BATTLE OF ST. VINCENT
The French, everywhere victors on land, now made an alliance with
Spain, with the help of whose large navy they hoped to be able to
beat the British at sea.
At Toulon a powerful squadron was being made ready. Genoa signed a
treaty with the all-conquering Frenchmen, who were now so powerful
that the British fleet was for a time forced to leave the
Mediterranean. Bastia was abandoned; the Island of Elba was kept for
a short time, but even Elba had to be given up after a little.
Before this took place, however, Nelson had a sharp action while on
the frigate _Minerve_, which showed that our sailors were still what
he declared they always ought to be, "almost invincible."
The _Minerve_, after a hot fight, captured the Spanish frigate _La
Sabina_, whose captain, Don Jacobo Stuart, a descendant of the
unlucky royal house of Britain, was taken prisoner.
While the _Minerve_ was taking possession of her prize, two ships of
the line and another Spanish frigate came in sight. A sharp chase
followed, and the little _Minerve_, her masts and sails damaged
during her late fight, was hard put to it before she could shake off
her pursuers and reach a place of safety in the port of Ferrajo.
Don Jacobo had remained a prisoner on board during the pursuit; but
no sooner was the _Minerve_ safe than Nelson returned him his sword
and sent him back under a flag of truce to Spain. Such a generous
deed was contrary to the usual custom of war, but Nelson felt it to
be worthy of "the dignity of his country" to treat one of their
exiled royal family with this respect. The Stuarts all were brave
men, whatever their faults, and this Stuart was no exception.
"He was the best officer in Spain, and his men were worthy of such a
commander," said Nelson, who always honoured a brave man even though
he was an enemy.
Nelson received much praise for this brilliant little action and
"dignified retreat," as the admiral called it, before a much larger
force of the enemy. It was the first sign of more brilliant
victories to follow.
Shortly afterwards the _Minerve_ had another exciting escape from the
enemy.
Slipping out of Gibraltar in order to join Jervis and his ships, the
little vessel was espied by the whole Spanish fleet, which quickly
started off in pursuit. They gained fast; one huge ship was already
quite close, and Nelson, fairly brought to bay, had already given the
order to "clear for action."
"Before the Dons get hold of that bit of bunting I will have a
struggle with them," he said, pointing to his flag; "and sooner than
give up the frigate I'll run her ashore."
At this anxious moment a shout of "Man overboard" was heard, and
Lieutenant Hardy, in whose arms Nelson died at Trafalgar, on the
instant lowered a boat and started to save the drowning seaman. Soon
those on the _Minerve_ saw that the boat, which had by this time
picked up the sailor, could not regain the frigate, try as hard as
they might.
The leading Spaniard was already within gun-shot; to stop meant
almost certain loss of the ship. Nelson's mind was made up on the
instant; come what might, he would not desert a shipmate in danger.
"By God, I'll not lose Hardy!" he shouted; "back the mizzen topsail!"
The order was quickly obeyed; the frigate slowed down in face of her
pursuers. The Spaniards, astonished at this daring act, for some
strange reason failed to press on, and the _Minerve_, with Hardy and
the rescuing party safe on board, went on her way unharmed.
That same night, in a haze, the little frigate, which seemed to bear
a charmed life, had an even more thrilling and mysterious adventure.
Suddenly she found herself sailing in the very midst of a large
fleet, which they knew could not be that of Jervis. Partly hidden by
the fog, Nelson continued on his way, obeying the Spanish admiral's
signals, and behaving just as though the _Minerve_ were one of the
enemy's frigates.
It was a time of breathless excitement. Should the fog lift, and the
enemy discover the strange ship in their midst, Nelson knew that he
would have no mercy shown him and no chance of escape.
Whether he was with the Spanish main fleet or only a portion of it he
had no means in the darkness of finding out. He himself thought that
he was in company with a squadron on its way to the West Indies. In
this case his mind was made up; unprepared as the _Minerve_ was for
such a long voyage, she would have to sail at her best speed, ahead
of the enemy, and trust to reach the islands in time to warn them to
be ready to meet an attack.
The suspense was growing greater every minute, with the prospect of
dawn and the mist clearing. Suddenly the ships went about and
pointed towards Cadiz: the Indies was not their object.
