Although Rodney had fought a celebrated action off Cape St. Vincent a
few years before, yet the one which occurred in 1797 so far eclipsed it
that Rodney’s action is scarcely ever thought of.
St. Vincent is the name of the most southwestern point of Portugal, in
the old Kingdom of Algarve.
Admiral Sir John Jervis, with an English fleet under his command, left
the Tagus on the 18th of January, 1797, with eleven ships-of-the-line.
Before crossing the bar of the Tagus the St. George, a three-decker,
got on shore, and, being got off with difficulty, was found to be so
much injured as to render it necessary to send her back to Lisbon.
So with ten sail-of-the-line Sir John put to sea, having for his
first object to escort some Brazil merchantmen and their Portuguese
convoy to a safe latitude; thence he intended to proceed off Cape St.
Vincent, where he had appointed a rendezvous for the St. George to join
him. He also hoped to be there joined by long and anxiously expected
reinforcements from England.
His fleet consisted of the Victory, of 100 guns, his flag-ship; the
Britannia, 100, Vice Admiral Thompson; the Barfleur and Blenheim, 98s;
and the Captain, Culloden, Egmont, Excellent and Goliath, 74s, and the
Diadem, 64.
On the 6th of February Sir John had parted from the Portuguese ships,
and was upon his return to his station off Cape St. Vincent, where
five sail-of-the-line, sent from the Channel fleet to reinforce him,
effected their junction. These were the Prince George, 98, Vice Admiral
Parker; the Namur, 90; and the Colossus, Irresistible, and Orion, 74s.
It so happened that the accession of force did no more than make up
that which the Admiral had with him when he sent home for an addition
to his force. A sixth serious accident soon deprived him of the use of
another ship; for, early on the morning of February 12th, while yet
quite dark, as the ships were tacking in succession, the Colossus,
keeping her wind a little too long, compelled the Culloden to bear up,
to clear her. The former ship then suddenly bore up also, and the two
ran foul of each other. The Colossus escaped almost without injury,
but the Culloden received damages which would have sent most ships
home to a dockyard. She was, however, commanded by the gallant Captain
Trowbridge, and he managed, after a time, to repair damages at sea, and
to be ready for action again.
Sir John Jervis, with his fifteen ships, persevered in working up to
his station, against a strong southeast wind, not doubting that he
should there gain a sight, or at least have tidings, of the Spanish
fleet, of which he was in quest, which could not be less than nineteen,
and might be thirty sail-of-the-line.
Whatever the force might be, it was to be broken up, if possible, and a
heavy blow struck against the Spanish navy.
On the morning of February 13th the English frigate Minerve, bearing
the flag of Horatio Nelson, then a Commodore, came into the fleet,
with the intelligence that on the 11th, soon after quitting Gibraltar,
he had been chased by two Spanish line-of-battle-ships, and that,
afterwards, when in the mouth of the Straits, he got sight of the
Spanish fleet of whose strength and probable intentions Commodore
Nelson communicated some important information. In the course of
the same evening the Niger frigate joined the fleet, with the same
information; she having kept the Spaniards in sight for several days.
Captain Foote, of the Niger, informed the Admiral that their fleet
could not be more than fifteen miles off.
It was then near sunset. Signal was made for the British fleet to
prepare for battle, and to keep close order for the night, during which
the signal guns of the Spaniards could be distinctly heard.
While the English are thus keeping a bright lookout for them, let us
take a glance at the Spanish fleet, soon to be engaged in a momentous
battle.
The grand fleet of Spain, under the command of Don Josef de Cordova,
in the Santissima Trinidada, a huge ship of 130 guns, had sailed
from Carthagena on the first of the month. He had, besides his
flag-ship, six of 112 guns, two of 80, and eighteen of 74 guns; in all
twenty-seven sail-of-the-line, with ten frigates, and two or three
brigs.
Some gun-boats, and about seventy transports, having on board two
battalions of guards and a Swiss regiment, and a great quantity of
military stores and ammunition, accompanied the fleet, all bound to the
camp of St. Roche.
The Spanish fleet passed Gibraltar at daylight of the 5th, and some of
them escorted the transports to Algesiras, where the troops and stores
were disembarked. It was these ships, upon their return to the main
fleet, which had seen and chased Nelson.
The report was that this fleet was to proceed to Brest, then to join
the French fleet, which was in turn to be joined by the Dutch fleet;
and that with the whole united, England was to be invaded. Be that
as it may, the destination of the Spanish Admiral was, in the first
instance, Cadiz. But the strong easterly gale that had given him a
quick passage through the Straits soon blew in his teeth and drove
his ships considerably to the westward of their port. On the night of
the 13th, the wind still adverse, the lookout frigates of the Spanish
fleet, which now consisted of twenty-five sail-of-the-line and eleven
frigates, got sight of several of the British ships; but the latter,
being taken by them for part of a convoy, excited little attention.
