The Battle of the Nile
1798
_As long as Egypt’s pyramids shall stand,
Long as the Nile shall fertilize her land;
So long the voice of never-dying fame
Shall add to England’s glory Nelson’s name!_
W. T. FITZGERALD.
It is difficult for a landsman to appreciate the joy with which
Nelson’s captains, his “Band of Brothers,” as he called them, as
well as the men of lower rank, beheld the enemy moored in line of
battle parallel with the shore in Aboukir Bay on what might well be
termed “the glorious first of August.” They had been searching the
Mediterranean for long, weary weeks, anxious to try conclusions with
Napoleon’s fleet, but thwarted at every turn by lack of information. At
last they were face to face, led by an admiral of unequalled resolution
in whom they placed implicit confidence.
“The utmost joy,” says Berry,[26] “seemed to animate every breast on
board the Squadron, at sight of the Enemy; and the pleasure which the
Admiral himself felt, was perhaps more heightened than that of any
other man, as he had now a certainty by which he could regulate his
future operations. The Admiral had, and it appeared most justly, the
highest opinion of, and placed the firmest reliance on, the valour
and conduct of every Captain in his Squadron. It had been his practice
during the whole of the cruize, whenever the weather and circumstances
would permit, to have his Captains on board the _Vanguard_, where he
would fully develop to them his own ideas of the different and best
modes of attack, and such plans as he proposed to execute upon falling
in with the Enemy, whatever their position or situation might be, by
day or by night. There was no possible position in which they could
be found, that he did not take into his calculation, and for the most
advantageous attack of which he had not digested and arranged the
best possible disposition of the force which he commanded. With the
masterly ideas of their Admiral, therefore, on the subject of Naval
tactics, every one of the Captains of his Squadron was most thoroughly
acquainted; and upon surveying the situation of the Enemy, they could
ascertain with precision what were the ideas and intentions of their
Commander, without the aid of any further instructions; by which
means signals became almost unnecessary, much time was saved, and the
attention of every Captain could almost undistractedly be paid to
the conduct of his own particular Ship, a circumstance from which,
upon this occasion, the advantages to the general service were almost
incalculable.”
We must now try to understand the strength and position of the French
fleet. It consisted of thirteen line-of-battle ships, three carrying
eighty guns and one one hundred and twenty guns, and four frigates.
Napoleon, who was far away adding triumph to triumph, had left Admiral
Brueys with three alternative plans. He could enter the port of
Alexandria, Aboukir Roads, or sail for Corfu, leaving the transports at
Alexandria. Brueys soon found that the harbour scarcely held sufficient
water for the navigation of his largest ships. Once inside, it would
be next to impossible to get them out in front of a hostile fleet on
account of the narrow exit. He chose Aboukir Bay, in a position some
ten miles from the Rosetta mouth of the Nile. Here he anchored his
thirteen battle-ships, with great gaps between them, in a line roughly
parallel with the shore, and flanked by gunboats and frigates. His van
was placed as close to Aboukir Island as was practicable. Dr Fitchett
has rather overstated the case in saying that “a battery of mortars
on the island guarded, as with a sword of fire, the gap betwixt the
headmost ship and the island.”[27] In another place he also refers
to the head of the French line being “protected by a powerful shore
battery.”[28] There were certainly a few guns, but “a sword of fire”
suggests a heavy armament, and Napoleon had occasion later to severely
criticise the Admiral’s arrangement in this matter.[29] Brueys was ill,
his marines had almost got out of hand, many of the sailors were raw
recruits, and subversive of discipline, and some of the vessels were
scarcely seaworthy. In tonnage and guns the French had the advantage,
in _morale_ and fighting capacity, the British were first.
Nelson determined to sail between Brueys’ line and the shallows. Five
British ships, led by the _Goliath_, crossed the bows of the first ship
of the French van, inshore of the enemy’s line, and anchored abreast of
one of the Frenchmen, while three more, including Nelson’s _Vanguard_,
stationed themselves on the outer side. Some of the captains for
various reasons were unable to take up their correct fighting
positions, the _Culloden_, for instance, struck a shoal and took no
part in the battle. The enemy’s van was surrounded and conquered;
the centre became engaged; the rear alone escaped, Villeneuve, its
commander, making off with two battleships and two frigates without
attempting to fight.
