that could be procured; and made it known that the shi+ps were at liberty to send on shore and purchase whatever refreshht be off the island” A youth, by naon, stripped hilished in battle Nelson wrote to thank the governor for the hued between thee of his despatches for the Spanish Governer to Spain of his own defeat

The total loss of the English in killed, wounded, and drowned, amounted to 250 Nelson made no mention of his oound in his official despatches; but in a private letter to Lord St Vincent--the first which he wrote with his left hand--he shows himself to have been deeply affected by the failure of this enterprise ”I am become,” he said, ”a burthen to my friends, and useless to my country; but by my last letter you will perceive my anxiety for the promotion of my son-in-law, Josiah Nisbet When I leave your coo hence, and am no more seen' If froe ations toive land” ”A left-handed adain be considered as useful; therefore the sooner I get to a very hue the better, and make room for a sounder man to serve the state” His first letter to Lady Nelson ritten under the same opinion, but in a more cheerful strain ”It was the chance of war,” said he, ”and I have great reason to be thankful: and I knoill add much to your pleasure to find that Josiah, under God's providence, was principally instrulected and forgotten: probably I shall no longer be considered as useful; however, I shall feel rich if I continue to enjoy your affection I beg neither you norbeento his wish, was ih to heal his wounded spirit awaited hiland