Part 3 (2/2)

Letters were addressed to him by the first lord of the Admiralty, and by his steady friend the Duke of Clarence, to congratulate hilory He assured the Duke, in his reply, that not a scrap of that ardour hich he had hitherto served his king had been shot away The freedom of the cities of Bristol and London were transmitted to him; he was invested with the Order of the Bath, and received a pension of L1000 a-year The memorial which, as a matter of form, he was called upon to present on this occasion, exhibited an extraordinary catalogue of services perfor the war It stated that he had been in four actions with the fleets of the ene out of harbour, in destroying vessels, and in taking three towns He had served on shore with the ares of Basti and Calvi: he had assisted at the capture of seven sail of the line, six frigates, four corvettes, and eleven privateers: taken and destroyed near fifty sail of ainst the enemy upwards of a hundred and twenty tiht arm, and been severely wounded and bruised in his body

His sufferings fro and painful A nerve had been taken up in one of the ligatures at the ti to the practice of the French surgeons, was of silk instead of waxed thread; this produced a constant irritation and discharge; and the ends of the ligature being pulled every day, in hopes of bringing it away, occasioned fresh agony He had scarcely any interht, for three land Lady Nelson, at his earnest request, attended the dressing of his arm, till she had acquired sufficient resolution and skill to dress it herself One night, during this state of suffering, after a day of constant pain, Nelson retired early to bed, in hope of enloying so in Bond Street, and the fa loudly and violently at the door The news of Duncan's victory had been made public, and the house was not illuminated But when the mob were told that Admiral Nelson lay there in bed, badly wounded, the foremost of theht:” and in fact, the feeling of respect and sympathy was communicated from one to another with such effect that, under the confusion of such a night, the house was not ht of sound sleep, he found the areon was iature caan to heal As soon as he thought his health established, he sent the following fore's, Hanover Square:--”An officer desires to return thanks to Alhty God for his perfect recovery from a severe wound, and also for the land till now, since he lost his eye, he went to receive a year's pay as slected to bring a certificate froht was actually destroyed A little irritated that this forh the fact was not apparent, he thought it was sufficiently notorious, he procured a certificate at the saht just as well doubt one as the other This put hiood humour with himself, and with the clerk who had offended hi it was only the annual pay of a captain, observed, he thought it had been more ”Oh!” replied Nelson, ”this is only for an eye In a few days I shall coer, God knows, ly he soon afterwards went, and with perfect good humour exhibited the certificate of the loss of his arm

CHAPTER V

1798

Nelson rejoins Earl St Vincent in the VANGUARD--Sails in Pursuit of the French in Egypt--Returns to Sicily, and sails again to Egypt--Battle of the Nile

EARLY in the year 1798, Sir Horatio Nelson hoisted his flag in the VANGUARD, and was ordered to rejoin Earl St Vincent Upon his departure, his father addressed him with that affectionate soleuished ”I trust in the Lord,” said he, ”that He will prosper your going out and your co in I earnestly desired once more to see you, and that wish has been heard If I should presuain, the question would be readily asked, How old art thou? VALE! VALE! DOMINE, VALE!” It is said that a gloo on the spirits of Lady Nelson at their parting

This could have arisen only fro hi his affections could hardly have existed, for all his correspondence to this tie; and his private character had hitherto been as spotless as his public conduct One of the last things he said to her was, that his own ambition was satisfied, but that he went to raise her to that rank in which he had long wished to see her

I the fleet, he was despatched to the Mediterranean with a small squadron, in order to ascertain, if possible, the object of the great expedition which at that ti out under Buonaparte at Toulon The defeat of this arht be its destination, was deeovernment an object paramount to every other; and Earl St Vincent was directed, if he thought it necessary, to take his whole force into the Mediterranean, to relinquish, for that purpose, the blockade of the Spanish fleet, as a thing of inferior moment; but if he should deem a detachment sufficient, ”I think it almost necessary,” said the first lord of the Adest to you the propriety of putting it under Sir Horatio Nelson” It is to the honour of Earl St Vincent that he had already made the same choice This appointave great offence to the senior admirals of the fleet Sir Williaallant a man as any in the navy, and Sir John Orde, who on all occasions of service had acquitted hireat honour, each wrote to Lord Spencer, coiven to a junior of the same fleet This resentment is what most iven to Nelson had not originated in a clear perception that (as his friend Collingwood said of him a little while before) his spirit was equal to all undertakings, and his resources fitted to all occasions, an injustice would have been done to them by his appoint respect to seniority, the naval and ht down to the dead level of mediocrity