The Spaniards were busy in taking advantage of a favorable change of
wind which just then occurred, and were crowding sail to make the land,
without much regard to order.
The morning of the 14th of February, a disastrous day long to be
remembered by the Spaniards, broke dark and hazy. The two fleets were
in full sight of each other. The British were formed in two compact
divisions, on the starboard tack, with the wind at west by south. Cape
St. Vincent then bore east by north, distant about twenty-five miles.
At about half-past six the Culloden, 74, made signal for five sail,
S. W. by S. The frigates immediately confirmed the same, adding that
the strangers were by the wind, on the starboard tack. A sloop-of-war
was at once sent to reconnoitre, and the English Admiral made signal
to his fleet to form in close order and prepare for battle. Soon after
three ships-of-the-line were sent to chase to the S. W., and, upon the
sloop signaling that she saw eight sail in that direction, three more
line-of-battle ships were sent.
The Spanish reconnoitring frigates soon made out and recognized these
detached English ships, and it was not until then that the Spaniards
recovered from their delusion that the ships they had seen were part of
a convoy.
Then they fell into another. An American ship, which had passed through
the British fleet some days before, while the Culloden was away in
chase, had afterwards been spoken by the Spanish Admiral, and informed
him that Sir John Jervis had but nine sail-of-the-line.
The partial view of the British fleet now obtained through the fog and
haze tended to confirm this statement, and the Spanish were in high
glee at the idea that they should soon make a triumphant entry into
Cadiz, with some English ships as prizes; for their force was too great
for nine ships to resist, however well handled and bravely fought.
About 10 A.M. the English frigate Minerve made signal for twenty sail
in the southwest, and presently for eight more.
By this time the fog had cleared away, and left the two fleets to count
their enemy’s numbers.
The Spanish were, of course, greatly surprised at seeing fifteen
instead of nine sail-of-the-line; and these fifteen, found in two close
lines, were steadily advancing to cut off those of their ships that,
owing either to mismanagement or to a blind confidence in numerical
strength, had been allowed to separate from their main body. Their main
body, formed in a sort of a square, were running before the wind, under
all sail, while their leewardmost ships, with their starboard tacks on
board, were striving hard to effect a junction with the former, in time
to frustrate, if possible, the evident design of the British Admiral.
As, besides the object of cutting off the six detached sail-of-the-line,
it was now equally important to be ready to receive the nineteen sail
bearing down from to windward, the British Admiral, soon after eleven
A.M., ordered his fleet to form in line-of-battle, ahead and astern, as
was most convenient, and to steer south-southwest.
The advanced position of the Culloden in the morning’s chase conferred
upon her the honor of being the leading ship in the line, which, when
all the ships had fallen into their stations, and were close hauled on
the starboard tack, was closed by the Excellent.
Thus arranged the fifteen British ships steered direct for the opening,
still wide, but gradually narrowing, between the two divisions of the
Spanish fleet.
About this time the advanced ships of the Spanish weather division
began wearing and trimming on the port tack.
At 11.30 A.M., the Culloden, coming abreast of the leewardmost of these
ships, opened fire upon them, as they passed her starboard broadside.
She then stood on, followed by the Blenheim, which ship also gave and
received a distant fire.
As soon as she reached the wake of the enemy’s line the Culloden tacked
again and stood towards it.
The three rearmost Spanish ships, the Conde de Regia, 112; Principe
d’Asturias, 112; and Oriente, 74, being some way astern of their
companions, and therefore in danger of being cut off by the leading
British ships, bore up together, athwart the hawse of the Prince
George, 98, (Vice-Admiral Parker’s flag-ship). The latter, being rather
too far from her leader, had left a sufficient opening for the purpose.
The three Spaniards then hauled up on the starboard tack, and joined
four others that lay a little to windward of the remaining three of
their lee division.
Upon the Prince George and Blenheim tacking, half an hour after noon,
the advanced portion of the Spanish lee division put about also, and
thus both divisions of the Spanish fleet were brought on the port tack.
The English ships astern of the Prince George, as they increased their
distance from the van, lessened it from the rear division, several
of the ships of which opened, and received in return, a sharp fire,
evidently to the disadvantage of the Spanish, as they all, but one,
wore round on the other tack.
The Egmont, 74, at this time received damaging shots through both
main and mizzen-masts; while the Colossus, another English 74,
lost important spars, which compelled her to wear out of line, and
afforded an opportunity to a Spanish three-decker, which was to
windward and astern of the others, to bear up, with the intention of
raking the crippled English ship. The Orion, 74, seeing this, backed
her main-top-sail, and lay to, to cover the Colossus; whereupon the
three-decker wore, and stood away to the southward, after her friends.