Nelson, now satisfied that he had been sailing in the very middle of
the Spanish Grand Fleet, turned and rejoined Jervis; and at seven
that evening he went on board his own ship, the _Captain_.
All night the ships sailed in close order prepared for action, our
sailors standing to their guns. At daybreak next morning the enemy
were in sight, their twenty-seven ships of the line advancing in
straggling array.
They were divided in squadrons, six ships in the lee division, the
main body of twenty-one sail being in the weather division. Three
ships from the larger division, however, quickly crossed over before
the British could get near enough to engage them, and joined the
leeward squadron.
The British were at first sailing in two columns, "line ahead," a
half-dozen of their faster ships pressing on under full canvas to cut
in between the gradually widening gap in the enemy's divisions.
Before the Spaniards had time to form a regular order of battle, and
while they were still in confusion, Jervis had split their force in
two. He was thus able to fling his whole fighting force on the
larger Spanish squadron, before their friends to leeward could come
to their aid. When they attempted to do so they were beaten back,
after some rough handling.
Nelson, who was in the rear of the British line, now saw that the
enemy's leading ships of the weather division were bearing up before
the wind, and would in a short time either pass behind the British
rear and join the lee division, or else avoid the fight by sailing
away before the wind.
In a moment, and without orders, he made up his mind to spoil the
foeman's plan. Giving orders to "wear ship," he turned and threw
himself on the enemy's van.
He had disobeyed the admiral's orders, but the Spanish admiral's
plans had been prevented. The Dons were brought to bay by one ship;
it only remained for the other British vessels to hasten up and
complete the enemy's ruin.
From the rear on the starboard tack the _Captain_ now took the lead
on the larboard, and single-handed she at first engaged the foe.
The _Culloden_, _Blenheim_, and the _Excellent_--the latter under the
command of Collingwood--were the first to arrive and bring help to
the Captain in her gallant fight against such odds.
When Collingwood, to use Nelson's own words, "disdaining the parade
of taking possession of beaten enemies, with every sail set, pushed
up to save his old messmate," Nelson's gallant vessel had suffered
severely.
She had lost her fore-topmast, not a sail, shroud, or rope was left,
her wheel was shot away.
Thus, unfit for further service in the line, and unable to pursue,
there was only one thing left; and, putting her helm a-starboard,
Nelson gave the order so dear to a British seaman, "Out cutlasses,
and board!"
First into the _San Nicholas_ the boarders leapt. Captain Miller had
started to lead his men. "No, Miller, I must have that honour!" said
Nelson, slipping in front of his junior officer, and heading the
attack in person.
Many of our sailors, climbing to the yards which were locked in the
Spaniard's main-rigging, dropped down on deck from above. The foe
could not resist their furious charge--our seamen swept the decks.
The enemy were driven below; such as still remained yielded, and the
officers gave up their swords.
Leaving some men to guard the _San Nicholas_, Nelson now turned to
the _San Josef_, lying alongside. Again the order to board was
given, Nelson, with a shout of "Westminster Abbey, or victory!"
leading the way.
Berry, the first man to get on the _San Nicholas_, was again in
front, and with his own hand helped Nelson into the main-chains.
Hardly had they reached the deck before the Spaniards surrendered.
Nelson receiving their swords himself, and coolly handing them over
to one of the old Agamemnon's crew, who had stuck by his side while
the fight lasted.
[Illustration: Berry helped Nelson into the main chains of the San
Josef]
When the _Victory_, the admiral's flagship, passed a few moments
later, both of the Spanish ships of the line had struck their flags
to Nelson.
Cheer after cheer rose from the _Victory_, and the ringing huzzas
were taken up by the whole fleet.
"_Nothing in the world was ever more noble than the action of the
_Captain_ from beginning to end._" So wrote Sir Gilbert Elliot, who
was with the fleet during the fight.
At 4 p.m. the orders to cease fighting, and to cover the four prizes
and the crippled _Captain_, were given. The defeated enemy sailed
away, and Nelson went on board the flagship. There Sir John Jervis
met him on the quarter-deck, and, taking him in his arms, told Nelson
he scarcely knew how to thank him.
On Captain Calder saying that the _Captain's_ wearing out of the
line--which really won the battle--was an act of disobedience, the
admiral replied, "It certainly was so; and if ever you commit such a
breach of orders I shall forgive you also."