“The actions,” Captain Berry relates, “commenced at sunset, which was
at thirty-one minutes past six, p.m., with an ardour and vigour which
it is impossible to describe. At about seven o’clock total darkness
had come on, but the whole hemisphere was, with intervals, illuminated
by the fire of the hostile Fleets. Our Ships, when darkness came on,
had all hoisted their distinguishing lights, by a signal from the
Admiral. The Van ship of the Enemy, _Le Guerrier_, was dismasted in
less than twelve minutes, and, in ten minutes after, the second ship,
_Le Conquérant_, and the third, _Le Spartiate_, very nearly at the same
moment were almost dismasted. _L’Aquilon_ and _Le Peuple Souverain_,
the fourth and fifth Ships of the Enemy’s line, were taken possession
of by the British at half-past eight in the evening. Captain Berry,
at that hour, sent Lieutenant Galwey, of the _Vanguard_, with a party
of marines, to take possession of _Le Spartiate_, and that officer
returned by the boat, the French Captain’s sword, which Captain
Berry immediately delivered to the Admiral, who was then below, in
consequence of the severe wound which he had received in the head
during the heat of the attack. At this time it appeared that victory
had already declared itself in our favour, for, although _L’Orient_,
_L’Heureux_, and _Tonnant_ were not taken possession of, they were
considered as completely in our power, which pleasing intelligence
Captain Berry had likewise the satisfaction of communicating in person
to the Admiral. At ten minutes after ten, a fire was observed on board
_L’Orient_, the French Admiral’s Ship, which seemed to proceed from
the after part of the cabin, and which increased with great rapidity,
presently involving the whole of the after part of the Ship in flames.
This circumstance Captain Berry immediately communicated to the
Admiral, who, though suffering severely from his wound, came up upon
deck, where the first consideration that struck his mind was concern
for the danger of so many lives, to save as many as possible of whom he
ordered Captain Berry to make every practicable exertion. A boat, the
only one that could swim, was instantly dispatched from the _Vanguard_,
and other Ships that were in a condition to do so, immediately followed
the example; by which means, from the best possible information, the
lives of about seventy Frenchmen were saved.[30] The light thrown by
the fire of _L’Orient_ upon the surrounding objects, enabled us to
perceive with more certainty the situation of the two Fleets, the
colours of both being clearly distinguishable. The cannonading was
partially kept up to leeward of the Centre till about ten o’clock, when
_L’Orient_ blew up with a most tremendous explosion. An awful pause and
death-like silence for about three minutes ensued, when the wreck of
the masts, yards, etc., which had been carried to a vast height, fell
down into the water, and on board the surrounding Ships. A port fire
from _L’Orient_ fell into the main royal of the _Alexander_, the fire
occasioned by which was, however, extinguished in about two minutes, by
the active exertions of Captain Ball.
[Illustration: “The flame that lit the battle’s wreck”
Charles Dixon, R.I., from a sketch by C. W. Cole]
“After this awful scene, the firing was recommenced with the Ships to
leeward of the Centre, till twenty minutes past ten, when there was a
total cessation of firing for about ten minutes; after which it was
revived till about three in the morning, when it again ceased. After
the victory had been secured in the Van, such British ships as were in
a condition to move, had gone down upon the fresh Ships of the Enemy,
which occasioned these renewals of the fight, all of which terminated
with the same happy success in favour of our Flag. At five minutes past
five in the morning, the two Rear ships of the Enemy, _Le Guillaume
Tell_ and _Le Généreux_, were the only French ships of the Line that
had their colours flying. At fifty-four minutes past five, a French
frigate, _L’Artemise_, fired a broadside and struck her colours; but
such was the unwarrantable and infamous conduct of the French Captain,
that after having thus surrendered, he set fire to his Ship, and with
part of his crew, made his escape on shore. Another of the French
frigates, _La Sérieuse_, had been sunk by the fire from some of our
Ships; but as her poop remained above water, her men were saved upon
it, and were taken off by our boats in the morning. The _Bellerophon_,
whose masts and cables had been entirely shot away, could not retain
her situation abreast of _L’Orient_, but had drifted out of the line
to the lee side of the Bay, a little before that Ship blew up. The
_Audacious_ was in the morning detached to her assistance. At eleven
o’clock, _Le Généreux_ and _Guillaume Tell_, with the two frigates, _La
Justice_ and _La Diane_, cut their cables and stood out to sea, pursued
by the _Zealous_, Captain Hood, who, as the Admiral himself has stated,
handsomely endeavoured to prevent their escape; but as there was no
other Ship in a condition to support the _Zealous_, she was recalled.