The armament at Toulon consisted of thirteen shi+ps of the line, seven forty-gun frigates, with twenty-four smaller vessels of war, and nearly 200 transports Mr Udney, our consul at Leghorn, was the first person who procured certain intelligence of the eneacity, foresaw that Egypt must be their after object Nelson sailed from Gibraltar on the 9th of May, with the VANGUARD, ORION, and ALEXANDER, seventy-fours; the CAROLINE, FLORA, EMERALD, and TERPSIChore, frigates; and the BONNE CITOYENNE, sloop of war, to watch this formidable arale came on from the NW It et their top-gallant an to blow strong, but the shi+ps had been prepared for a gale, and therefore Nelson's ht, however, his main-topmast went over the side, and the ht was so tenal either to be seen or heard; and Nelson determined, as soon as it should be daybreak, to wear, and scud before the gale; but at half-past three the fore-mast went in three pieces, and the bowsprit was found to be sprung in three places

When day broke they succeeded in wearing the shi+p with a remnant of the spritsail This was hardly to have been expected The VANGUARD was at that tiues south of the island of Hieres; with her head lying to the NE, and if she had not wore, the shi+p must have drifted to Corsica Captain Ball, in the ALEXANDER, took her in tow, to carry her into the Sardinian harbour of St Pietro Nelson, apprehensive that this atteer both vessels, ordered him to cast off; but that excellent officer, with a spirit like his commanders, replied, he was confident he could save the VANGUARD, and, by God's help, he would do it There had been a previous coolness between these great men; but from this time Nelson became fully sensible of the extraordinary talents of Captain Ball, and a sincere friendshi+p subsisted between theht not,” said the adht not to call what has happened to the VANGUARD by the cold naoodness, to check my consummate vanity I hope it has made me a better officer, as I feel confident it has ure to yourself, on Sunday evening at sunset, a vainin his cabin, with a squadron around hilory, and in whom their chief placed the firmest reliance that the proudest shi+ps of equal nuure to yourself, on Monday , when the sun rose, this proud man, his shi+p dismasted, his fleet dispersed, and hiate out of France would have been an unwelcouest” Nelson had, indeed, more reason to refuse the cold name of accident to this tempest than he was then aware of, for on that very day the French fleet sailed froues of his little squadron, which was thus preserved by the thick weather that came on

The British Governave orders that any port in the Mediterranean should be considered as hostile where the governor or chief istrate should refuse to let our shi+ps of war procure supplies of provisions, or of any article which they ht require

In these orders the ports of Sardinia were excepted The continental possessions of the King of Sardinia were at this time completely at the , when too late, that the ter ier, necessarily involved the loss of the dominions which they were intended to preserve The citadel of Turin was now occupied by French troops; and his wretched court feared to afford the coive the French occasion to seize on the remainder of his dominions--a measure for which it was certain they would soon make a pretext, if they did not find one Nelson was informed that he could not be perardless of this interdict, which, under his circumstances, it would have been an act of suicidal folly to have regarded, he anchored in the harbour; and, by the exertions of Sir James Saumarez, Captain Ball, and Captain Berry, the VANGUARD was refitted in four days; land Nelson, with that proper sense of oodness and the greatness of his character, especially recommended to Earl St Vincent the carpenter of the ALEXANDER, under whose directions the shi+p had been repaired; stating, that he was an old and faithful servant of the Croho had been nearly thirty years a warrant carpenter, and begging most earnestly that the Commander-in-Chief would recommend him to the particular notice of the Board of Ad his sense of the treatment which he had received there, in a letter to the Viceroy of Sardinia

”Sir,” it said, ”having, by a gale of wind, sustained soes, I anchored a small part of his Majesty's fleet under my orders off this island, and was surprised to hear, by an officer sent by the governor, that ad of his Britannic Majesty into this port When I reflect, that n is the oldest, I believe, and certainly theof Sardinia ever had, I could feel the sorrohich it iven such an order; and also for your excellency, who had to direct its execution I cannot but look at the African shore, where the followers of Mahoood Samaritan, which I look for in vain at St Peter's, where it is said the Christian religion is professed”

