the necessary instructions for his government, conformably with the spirit of those received from Lord Hobart, and shall transmit the result of his mission for their Lordships' information the moment the Superb returns from Algiers. I am, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. Sir, TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty.] Victory, at Sea, May 22nd, 1804. On being joined by the Bomb-Vessels named in the margin, I was informed that on coming to sea, the Artillerymen were ordered to keep watch the same as the people composing their Companies, (the Bomb-Vessels at that time being on no particular service ;) but were prevented from it by their Officers, who had directed them not to keep watch. The Commanders of these Vessels not judging it prudent to enforce their compliance, in consequence, I presume, of their Lordships' instructions to them respecting the Artillery, allowed this measure, so subversive of discipline, to remain for my directions; and, in consequence of such communication, I gave out an order, dated the 13th instant, a copy of which (No. 1) is herewith transmitted. On the 16th following, I received a letter from Captain Cocks of the Thunder, a copy of which (No. 2) also accompanies this, together with a copy of my answer thereto, and also, a copy of my letter (No. 4),° which I found necessary from the conduct of the Artillery Officers to give to the respective Commanders of the said Bomb-Vessels, which I desire you will please to lay before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty for their information; and, at the same time, acquaint their Lordships, that I have read their instructions which have been given to the Commanders of the Bombs, which may be interpreted as not rendering the Officers and Soldiers embarked in the Bomb-Vessels liable to be tried by Court-Martial. I am, however, decidedly of opinion that nothing short of an Act of the Legislature can lay aside the Acts of Parliament by which our Naval Service is directed to Vide pp. 22, 23, ante. Thunder, Etna, Acheron. be governed; and as these Acts clearly point out that Soldiers are (with the exception only of their being embarked in Transport-Ships) as liable to the regulations of that Act of Parliament as any Scaman, and as it is impossible that two Commanders can exist in the same Ship, and the very salvation of our Navy, perhaps of our Country, depends upon the perfect subordination of every individual to the Commander thereof,—I have to request their Lordships will take this most important subject into their serious consideration, that such directions may be given thereupon as the wisdom of Parliament shall think proper; for, until the Act of Parliament is altered, I shall hold it my indispensable duty to enforce obedience from the Artillery Officers before-mentioned to the orders of their respective Commanders, be it by Court-Martial or otherwise, and communicate the result to the Commander-in-Chief of the Army in the Mediterranean, in order that it may be laid before the King. I lament that it is necessary for me to call their Lordships' attention to this very recent circumstance of the Army serving on board his Majesty's Fleet: the Sea-Lords, to whom I particularly address myself on this most serious subject, are well aware of the dangerous tendency of insubordination, and of the consequences which would result from placing the Army, who serve in the different Ships, independent of the Officers who command them. I am, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. TO JOHN JULIUS ANGERSTEIN, ESQ., CHAIRMAN TO THE COMMITTEE FOR THE PATRIOTIC FUND, LLOYD'S COFFEE-HOUSE, LONDON. [Letter-Book.] Victory, at Sea, 24th May, 1804. Sir, I received your letter of the 6th of March last, requesting that I would transmit you the name and family of a Seaman who was killed on board his Majesty's Sloop Morgiana, that the Committee for the Patriotic Fund may take the same into consideration. In answer to which, you will please to acquaint the Committee that I have given a general order to return the names and families of all the Officers and men who have been, or may be, killed or wounded, on board the different Ships under my command, which shall be transmitted agreeably to your request. I am, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. TO ADMIRAL LUTWIDGE. [Autograph, in the possession of Major Lutwidge.] My dear Admiral, Victory, May 24th, 1804. Many, many thanks for your kind letter of April 3rd, and I beg you will thank good Mrs. Lutwidge for hers; for in truth, by one conveyance, I can only write to one in a house; and both your letters arrived the same day, by the Leviathan. You are sure that I shall always be happy in paying attention to your recommendations, and shall certainly see Mr. Baker, but I have not the smallest chance of being useful to him; for, it is not two French Fleets that will clear the way of what are on the Admiralty, and my list. I think the Admiralty has had a hard run, and if Pitt goes on,' I do not think my friend Addington can stand the united parties of Pitt and Fox. Our dear Lady Hamilton for ever speaks of your and Mrs. L.'s kindness to her: her good heart is feelingly alive to such acts. Our Ships have been very unfortunate, latterly; the loss of Apollo and Convoy is shocking, off Brest; I am only surprised more are not lost, or rather, that any are saved. I am truly sorry for your nephew,' for I see no prospect of an exchange of Prisoners with the Republic, but the new Emperor may think differently, and I should not be surprised if On the 15th of March, 1804, Mr. Pitt brought forward a motion on the state of the Naval Defence of