on the Redoutable, for about fifteen minutes after Lord NELSON was
wounded; in which short period Captain ADAIR and about eighteen Seamen
and Marines were killed, and Lieutenant BLIGH, Mr. PALMER Midshipman,
and twenty Seamen and Marines, wounded, by the Enemy's musketry alone.
The Redoutable had been on fire twice, in her fore-chains and on her
forecastle: she had likewise succeeded in throwing a few hand-grenades
into the Victory, which set fire to some ropes and canvas on the booms.
The cry of "Fire!" was now circulated throughout the ship, and even
reached the cockpit, without producing the degree of sensation which
might be expected on such an awful occasion: the crew soon extinguished
the fire on the booms, and then immediately turned their attention to
that on board the Enemy; which they likewise put out by throwing buckets
of water from the gangway into the Enemy's chains and forecastle, thus
furnishing another admirable instance of deliberate intrepidity. At
thirty minutes past one o'clock, the Redoutable's musketry having
ceased, and her colours being struck, the Victory's men endeavoured to
get on board her: but this was found impracticable; for though the two
ships were still in contact, yet the top-sides or upper-works of both
fell in so much on their upper decks, that there was a great space
(perhaps fourteen feet or more) between their gangways; and the Enemy's
ports being down, she could not be boarded from the Victory's lower nor
middle deck. Several Seamen volunteered their services to Lieutenant
QUILLIAM, to jump overboard, swim under the Redoutable's bows, and
endeavour to get up there; but Captain HARDY refused to permit this. The
prize however, and the Victory, fell off from each other; and their
separation was believed to be the effect of the concussion produced by
the Victory's fire, assisted by the helm of the latter being put to
starboard.
MESSRS. OGILVIE and COLLINGWOOD, Midshipmen of the Victory, were sent in
a small boat to take charge of the prize, which they effected.[19] After
this, the ships of the Enemy's van that had shewn a disposition to
attack the Victory, passed to windward; and fired their broadsides not
only into her and the Temeraire, but also into the French and Spanish
captured ships indiscriminately: and they were seen to back or shiver
their topsails for the purpose of doing this with more precision.[20]
The two Midshipmen of the Victory had just boarded the Redoutable, and
got their men out of the boat, when a shot from the Enemy's van ships
that were making off cut the boat adrift. About ten minutes after taking
possession of her, a Midshipman came to her from the Temeraire; and had
hardly ascended the poop, when a shot from one of those ships took off
his leg. The French Officers, seeing the firing continued on the prize
by their own countrymen, entreated the English Midshipmen to quit the
deck, and accompany them below. The unfortunate Midshipman of the
Temeraire was carried to the French Surgeon, who was ordered to give his
immediate attendance to him in preference to his own wounded: his leg
was amputated, but he died the same night. The Redoutable suffered so
much from shot received between wind and water, that she sunk while in
tow of the Swiftsure on the following evening, when the gale came on;
and out of a crew originally consisting of more than eight hundred men,
only about a hundred and thirty were saved: but she had lost above three
hundred in the battle.[21]
It is by no means certain, though highly probable, that Lord NELSON was
particularly aimed at by the Enemy. There were only two Frenchmen left
alive in the mizen-top of the Redoutable at the time of His LORDSHIP'S
being wounded, and by the hands of one of these he fell. These men
continued firing at Captains HARDY and ADAIR, Lieutenant ROTELY of the
Marines, and some of the Midshipman on the Victory's poop, for some
time afterwards. At length one of them was killed by a musket-ball: and
on the other's then attempting to make his escape from the top down the
rigging, Mr. POLLARD (Midshipman) fired his musket at him, and shot him
in the back; when he fell dead from the shrouds, on the Redoutable's
poop.
The Writer of this will not attempt to depict the heart-rending sorrow,
and melancholy gloom, which pervaded the breast and the countenance of
every individual on board the Victory when His LORDSHIP'S death became
generally known. The anguish felt by all for such a loss, rendered
doubly heavy to _them_, is more easy to be conceived than described: by
his lamented fall they were at once deprived of their adored commander,
and their friend and patron.