The delay which was thus occasioned was useful to him in many respects; it enabled him to complete his supply of water, and to receive a reinforceland, was enabled to send him It consisted of the best shi+ps of his fleet; the CULLODEN, seventy-four, Captain T Troubridge; GOLIATH, seventy-four, Captain T Foley; MINOTAUR, seventy-four, Captain T Louis; DEFENCE, seventy-four, Captain John Peyton; BELLEROPHON, seventy-four, Captain HDE Darby; MAJESTIC, seventy-four, Captain G B Westcott; ZEALOUS, seventy-four, Captain S Hood; SWIFTSURE, seventy-four, Captain B Hallowell; THESEUS, seventy-four, Captain R W Miller; AUDACIOUS, seventy-four, Captain Davidge Gould The LEANDER, fifty, Captain T

E Thompson, was afterwards added These shi+ps were made ready for the service as soon as Earl St Vincent received advice froland that he was to be reinforced As soon as the reinforcement was seen fronal was ie to put to sea; and he was out of sight before the shi+ps froe took with him no instructions to Nelson as to the course he was to steer, nor any certain account of the eneates had been separated from hiht him unsuccessfully in the Bay of Naples, where they obtained no tidings of his course: and he sailed without them

The first news of the enemy's armament was that it had surprised Malta, Nelson for it while at anchor at Gozo; but on the 22nd of June intelligence reached him that the French had left that island on the 16th, the day after their arrival It was clear that their destination was eastward--he thought for Egypt--and for Egypt, therefore, he ates been with hiain information of the enemy; for want of them, he only spoke three vessels on the way: two cao, and neither of the of the French He arrived off Alexandria on the 28th, and the enemy were not there, neither was there any account of the to put the city in a state of defence, having received advice froypt, after it had taken Malta Nelson then shaped his course to the northward for Cara the southern side of Candia, carrying a press of sail both night and day, with a contrary wind It would have been his delight, he said, to have tried Bonaparte on a wind It would have been the delight of Europe, too, and the blessing of the world, if that fleet had been overtaken with its general on board But of the s ould have been preserved by that day's victory, there is not one to whom such essential benefit would have resulted as to Bonaparte himself It would have spared hirace; for to have been defeated by Nelson upon the seas would not have been disgraceful; it would have spared hilorious; the baneful principles of his heart had never yet passed his lips; history would have represented him as a soldier of fortune, who had faithfully served the cause in which he engaged; and whose career had been distinguished by a series of successes unexa over the expedition to Egypt, and he would have escaped the perpetration of those crimes which have incarnadined his soul with a deeper dye than that of the purple for which he coht ned his na that when an officer is not successful in his plans it is absolutely necessary that he should explain the motives upon which they were founded, Nelson wrote at this ti carried the fleet to Egypt The objection which he anticipated was that he ought not to have e without more certain inforet it froovernments of Naples and Sicily either knew not, or chose to keep norance Was I to wait patiently until I heard certain accounts? If Egypt were their object, before I could hear of theraceful; therefore II ament; and if, under all circuht, for the sake of our country, to be superseded; for at this moment, when I know the French are not in Alexandria, I hold the same opinion as off Cape Passaro--that, under all circu for Alexandria; and by that opinion I must stand or fall” Captain Ball, to whom he showed this paper, told hiin a defence of his conduct before he was accused of error: he ive the fullest reasons for what he had done, expressed in such terest conviction of being right; and of course he ht Captain Ball judged rightly of the public, whose first ih, from want of sufficient inforenerally founded upon just feelings But the public are easily misled, and there are always persons ready to mislead them Nelson had not yet attained that fame which coland that he had returned after an unsuccessful pursuit, it was said that he deserved impeach sent so young an officer upon so important a service

Baffled in his pursuit, he returned to Sicily The Neapolitan ive his squadron no assistance, being resolved to do nothing which could possibly endanger their peace with the French Directory; by means, however, of Lady Hamilton's influence at court, he procured secret orders to the Sicilian governors; and under those orders obtained everything which he wanted at Syracuse--a timely supply; without which, he always said, he could not have recommenced his pursuit with any hope of success ”It is an old saying,” said he in his letter, ”that the devil's children have the devil's luck I cannot to this ue conjecture, where the French fleet have gone to; and having gone a round of 600 leagues, at this season of the year, with an expedition incredible, here I anorant of the situation of the eneret the frigates having left me; had one-half of them been with me, I could not have wanted inforly secured in port that I cannot get at the into some other shi+p, and send the VANGUARD to Naples to be refitted; for hardly any person butin such a wretched state” Vexed, however, and disappointed as he was, Nelson, with the true spirit of a hero, was still full of hope ”Thanks to your exertions,” said he, writing to Sir