The whole day of the 2nd was employed in securing the French ships
that had struck, and which were now all completely in our possession,
_Le Tonnant_ and _Timoleon_ excepted; as these were both dismasted,
and consequently could not escape, they were naturally the last of
which we thought of taking possession. On the morning of the third,
the _Timoleon_ was set fire to, and _Le Tonnant_ had cut her cable
and drifted on shore, but that active officer, Captain Miller, of the
_Theseus_, soon got her off again, and secured her in the British line.”
It was a decisive victory, the only kind of victory that appealed to
Nelson, who styled it a “conquest.” Of the thirteen French battleships,
nine were taken, one was blown up, one was burnt, and two escaped;
one frigate sank, another was destroyed by fire, and two got away.
Napoleon had been deprived of his only means of communication with
France. Thus the sea swallowed his triumphs. From a political point
of view the battle of the Nile paved the way for the formation of the
Second Coalition against France, in which six Powers took part, namely,
England, Russia, Austria, Turkey, Naples, and Portugal.
Nelson received his wound by being struck in the forehead by a piece
of iron. The skin was torn so badly that it hung over his face, the
blood streaming down with such profusion that he was afraid his left
eye had gone like the right. “I am killed”; he cried to Captain Berry,
“remember me to my wife.” But the Admiral had been “killed” in battle
before, and the intense pain of the wound sufficiently justified the
exclamation. He was carried to the cockpit, the cut bound up, and
strict quiet enjoined. This was easier said than done with a patient
such as Nelson. His abnormal mentality speedily gained ascendancy over
his physical infirmities. He soon declared that he felt better, and
shortly afterwards had so far recovered as to begin a dictated despatch
to the Admiralty. On the Captain informing him that _L’Orient_ was
ablaze he insisted on clambering to the deck, as we have seen. Berry
gave him his arm, and together they witnessed the disaster. Nelson was
certainly more fortunate than Brueys, who was shot almost in two.
On the 2nd August the Admiral returned Public Thanksgiving on the
_Vanguard_, an example he desired to be followed on every ship “as
soon as convenient.” He also took the opportunity to thank the men of
the squadron for the part they had played in the late action: “It must
strike forcibly every British Seaman, how superior their conduct is,
when in discipline and good order, to the riotous behaviour of lawless
Frenchmen.”
In those days precedent was a fetish. To depart from what had
previously obtained was not to be thought of, much less suggested.
For this reason Nelson was created a Baron, the lowest rank in the
peerage, but the highest that had been conferred “on an officer of your
standing,” as he was informed. In addition he was voted a pension of
£2000 a year, which was also to be paid to his two next heirs.
Mention of the “great and brilliant Victory” was made in the King’s
Speech at the opening of Parliament, its organiser received the thanks
of both Houses, as well as of the Parliament of Ireland, and many
foreign potentates and British Corporations paid him honour. Among
the numerous presents he received were two boxes set with diamonds, a
superb diamond aigrette, a gold-headed cane, pieces of valuable plate,
and a coffin. The latter, made of wood and iron from the ill-fated
_L’Orient_, was sent to him by Captain Hallowell. By a strange
coincidence Thanksgiving services were held in the churches of the
United Kingdom on the 21st October, a date ever associated with Nelson,
because of Trafalgar. It may be thought that there was unnecessary
delay, but it must be remembered that the wonders of telegraphy were
then undreamed of. News of the victory was not received in London
until the fifty-seventh day after the event. “God be praised,” writes
the Earl of St Vincent, “and you and your gallant band rewarded by a
grateful Country, for the greatest Achievement the history of the world
can produce.” Perhaps this noble sentiment from the Commander-in-chief
was valued above the insignificant rewards of the Government.