The battle was fought in soundings about sixteen miles to the westward
of Cape Trafalgar; and if fortunately there had been more wind in the
beginning of the action, it is very probable that Lord NELSON would
still have been saved to his Country, and that every ship of the line
composing the Combined Fleets would have been either captured or
destroyed: for had the Victory been going fast through the water, she
must have dismasted the Redoutable, and would of course have passed on
to attack another ship; consequently His LORDSHIP would not have been so
long nor so much exposed to the Enemy's musketry. From the same
circumstance of there being but little wind, several of the Enemy's
ships made off before the rear and bad-sailing ships of the British
lines could come up to secure them.
THE Victory had no musketry in her tops: as His LORDSHIP had a strong
aversion to small arms being placed there, from the danger of their
setting fire to the sails; which was exemplified by the destruction of
the French ship L'Achille in this battle. It is a species of warfare by
which individuals may suffer, and now and then a Commander be picked
off: but it never can decide the fate of a general engagement; and a
circumstance in many respects similar to that of the Victory's running
on board of the Redoutable, may not occur again in the course of
centuries. The loss sustained by the Victory amounted to fifty-five
killed, and a hundred and two wounded;[22] and it is highly honourable
to the discipline and established regulations of the ship, that not one
casualty from accident occurred on board during the engagement.
On the day after the battle, as soon as circumstances permitted the
Surgeon to devote a portion of his attention to the care of Lord
NELSON'S honoured Remains, measures were adopted to preserve them as
effectually as the means then on board the Victory allowed. On the
Surgeon's examining the nature of the wound, and the course of the
ball, a quantity of blood was evacuated from the left side of the
breast: none had escaped before. The ball was traced by a probe to the
spine, but its lodgment could not at that time be discovered. There was
no lead on board to make a coffin: a cask called a leaguer, which is of
the largest size on shipboard, was therefore chosen for the reception of
the Body; which, after the hair had been cut off, was stripped of the
clothes except the shirt, and put into it, and the Cask was then filled
with brandy.[23]
In the evening after this melancholy task was accomplished, the gale
came on with violence from the south-west, and continued that night and
the succeeding day without any abatement. During this boisterous
weather, Lord NELSON'S Body remained under the charge of a sentinel on
the middle deck. The cask was placed on its end, having a closed
aperture at its top and another below; the object of which was, that as
a frequent renewal of the spirit was thought necessary, the old could
thus be drawn off below and a fresh quantity introduced above, without
moving the cask, or occasioning the least agitation of the Body. On the
24th there was a disengagement of air from the Body to such a degree,
that the sentinel became alarmed on seeing the head of the cask raised:
he therefore applied to the Officers, who were under the necessity of
having the cask spiled to give the air a discharge. After this, no
considerable collection of air took place. The spirit was drawn off
once, and the cask filled again, before the arrival of the Victory at
Gibraltar (on the 28th of October): where spirit of wine was procured;
and the cask, shewing a deficit produced by the Body's absorbing a
considerable quantity of the brandy, was then filled up with it.
On the 29th the Victory's Seamen and Marines dangerously wounded in the
action, were sent on shore to the naval hospital at Gibraltar. The
interval between this day and the 2nd of November was employed in
repairing the damage sustained by the ship, erecting jury-masts, fitting
her rigging, and completing her in every respect for the voyage to
England. On the 2nd of November, preparations were made on board to
receive the wounded from the hospital, who had unanimously entreated
Captain HARDY not to leave them behind: but their embarkation could not
be effected this day; and the Victory being ordered to quit the
anchorage in Gibraltar Bay, to make room for the disabled ships and
prizes daily arriving, she sailed in the evening for Tetuan Bay, for
the purpose of taking on board a supply of fresh water, and awaiting
there a favourable wind to pass the Straits. During the night however,
and before the Victory gained the coast of Barbary, the wind, which had
blown for several days from the west, shifted to the eastward, and a
fresh breeze sprung up; she therefore changed her course, and stood back
again for Gibraltar, where she arrived early in the morning. She then
lay-to in the bay without anchoring, and the boats were immediately sent
on shore for the wounded; who were all brought off by noon, except five
of the worst cases who could not be removed.[24] In the afternoon the
Victory and Belleisle sailed from Gibraltar Bay, and passed through the
Straits during the night of the 4th. The next day at noon they joined
the squadron under the command of Admiral COLLINGWOOD, then cruising off
Cadiz; from which they parted company the same evening, and pursued
their course together for England.
