closed to Lord St. Vincent, and I wish it may have the desired effect; and I shall always consider myself, dear Sir, as your much obliged, NELSON AND BRONTE. It was only last night that I received your letter. TO THE RIGHT HON. THE LORD MAYOR. [From a Copy in the Nelson Papers, on which Lord Nelson has written, "A copy of my Letter to the Lord Mayor." He afterwards wrote to the Lord Mayor, desiring to withdraw this Letter, because he was advised that it was not proper for him to point out to the City of London what it ought to do. The subject was, however, renewed in the following year.] My Lord, Merton, 20th November, 1801. I have seen in this day's Paper, that the City of London have voted their Thanks to the brave Army and Navy who have so happily brought the Campaign in Egypt to a glorious conclusion, and no Thanks were certainly ever better deserved. From my own experience, I have never seen, that the smallest services rendered by either Navy or Army to the Country, have missed being always noticed by the great City of London, with one exception-I mean, my Lord, the glorious Second of April-a day when the greatest dangers of navigation were overcome, and the Danish Force, which they thought impregnable, totally taken or destroyed by the consummate skill of the Commanders, and by the undaunted bravery of as gallant a Band as ever defended the rights of this Country. For myself, I can assure you, that if I were only personally concerned, I should bear the stigma, now first attempted to be placed upon my brow, with humility. But, my Lord, I am the natural guardian of the characters of the Officers of the Navy, Army, and Marines, who fought, and so profusely bled, under my command on that day. In no Sea-action this war has so much British blood flowed for their King and Country. sical work, called "Dialogues in the Shades," and describing himself as "an old man, but a young writer," said, "he little imagined that he should have more than the common occasion of lamenting over the loss of a Nation's Hero, whom it was his real and good fortune once to save." The object of his letter to Lord Nelson was to recommend to him Lieutenant Richard Tooley, who will be again mentioned. Again, my Lord, I beg leave to disclaim for myself more merit than naturally falls to the share of a successful Commander; but when I am called upon to speak of the merits of the Captains of His Majesty's Ships, and of the Officers and Men, whether Seamen, Marines, or Soldiers, I that day had the happiness to command, then I say, that never was the glory of this Country upheld with more determined bravery than upon that occasion; and, if I may be allowed to give an opinion as a Briton, then I say, that more important service was never rendered to our King and Country. It is my duty, my Lord, to prove to the brave fellows, my Companions in dangers, that I have not failed, at every proper place, to represent, as well as I am able, their bravery and meritorious services. When I am honoured with your Lordship's answer, I shall communicate it to all the Officers and Men who served under my command on the Second of April last. I cannot close my letter without bearing testimony to the extraordinary exertions of Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Graves, and the Honourable Colonel Stewart. I am, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE." TO THE RIGHT HON. HENRY ADDINGTON. [Autograph, in the Sidmouth Papers.] My dear Sir, Merton, November 20th, 1801. You will judge of my feelings by my letter to the Lord Mayor. What has occasioned those who fought on the 2nd The Lord Mayor, Sir John Eamer, wrote Lord Nelson in reply-"I have only to assure your Lordship, that I shall give the subject a proper and early consideration." Mr. Addington did not answer this Letter until the 27th; (vide p. 533, post,) and Lord Nelson not having received a reply to it on the 23rd, he forwarded his letter to the Lord Mayor on that day. The following is a copy of Mr. Addington's letter: "Downing Street, November 27th, 1801. "My dear Lord,—I reproach myself for having so long delayed my answer to your letter, but I can truly assure your Lordship that I have not had five minutes leisure since I received it. Having always expressed my opinions to you without reserve, I feel persuaded that no apology will be necessary for the freedom with which I acknowledge my anxiety that, on the subject in question, no letter, be the terms of it what they may, be written by your Lordship to the Lord Mayor. It of April, when a great and most important Victory was obtained, from being noticed by the great City of London is beyond my comprehension; and I, their Commander, whatever may have been my demerits on that day, am forced to place in its true and proper point of view, the services and bravery of those under my command. I request your friendly opinion of my letter; for I should be glad to alter any word or sentence in it, to those more adapted to mark the great bravery and consummate skill shown by all under my command. Lord St. Vincent, in July, made me truly happy in the assurance that the King would grant Medals to those who fought on that day, as has been usual in other great Naval victories. With every sentiment of respect, believe me ever, my dear Sir, your most obliged, NELSON AND BRONTE. TO ADMIRAL THE EARL OF ST. VINCENT, K.B. [From a Copy, in the Nelson Papers.] My dear Lord, Merton, 20th November, 1801. I hope that you will approve of my letter to the Lord Mayor: I owe it as a debt of gratitude to the brave Officers and men under my command on the 2nd of April. You know, my dear Lord, the arduousness of the enterprise, and also the full effects of the glorious termination of it: your expanded mind must see the necessity of my stepping forth, or I should ill deserve to be so supported on any future occasion. Your Lordship's opinion of the services of that day induced you to hold [out] hopes amounting to certainty. I believed that the King would grant those who fought that day Medals, as had been done for other great Victories, and I have been, I own, expect could be productive of no good, and might, and (I firmly believe) would, lead to serious embarrassments. The grounds of this persuasion I shall be ready to state to you, whenever you will do me the favour of calling in Downing Street. They are not merely of a public nature, but are connected with the interest I shall ever take in your well-earned fame, and with the true regard with which I am, my dear Lord, your sincere friend, and faithful servant,-HENRY ADDINGTON,”-Autograph, in the Nelson Papers. ing them daily since the King's return from Weymouth. You will judge of my feelings by my letter to the Lord Mayor; and from my heart wishing you a speedy recovery, believe me ever your affectionate, NELSON AND BRONTE. 