To “Fighting” Berry Nelson entrusted the charge of his despatches for
the Admiral, for which purpose he was given the _Leander_ (50). With
grim irony Fate played a trick entirely unworthy so gallant an officer.
On the 18th August, off Gozo, near Candia, the _Généreux_, which
it will be remembered escaped from Nelson’s vengeance at the Nile,
appeared on the horizon. The frigate attempted to show “a clean pair of
heels,” but recognising that the enemy was gaining in the race, sail
was shortened and the decks cleared for action. The brave defenders of
the _Leander_ resisted manfully for over six hours until the mastless,
rudderless hulk could be fought no longer. Berry, who was wounded,
together with the officers and crew were landed at Corfu and thence
sent to Trieste, where the officers were released on _parole_, and
the crew kept prisoners. On being exchanged, the captain received the
honour of knighthood, a reward richly deserved and valiantly won. Berry
got even with the French after all, for in 1799 he turned the tables
on the victors by capturing the _Généreux_ with Nelson’s flagship, the
_Foudroyant_.
Captain Sir James Saumarez, with twelve ships of the squadron, was
directed to convoy the best of the prizes to Gibraltar, the remainder,
being valueless, were set on fire. Hood was called upon to blockade
Alexandria, and two of the battleships were sent to Naples for very
necessary repairs. To this port the _Vanguard_ laboriously followed.
Nelson was “taken with a fever, which has very near done my business:
for eighteen hours, my life was thought to be past hope; I am now
up, but very weak both in body and mind, from my cough and this
fever.” This was on the 20th September, two days before “the wreck of
_Vanguard_ arrived in the Bay of Naples.” The occasion was one of great
rejoicing on the part of the Sicilian Court. Miss Knight, the daughter
of Rear-Admiral Sir Joseph Knight, who was present, thus records the
events of the 22nd inst.:
“In the evening, went out with Sir William and Lady Hamilton, music,
&c., to meet Admiral Nelson, who in the _Vanguard_, with the _Thalia_
Frigate (Captain Newhouse) was seen coming in. We went on board, about
a league out at sea, and sailed in with him: soon after us, the King
came on board, and staid till the anchor was dropped. He embraced the
Admiral with the greatest warmth, and said he wished he could have
been in the engagement,[31] and served under his orders; and that he
likewise wished he could have been in England, when the news of the
victory arrived there. He went down to see the Ship, and was delighted
to perceive the care taken of a wounded man, who had two to serve
him, and one reading to him. He asked to see the hat which saved the
Admiral’s life, when he was wounded in the head with a splinter. The
Queen was taken with a fit of the ague when she was coming on board
with the Princesses. Commodore Caraccioli came soon after the King, and
many of the Neapolitan nobility, bands of music, &c. It happened to be
the anniversary of our King’s coronation. The Admiral came on shore
with us, and said, it was the first time he had been out of his Ship
for six months, except once on board Lord St Vincent.[32] The Russian
Ambassador and all the Legation came out to meet him. When we landed at
the Health Office, the applauses and the crowd of people were beyond
description. Admiral Nelson is little, and not remarkable in his person
either way; but he has great animation of countenance, and activity
in his appearance: his manners are unaffectedly simple and modest.
He lodges at Sir William Hamilton’s, who has given him the upper
apartment. The whole City is mad with joy.”
There was indeed every reason for this jubilation. A starless night
seemed about to give place to a golden dawn. Towards the end of 1796
Napoleon’s astounding successes had obliged Ferdinand, King of the Two
Sicilies, to agree to terms of peace, especially as the English had
decided to evacuate the Mediterranean.[33] The situation became more
and more ominous. Consequently when Queen Maria Carolina, Ferdinand’s
energetic consort, heard that the King of Spain was about to ally
himself to the hated Republic, she speedily informed Sir William
Hamilton, the English Ambassador.[34] She realised that the hope of the
kingdom depended not in half-measures of friendship towards England,
but in securing her definite assistance and casting off the French
yoke. Hamilton in his turn warned his Government of the proposed
arrangement, which seemed likely to have far-reaching consequences and
to threaten England in the Mediterranean. Her Majesty also kept up
a secret correspondence with London. She was therefore particularly
relieved when information arrived that the protection of the Two
Sicilies against potential French despoilers was to be entrusted to the
Hero of the Nile.