When the Victory had proceeded some weeks on her voyage, adverse winds
and tempestuous weather having prolonged the passage much beyond the
period that is generally expected, it was thought proper to draw off the
spirit from the cask containing Lord NELSON'S Body, and renew it; and
this was done twice. On these occasions brandy was used in the
proportion of two-thirds to one of spirit of wine.
At length the Victory arrived at Spithead, after a tedious passage of
nearly five weeks from Gibraltar: and as no instructions respecting His
LORDSHIP'S Remains were received at Portsmouth while the ship remained
there, and orders being transmitted to Captain HARDY for her to proceed
to the Nore, the Surgeon represented to him the necessity of examining
the state of the Body; common report giving reason to believe that it
was intended to lie in state at Greenwich Hospital, and to be literally
exposed to the public. On the 11th of December therefore, the day on
which the Victory sailed from Spithead for the Nore, Lord NELSON'S Body
was taken from the cask in which it had been kept since the day after
his death. On inspecting it externally, it exhibited a state of perfect
preservation, without being in the smallest degree offensive. There
were, however, some appearances that induced the Surgeon to examine the
condition of the bowels; which were found to be much decayed, and likely
in a short time to communicate the process of putrefaction to the rest
of the Body: the parts already injured were therefore removed. It was at
this time that the fatal ball was discovered: it had passed through the
spine, and lodged in the muscles of the back, towards the right side,
and a little below the shoulder-blade. A very considerable portion of
the gold-lace, pad, and lining of the epaulette, with a piece of the
coat, was found attached to the ball: the lace of the epaulette was as
firmly so, as if it had been inserted into the metal while in a state of
fusion.[25]
The following is the professional Report on HIS LORDSHIP'S wound and
death, made by the Surgeon on this occasion;
"_His Majesty's Ship Victory, at Sea,
11th December, 1805_.
"About the middle of the action with the Combined Fleets on the 21st of
October last, the late illustrious Commander in Chief Lord NELSON was
mortally wounded in the left breast by a musket-ball, supposed to be
fired from the mizen-top of La Redoutable French ship of the line,
which the Victory fell on board of early in the battle. HIS LORDSHIP was
in the act of turning on the quarter-deck with his face towards the
Enemy, when he received his wound: he instantly fell; and was carried to
the cockpit, where he lived about two hours.[26] On being brought below,
he complained of acute pain about the sixth or seventh dorsal vertebra,
and of privation of sense and motion of the body and inferior
extremities. His respiration was short and difficult; pulse weak, small,
and irregular. He frequently declared his back was shot through, that he
felt every instant a gush of blood within his breast, and that he had
sensations which indicated to him the approach of death. In the course
of an hour his pulse became indistinct, and was gradually lost in the
arm. His extremities and forehead became soon afterwards cold. He
retained his wonted energy of mind, and exercise of his faculties, till
the last moment of his existence; and when the victory as signal as
decisive was announced to him, he expressed his pious acknowledgments,
and heart-felt satisfaction at the glorious event, in the most emphatic
language. He then delivered his last orders with his usual precision,
and in a few minutes afterwards expired without a struggle.
"_Course and site of the Ball, as ascertained since death._
"The ball struck the fore part of HIS LORDSHIP'S epaulette; and entered
the left shoulder immediately before the processus acromion scapulae,
which it slightly fractured. It then descended obliquely into the
thorax, fracturing the second and third ribs: and after penetrating the
left lobe of the lungs, and dividing in its passage a large branch of
the pulmonary artery, it entered the left side of the spine between the
sixth and seventh dorsal vertebræ, fractured the left transverse process
of the sixth dorsal vertebra, wounded the medulla spinalis, and
fracturing the right transverse process of the seventh vertebra, made
its way from the right side of the spine, directing its course through
the muscles of the back; and lodged therein, about two inches below the
inferior angle of the right scapula. On removing the ball, a portion of
the gold-lace and pad of the epaulette, together with a small piece of
HIS LORDSHIP'S coat, was found firmly attached to it.[27]
"W. BEATTY."