the Country; and, in a long speech, censured the Admiralty for not increasing the Navy, and especially for not having prepared a Flotilla to resist that of the Enemy. The debate on that occasion is very fully reported in the "Naval Chronicle," (vol. xi. p. 316, et seq.) with editorial comments in support of the Admiralty. The Apollo Frigate, Captain J. W. T. Dixon, with forty sail of her Convoy, bound to the West Indies, was wrecked near Cape Mondego, on the Coast of Portugal, on the 1st of April 1804. Captain Dixon and many of his Officers and crew perished. An interesting narrative of the circumstances is given in the "Naval Chronicle," vol. xi. p. 392. * Lieutenant Henry Lutwidge, who was shipwrecked on the Saints', in the Hussar Frigate, in February 1804, taken prisoner, and detained in France till the end of the War. Vide vol. v. p. 2. we have a speedy Peace, for he must want to settle firmly his new dignity; bravo Corsican! When you write to Kingsmill,' remember me kindly to him, and make acceptable my most sincere good wishes to Mrs. Lutwidge, and that she may never be ill; and believe me, my dear Admiral, that I am for ever, your most grateful and obliged friend, NELSON AND BRONTE. I have sent Dalton his letter, and have since seen him. 2 TO REAR-ADMIRAL CAMPBELL. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 366.] 24th May, 1804. I am more obliged to you than I can express, for your not allowing the very superior force of the Enemy to bring you to Action. Whatever credit would have accrued to your own and your gallant Companions' exertions, no sound advantages could have arisen to our Country; for so close to their own harbour they could always have returned, and left your Ships unfit, probably, to keep the sea. I again, my dear Admiral, thank you for your conduct. Some day, very soon, I have no doubt but an opportunity will offer of giving them fair Battle; and that it may arrive very, very soon, is the most sincere wish of, my dear Campbell, your most obliged friend, NELSON AND Bronte. 1 Admiral Sir Robert Kingsmill, Bart., so frequently mentioned. Vide vol. i. p. 40. "On the 24th of May, in the forenoon, as the Canopus, Donegal, and Amazon, having been detached from the Fleet, then out of sight in the offing, were standing upon the larboard tack, with a light air from the South-West, close to the Eastward of Cape Sepet, for the purpose of reconnoitering the Fleet in Toulon, a French Line-of-Battle Ship and Frigate were observed under sail between the Capes Sepet and Brun, which form the entrance to the harbour. At half-past noon, when about three miles from the shore, the Amazon, Donegal, and Canopus tacked in succession. No sooner had the Canopus put about, than several French Gun-boats swept from under Cape Sepet, and, profiting by the calm state of the weather, opened a distant fire upon her and the Amazon. The Canopus, in return, discharged a few of her lower-deck guns, and stood on to the South-East by East, with the wind, now a moderate breeze from the West-North-West. On hearing the firing, two French Ships of the Line, and two Frigates had slipped their cables, and made sail, to assist the Line-of-Battle Ship and Frigate already outside. At 2h. 30m. P.M., two more Sail of the Line slipped, and followed the others; making now five Sail of the Line and three Frigates that were in chase of the reconnoitring Ships. Shortly afterwards the French Van-Frigate, being on TO HIS EXCELLENCY SIR JOHN ACTON, BART. [From a Copy, in the Elliot Papers.] Mon cher Chevalier, Victory, ce 25 Mai, 1804. Actuellement je ne pense pas vous incommoder, puisque je sens que vous aurez un vrai plaisir à rendre service à la chère Lady Hamilton. Le Chevalier, lors de son mariage, lui assigna 800 livres sterling par an, et comme il avoit destiné exactement la meme somme à sa première femme, l'an 1752, il croyoit avoir agi avec beaucoup de libéralité. Mais les temps ont si fort changé, que 800 livres sterling ne suffisent plus pour une dame dans la position de veuve du Chevalier Hamilton, et ne donnent guères de quoi acheter du pain et du fromage. Monsieur Addington est, je le sais, trés bien intentionné envers Milady, mais les frais de la guerre, et probablement le manque de quelqu'un qui pousse l'affaire, le rendent un peu difficile, quand il s'agit d'accorder une pension, quoiqu'il doit avouer, avec tout le monde, que cette pension est due, et a été bien méritée. La Reine de Naples est, j'en suis convaincu, aussi sincèrement attachée à Lady Hamilton qu'elle le doit, puis qu'Elle n'a jamais eu une amie aussi sincère et aussi désinteressée. Ainsi si Sa Majesté vouloit avoir la condescendance d'écrire une ligne à Monsieur Addington, sans que cela passe par le canal de Castelcicala, mais directement à Monsieur Addington, je suis sûr, que l'on ne réfuseroit plus la pension. Je ne dis rien de plus, excepté que je serai aussi très obligé à la Reine, si Elle veut écrire cette lettre à Monsieur Addington, et je suis persuadé que le cœur de la Reine est trop généreux pour oublier son Emma. Je suis à jamais, mon cher Chevalier, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. the weather-quarter of the Canopus, opened a fire upon her and the Donegal, which these Ships immediately returned. With so superior a force it was in vain to contend, and Rear-Admiral Campbell directed his little Division to make sail. At 3h. 30m. P.M., finding pursuit useless, the French Ships tacked, and stood back to their Port; and at 9h. 30m. P.M., and not before, the Canopus and her two companions joined the Victory and the Fleet."-James's Naval History, vol. iii. pp. 236, 237. See also Naval Chronicle, vol. xii. p. 242. |