The Spanish ship which had not accompanied their lee division in
its retreat was the Oriente. She hauled up, on the port tack, and
stretching along, under the lee of the remainder of the British line,
from which she was partly concealed by the smoke, succeeded in running
the gauntlet, and in regaining her own line, to windward.
This was the most gallant and seamanlike act performed by any Spanish
ship on that day. About 1 P. M., as the rearmost ship of that part of
the British line which was still upon the starboard tack had advanced
so far ahead as to leave an open sea to leeward of the Spanish
weather division, then passing in the contrary direction, the ships
of the latter, as the last effort to join their lee division, bore up
together. Scarcely was the movement made ere it caught the attention
of one who was as quick in seeing the consequences of its success as
he was ready in devising the means for its failure. Nelson, then a
Commodore, directed Captain Miller to wear the Captain, 74, on which
ship he bore his pennant, and in which he achieved much of his renown.
The Captain, a smart working ship, was soon round, and, passing between
the Diadem and the Excellent, ran athwart the bows of the Spanish
ships, as far as the ninth from the rear, which was the huge Santissima
Trinidada, of 130 guns, a four-decker. The Captain instantly opened
fire upon the large ship and those about her, with the rearmost of
which the Culloden, which had recommenced firing a few minutes before,
was warmly engaged. Soon the Spanish Admiral and the ships about him,
not liking to present their bows, even to so insignificant a force,
hauled nearly to the wind, and soon opened a very heavy fire upon the
Captain and Culloden. By 2 P. M. the latter had stretched so far ahead
as to cover and to afford a few minutes respite to the Captain. Of this
Nelson took advantage, replenishing her racks with shot, and splicing
and repairing running rigging. The Captain then renewed the battle with
great animation.
At about half-past two the Blenheim, 98, came crowding up, and, passing
to windward of the Captain, afforded her a second respite, which was
taken advantage of as before.
The two more immediate opponents of the Captain and Culloden had been
the San Ysidro, 74, and the Salvador del Mundo, 112; these, being
already with some of their topmasts gone, and otherwise in a crippled
state, the Blenheim, by a few heavy broadsides, sent staggering astern,
to be cannonaded afresh by the Prince George and other advancing ships.
The Excellent, 74 (Captain Collingwood, afterwards Lord Collingwood),
was now coming up. This ship had been ordered by the Admiral to quit
her station in the line and lead the weather division, consisting of
the Victory, 100; Barfleur, 98; Namur, 90; Egmont, 74; Goliath, 74, and
Britannia, 100. The latter was a dull ship, and a long distance off,
though under all sail.
This weather division was intended to pass to windward of the Spanish
line.
About half-past two, the Excellent, having by a press of sail arrived
abreast of the Salvador del Mundo’s weather quarter, brought to, and
engaged her warmly, until the latter, ceasing to fire in return, and as
it appeared, striking her colors, the Excellent stood on to the next
ship, the San Ysidro, whose three top-masts had already been shot away.
This ship she closely engaged on the lee side, for some time, when the
San Ysidro, after a gallant defence, in his crippled state, hauled down
the Spanish, and hoisted the British flag.
The Excellent then made sail ahead, and soon came into close action
with the San Nicolas, 86, whose foremast was gone, and who, as well as
the ship abreast and rather ahead of her, to windward, the San Josef,
112, had been occasionally firing at the Captain, which we have seen so
busily engaged with others.
The Excellent, passing within a few feet of the San Nicolas’ starboard
side, poured in a destructive fire, and then stood on. The San Nicolas,
in luffing up to avoid Collingwood’s broadside, ran foul of the San
Josef, whose mizzen-mast was already shot away, and which had received
very considerable other damage from the fire of four English ships.
The Captain, as soon as the Excellent was sufficiently ahead of her to
be clear, luffed up as close to the wind as her shattered condition
would admit, when her fore-topmast, which had been shot through, fell
over the side. In this unmanageable state, with her wheel shot away,
and all her sails, shrouds and running rigging more or less cut,
with the Blenheim far ahead, and the Culloden crippled, astern, no
alternative remained but to board the San Nicolas. Previous to doing
this the Captain reopened her fire within less than twenty yards, and
the San Nicolas returned it, with great spirit, for some time. The
Captain then put her helm a starboard, and encountered the two Spanish
ships drifting down upon her. As the Captain came to, she hooked, with
her port cat-head, the San Nicolas’ starboard gallery, and with her
sprit-sail yard, the San Nicolas’ mizzen-rigging. What immediately
ensued is in Nelson’s own language.