The Remains were wrapped in cotton vestments, and rolled from head to
foot with bandages of the same material, in the ancient mode of
embalming. The Body was then put into a leaden coffin, filled with
brandy holding in solution camphor and myrrh.[28] This coffin was
inclosed in a wooden one, and placed in the after-part of HIS LORDSHIP'S
cabin; where it remained till the 21st of December, when an order was
received from the Admiralty for the removal of the Body. The coffin that
had been made from the mainmast of the French Commander's ship L'Orient,
and presented to HIS LORDSHIP by his friend Captain HOLLOWELL, after
the battle of the Nile, being then received on board, the leaden coffin
was opened, and the Body taken out; when it was found still in most
excellent condition, and completely plastic. The features were somewhat
tumid, from absorption of the spirit; but on using friction with a
napkin, they resumed in a great degree their natural character. All the
Officers of the ship, and several of HIS LORDSHIP'S friends, as well as
some of Captain HARDY'S, who had come on board the Victory that day from
the shore, were present at the time of the Body's being removed from the
leaden coffin; and witnessed its undecayed state after a lapse of two
months since death, which excited the surprise of all who beheld it.
This was the last time the mortal part of the lamented Hero was seen by
human eyes; as the Body, after being dressed in a shirt, stockings,
uniform small-clothes and waistcoat, neckcloth, and night-cap, was then
placed in the shell made from L'Orient's mast, and covered with the
shrouding. This was inclosed in a leaden coffin; which was soldered up
immediately, and put into another wooden shell: in which manner it was
sent out of the Victory into Commissioner GREY'S yacht, which was hauled
alongside for that purpose. In this vessel the revered Remains were
conveyed to Greenwich Hospital; attended by the Reverend Doctor SCOTT,
and Messrs. TYSON and WHITBY.
LORD NELSON had often talked with Captain HARDY on the subject of his
being killed in battle, which appeared indeed to be a favourite topic of
conversation with him. He was always prepared to lay down his life in
the service of his Country; and whenever it should please Providence to
remove him from this world, it was the most ambitious wish of his soul
to die in the fight, and in the very hour of a great and signal victory.
In this he was gratified: his end was glorious; and he died as he had
lived, one of the greatest among men.
The following Prayer, found in HIS LORDSHIP'S memorandum-book,--and
written with his own hand on the night of his leaving Merton, at one of
the places where he changed horses (supposed to be Guildford) on his way
to join the Victory at Portsmouth,--is highly illustrative of those
sentiments of combined piety and patriotic heroism with which he was
inspired:
_"Friday Night, 13th September_.
"Friday night, at half past ten, drove from dear, dear Merton, where I
left all which I hold dear in this world, to go to serve my King and
Country. May the great GOD whom I adore, enable me to fulfil the
expectations of my Country! and if it is His good pleasure that I should
return, my thanks will never cease being offered up to the throne of His
mercy. But if it is His good providence to cut short my days upon
earth, I bow with the greatest submission; relying that He will protect
those, so dear to me, that I may leave behind. His will be done!
"AMEN, amen, amen."
HIS LORDSHIP had on several occasions told Captain HARDY, that if he
should fall in battle in a foreign climate, he wished his body to be
conveyed to England; and that if his Country should think proper to
inter him at the public expence, he wished to be buried in Saint Paul's,
as well as that his monument should be erected there. He explained his
reasons for preferring Saint Paul's to Westminster Abbey, which were
rather curious: he said that he remembered hearing it stated as an old
tradition when he was a boy, that Westminster Abbey was built on a spot
where once existed a deep morass; and he thought it likely that the
lapse of time would reduce the ground on which it now stands to its
primitive state of a swamp, without leaving a trace of the Abbey. He
added, that his actual observations confirmed the probability of this
event. He also repeated to Captain HARDY several times during the last
two years of his life: "Should I be killed, HARDY, and my Country not
bury me, you know what to do with me;" meaning that his body was in that
case to be laid by the side of his Father's, in his native village of
Burnham Thorpe in Norfolk: and this, as has been before mentioned (in
page 48), he adverted to in his last moments.