8 To this Letter Lord St. Vincent wrote two Letters in reply: "Admiralty, 21st November, 1801. My dear Lord,—I thank you for communicating the letter you have judged fit to write to the Lord Mayor; and I have the honour to be, with the truest regard and esteem, your Lordship's very affectionate and obedient servant,-ST. VINCENT." "Admiralty, 21st November, 1801. "My dear Lord,-In further reply to your Lordship's letter of yesterday, I must beg leave to assure you that I have given no encouragement to the other subject therein mentioned, but, on the contrary, have explained to your Lordship, and to Mr. Addington, the impropriety of such a measure being recommended to the King. With many thanks for the interest you take in the recovery of my health, believe me to be, my dear Lord, very affectionately yours,—ST. VINCENT.”—Autographs, in the Nelson Papers. Greatly disappointed, and, as he conceived, unjustly treated by the Government, in refusing to give Medals, and by the City of London, in withholding its Thanks, for the Battle of Copenhagen, Lord Nelson showed his feelings in a very characteristic manner. To Captain Foley, (his Flag-Captain in the Elephant in that Battle,) he declared he "would never wear his other Medals till that for Copenhagen was granted," (Letter from Admiral Sir Thomas Foley, G.C.B., to Rear, now Vice-Admiral, Sir Graham Eden Hamond, Bart., K.C.B., dated 23rd February, 1828;) and he declined to accept its Thanks for any other services, or to dine with the Lord Mayor, in his capacity of Chief Magistrate of the City of London, until the City had rendered justice to his Companions at Copenhagen. (Vide subsequent Letters.) However hopeless their claim, neither Lord Nelson, nor the Captains who fought on the 2nd of April, ever abandoned their pretensions to Medals. In May 1804, the late Lord Melville succeeded Lord St. Vincent as First Lord of the Admiralty, and in the following month, Lord Nelson wrote to him on the subject. His Lordship's admirable reply shows the grounds upon which Government then considered it expedient to refuse the request: "Admiralty, 28th August, 1804. "My dear Lord, "Your letter of the 22nd of June, with the correspondence which passed between your Lordship and Lord St. Vincent, has duly reached me. There seems to have existed a most extraordinary misunderstanding between you on the subject, and I am left perfectly in the dark what created the sudden change of sentiment you state to have taken place. I am not likely soon to meet with Lord St. Vincent, nor am I certain that he would feel disposed, or at liberty, to enter into any explanation with me respecting it. I may probably, ere long, have an opportunity of mentioning it to Mr. Addington. "Not knowing the reasons for resisting the wishes of the Officers who signalised themselves at Copenhagen, it would be presumptuous in me to form any conjecture respecting them. I am positive that any want of a just sense of the meritorious services performed on that occasion neither did, nor conld operate on the mind of any of his Majesty's servants. But, whatever the reasons were, your Lordship must feel, that in every view, the difficulties may have increased, but cannot have diminished by TO ADMIRAL THE EARL OF ST. VINCENT, K.B. [From a Copy in the Nelson Papers.] My dear Lord, Merton, November 22nd, 1801. I was this morning thunder-struck by the reading your Lordship's Letter, telling me that you had never given encouragement to the expectation of receiving Medals for the the delay. I will not, however, act so uncandidly with your Lordship, as to disguise from you that I feel a difficulty which, to my understanding, at present seems insurmountable. When Badges of Triumph are bestowed in the heat and conflict of War, they do not rankle in the minds even of the Enemy, at whose expense they are bestowed; but the feeling, I suspect, would be very different in Denmark, if the present moment was to be chosen for opening afresh wounds which are, I trust, now healed, or in the daily progress of being so. However much every gallant Officer wishes to bear about with him, and to transmit to his posterity, Badges of Military prowess and Distinction, I am confident the minds of our brave Officers, who signalised themselves at Copenhagen under their illustrious leader, are too generous and public-spirited to be solicitous of obtaining any Mark of Distinction which might tend to injure any of the substantial interests or alliances of their Country. "If I am right in the view I have of the subject, and continue to think in that manner, I am sure your Lordship will not conceive I am less disposed than I know I am, to consult the nicest feelings of his Majesty's Naval Officers, if on the present occasion I do not concur with their wishes, in recommending to his Majesty the request which your Lordship has so forcibly conveyed to me. I have the honour to be, &c., MELVILLE."-Autograph, in the Nelson Papers. On the extension of the Order of the Bath in 1815, additional mortification awaited such of the surviving Captains as had commanded Ships under Lord Nelson at Copenhagen, and who had not had a subsequent opportunity of gaining distinction, by not finding themselves included in the extensive Nominations then made to the Order. In February 1828, they presented a Memorial to the Duke of Clarence, the Lord High Admiral, praying his Royal Highness to obtain for them the Medals to which they conceived themselves entitled, and also, the rank of Knights Commanders of the Bath, to which rank, (or to the highest Class of the Order,) all the then surviving Captains who were in the great Naval Actions of the 1st of June 1794, 14th of February 1797, 11th of October 1797, and 1st of August 1798, had been admitted, except seven-namely, James Walker, John Lawford, Samuel Sutton, Graham Eden Hamond, all of whom were at Copenhagen, and Henry Digby, Edward Rotheram, and Charles Bullen, who were at Trafalgar, but of whom, however all, except Admirals Lawford and Sutton, had been made Companions of the Order. On the 5th of March 1828, the Lord High Admiral wrote to Rear-Admiral Hamond, informing him that he had forwarded the Papers to the Duke of Wellington," and this morning I had his Grace's answer, stating that his Majesty's Government were most perfectly sensible of the eminent services of yourself and your Companions in Arms under the great and immortal Nelson, but regretted they could not advise the King, at this late period, to issue Medals. Under the present circum |