For this brilliant victory Jervis was made a peer, with the title of
Lord St. Vincent. Nelson was offered a baronetcy, which he was too
poor to accept, so he was made instead a Knight of the Garter.
Jervis made him a present which he valued highly--the sword of the
Spanish rear-admiral. This gift he sent to the city of Norwich,
saying that "he knew no place where it would give him or his family
more pleasure to have it kept than in the chief city of the county
where he was born."
His father wrote that "tears of joy had trickled down his aged
cheeks" to read of his son's bravery. "The name and services of
Nelson have sounded from the common ballad-singer to the public
theatre," he added.
The _Captain_ had been so knocked about in the battle as to be of no
further use, so Sir Horatio, now a Rear-Admiral of the Blue, shifted
his flag to the _Theseus_, a fine ship which had just come from
England.
On Nelson's first going to the Theseus there was some doubt how the
crew would behave. There had lately been a mutiny in England among
the sailors, in which the Theseus had taken part. Nelson was so
beloved that it was felt he was the captain to take command of
discontented men.
His tact and kindness, as well as his bravery and renown, won the day.
Very soon after he came on board he received a packet which was
dropped one night on the deck, and which enclosed a paper signed by
the whole crew, containing these words:--
"Success attend Admiral Nelson! God bless Captain Miller! We thank
them for the officers they have placed over us. We are happy and
comfortable; and will shed every drop of blood in our veins to
support them."
The paper ended by promising that the name of the _Theseus_ should be
as famous as that of her captain; and the brave sailors kept their
word, nor did they ever give trouble by their conduct.
Sir Horatio was now put in command of an in-shore squadron, which had
orders to blockade Cadiz. There was a lot of work in small boats,
and some fierce fights took place between the little craft on both
sides.
At no time in his life was Nelson's bravery greater than in these
hand-to-hand conflicts. The danger suited him, for he loved fighting
for fighting's sake. Once his barge was boarded by a number of
Spaniards, and in the hand-to-hand struggle John Sykes, his faithful
coxswain, twice at great risk saved his admiral's life.
During the blockade news came that the Spanish treasure-ships from
Mexico had heard that Lord St. Vincent was in wait for them, and had
taken refuge at Teneriffe. This was found to be untrue, but a
homeward-bound Manilla ship had put into Santa Cruz, and Nelson was
told to command an assault on the town, and secure the treasure.
The attack was beaten back, though Nelson and his men fought with
splendid bravery.
Nelson, while leading the force, was struck in the right arm by a
grape-shot. His step-son, Josiah Nisbet, into whose arms he had
fallen, with great skill and coolness bound the wound; otherwise he
must have bled to death.
Returning to the ship, the wounded admiral refused all help, and,
steadying himself with one hand, jumped up the ship's side. Arrived
on deck, he called for the surgeon, and quietly told him "to get his
instruments ready, for he knew he must lose his arm, and that the
sooner it was off the better."
He bore the operation without a murmur, and never even mentioned his
own wound in his despatches home. What he minded more was the
failure of the attack; and what with fretting over this, and the pain
of his wound, he became very ill.
"I am become," he said, "a burthen to my friends, and useless to my
country." To Lord St. Vincent he wrote: "I hope you will be able to
give me a frigate to convey the remains of my carcass to England: a
left-handed admiral will never again be considered as useful."
When he reached home, Nelson was greatly cheered by the splendid
welcome he got. The freedom of the cities of London and Bristol was
given to him, while the king received him most graciously, and
decorated him with the Order of the Bath, besides giving him a
pension of £1000 a year.
After a time the wound which had caused him so much suffering healed,
and Nelson wrote to a London clergyman, begging him to announce in
church the next Sunday: "An officer desires to return thanks to
Almighty God for his perfect recovery from a severe wound, and also
for many mercies bestowed upon him."
As soon as he was well he was given the command of the _Vanguard_, 74
guns, in which he sailed to join the squadron off Cadiz. "I do
assure you that the arrival of Admiral Nelson has given me new life,"
wrote St. Vincent, who, now an old man and in failing health,
joyfully welcomed the return of the brilliant seaman he so trusted
and admired.