An opinion has been very generally entertained, that Lord NELSON'S state
of health, and supposed infirmities arising from his former wounds and
hard services, precluded the probability of his long surviving the
battle of Trafalgar, had he fortunately escaped the Enemy's shot: but
the Writer of this can assert that HIS LORDSHIP'S health was uniformly
good, with the exception of some slight attacks of indisposition arising
from accidental causes; and which never continued above two or three
days, nor confined him in any degree with respect to either exercise or
regimen:[29] and during the last twelve months of his life, he
Complained only three times in this way. It is true, that HIS LORDSHIP,
about the meridian of life, had been subject to frequent fits of the
gout: which disease however, as well as his constitutional tendency to
it, he totally overcame by abstaining for the space of nearly two years
from animal food, and wine and all other fermented drink; confining his
diet to vegetables, and commonly milk and water. And it is also a fact,
that early in life, when he first went to sea, he left off the use of
salt, which he then believed to be the sole cause of scurvy, and never
took it afterwards with his food.
HIS LORDSHIP used a great deal of exercise, generally walking on deck
six or seven hours in the day. He always rose early, for the most part
shortly after day-break. He breakfasted in summer about six, and at
seven in winter: and if not occupied in reading or writing dispatches,
or examining into the details of the Fleet, he walked on the
quarter-deck the greater part of the forenoon; going down to his cabin
occasionally to commit to paper such incidents or reflections as
occurred to him during that time, and as might be hereafter useful to
the service of his country. He dined generally about half past two
o'clock. At his table there were seldom less than eight or nine persons,
consisting of the different Officers of the ship: and when the weather
and the service permitted, he very often had several of the Admirals and
Captains in the Fleet to dine with him; who were mostly invited by
signal, the rotation of seniority being commonly observed by HIS
LORDSHIP in these invitations. At dinner he was alike affable and
attentive to every one: he ate very sparingly himself; the liver and
wing of a fowl, and a small plate of macaroni, in general composing his
meal, during which he occasionally took a glass of Champagne. He never
exceeded four glasses of wine after dinner, and seldom drank three; and
even these were diluted with either Bristol or common water.
Few men subject to the vicissitudes of a naval life, equalled HIS
LORDSHIP in an habitual systematic mode of living. He possessed such a
wonderful activity of mind, as even prevented him from taking ordinary
repose, seldom enjoying two hours of uninterrupted sleep; and on several
occasions he did not quit the deck during the whole night. At these
times he took no pains to protect himself from the effects of wet, or
the night-air; wearing only a thin great coat: and he has frequently,
after having his clothes wet through with rain, refused to have them
changed, saying that the leather waistcoat which he wore over his
flannel one would secure him from complaint. He seldom wore boots, and
was consequently very liable to have his feet wet. When this occurred he
has often been known to go down to his cabin, throw off his shoes, and
walk on the carpet in his stockings for the purpose of drying the feet
of them. He chose rather to adopt this uncomfortable expedient, than to
give his servants the trouble of assisting him to put on fresh
stockings; which, from his having only one hand, he could not himself
conveniently effect.
From these circumstances it may be inferred, that though Lord NELSON'S
constitution was not of that kind which is generally denominated strong,
yet it was not very susceptible of complaint from the common occasional
causes of disease necessarily attending a naval life. The only bodily
pain which HIS LORDSHIP felt in consequence of his many wounds, was a
slight rheumatic affection of the stump of his amputated arm on any
sudden variation in the state of the weather; which is generally
experienced by those who have the misfortune to lose a limb after the
middle age. HIS LORDSHIP usually predicted an alteration in the weather
with as much certainty from feeling transient pains in this stump, as he
could by his marine barometer; from the indications of which latter he
kept a diary of the atmospheric changes, which was written with his own
hand.
HIS LORDSHIP had lost his right eye by a contusion which he received at
the siege of Calvi, in the island of Corsica. The vision of the other
was likewise considerably impaired: he always therefore wore a green
shade over his forehead, to defend this eye from the effect of strong
light; but as he was in the habit of looking much through a glass while
on deck, there is little doubt, that had he lived a few years longer,
and continued at sea, he would have lost his sight totally.