William and Lady Ha at the fountain of Arethusa, we must have victory We shall sail with the first breeze; and be assured I will return either croith laurel or covered with cypress” Earl St Vincent he assured, that if the French were above water he would find theypt: ”but,” said he to the First Lord of the Admiralty, ”be they bound to the Antipodes, your lordshi+pthem to action”

On the 25th of July he sailed from Syracuse for the Morea Anxious beyondhave eluded hihts made him impatient; and the officer of the watch was repeatedly called on to let him know the hour, and convince hierness, that it was not yet daybreak The squadron e entered the port, and returned with intelligence that the French fleet had been seen about four weeks before steering to the SE

from Candia Nelson then determined immediately to return to Alexandria; and the British fleet accordingly, with every sail set, stood once ust, about 10 in the ht of Alexandria: the port had been vacant and solitary when they saw it last; it was noith shi+ps; and they perceived with exultation that the tri-coloured flag was flying upon the walls At four in the afternoon, Captain Hood, in the ZEALOUS,days Nelson had hardly taken either sleep or food: he now ordered his dinner to be served, while preparations werefor battle; and when his officers rose from table, and went to their separate stations, he said to thee or West direct for Candia, had e for Alexandria; whereas Nelson, in pursuit of theht for that place, and thus materially shortened the distance The comparative smallness of his force made it necessary to sail in close order, and it covered a less space than it would have done if the frigates had been with him: the weather also was constantly hazy These circu the ene the journals of the French officers taken in the action, that the two fleets ht of the 22nd of June During the return to Syracuse, the chances of falling in with the effected his landing, should not have suffered the fleet to return, has never yet been explained This h, with his accustomed falsehood, he accused Adered on the coast contrary to orders The French fleet arrived at Alexandria on the 1st of July, and Brueys, not being able to enter the port, which tilect had ruined,and co to his own account, being as close as possible to a shoal on the NW, and the rest of the fleet for the line of deep water, so as not to be turned by any means in the SW By Buonaparte's desire he had offered a reward of 10,000 livres to any pilot of the country ould carry the squadron in, but none could be found ould venture to take charge of a single vessel drawing more than twenty feet He had therefore est position which he could possibly take in an open road The commissary of the fleet said they were moored in such a manner as to bid defiance to a force more than double their own This presuton, when moored in a similar manner off St Lucia, in the year 1778, beat off the Coh his force was inferior by ale in nuuns, and men, was in favour of the French They had thirteen shi+ps of the line and four frigates, carrying 1196 guns and 11,230 lish had the saun shi+p, carrying 1012 guns and 8068 lish shi+ps were all seventy-fours; the French had three eighty-gun shi+ps, and one three-decker of one hundred and twenty

During the whole pursuit it had been Nelson's practice, whenever circumstances would permit, to have his captains on board the VANGUARD, and explain to them his own ideas of the different and best modes of attack, and such plans as he proposed to execute on falling in with the eneht be There is no possible position, it is said, which he did not take into calculation His officers were thus fully acquainted with his principles of tactics; and such was his confidence in their abilities that the only thing determined upon, in case they should find the French at anchor, was for the shi+ps to form as most convenient for their ain the victory,” he said, ”and then make the best use of it you can” The moenius hich Nelson was endowed displayed itself; and it instantly struck hi, there was room for one of ours to anchor The plan which he intended to pursue, therefore, was to keep entirely on the outer side of the French line, and station his shi+ps, as far as he was able, one on the outer bow, and another on the outer quarter, of each of the ene on the enened to attack the French fleet at their anchorage in Gourjean Road

Lord Hood found it iht was not lost upon Nelson, who acknowledged himself, on this occasion, indebted for it to his old and excellent commander Captain Berry, when he con, exclaimed with transport, ”If we succeed, ill the world say?” ”There is no IF in the case,”