SERVICE ABROAD--THE BALTIC
"Of Nelson and the North sing the day."
--_Campbell._
Europe was now engaged in a death struggle with her great foe who was
everywhere victorious. After the battle of Hohenlinden on December
3rd, 1800, Austria consented to peace with France, and England was
left without an ally. Paul, the half-mad emperor of Russia, had
quarrelled with her, partly on account of the ill-starred expedition
to Holland, partly because she would not give up to him the island of
Malta. Bonaparte, whose astute mind saw where advantage was to be
gained, promoted the quarrel, and in order to gain the czar's
friendship collected all the Russian prisoners in France, clothed
them, supplied them with muskets and sent them back to Russia. This
had the desired effect, and Paul, from an enemy, became for the time
a devoted friend to France.
As a first proof of his friendship he seized the English vessels in
his harbours, his excuse being that England had sent a fleet to
Copenhagen to oblige Denmark to acknowledge the navigation laws and
the right of search of neutral vessels.
In December, 1800, the Russian emperor {24} concluded a coalition or
alliance with Denmark and Sweden, to which Prussia afterwards
acceded. In consequence of this step, England put an embargo on the
vessels of the Baltic powers.
Bonaparte now had visions of a greater empire beyond Europe, and
secretly concerted with Russia for an expedition to India. In the
meantime, he hoped by commercial embarrassment, by the weight of
arms, and by the skilful management of the powers of Europe, to
overthrow England, his last and greatest enemy. He had reckoned
without Nelson.
In order to meet the dangers that threatened her on all sides, Great
Britain brought together the most powerful fleet she could collect in
the northern waters. There were eighteen sail of the line, besides
frigates, bombs, fire ships, etc., amounting in all to fifty-three
sail. On February 17th, 1801, Nelson received orders to place
himself under the command of Sir Hyde Parker, and to prepare for an
expedition against the combined Danish and Russian fleets in the
Baltic. It was Isaac Brock's good fortune to assist in this
memorable expedition, and he was placed second in command of the land
forces engaged.
Colonel, afterwards General, Sir William Stewart, second son of the
Earl of Galloway, was in chief command of the marines on this
occasion. It was another fortunate occurrence for Brock to be thus
associated with one of the most progressive soldiers {25} of the age.
Colonel Stewart had served in the West Indies in command of the 67th
Foot, and afterwards with the Austrian and Russian armies in the
campaign of 1799. On account of what he saw there of the rifle
shooting of the Croats and Tyrolese he organized a corps of riflemen
in the British army, afterwards known as the Rifle Brigade. Colonel
Stewart was much in advance of his times. He brought into the army
modern methods such as lectures and schools for the men,
classification in shooting, athletic exercises, and medals for good
conduct and valour. Nelson called him "the rising hope of our army."
His brother, Charles James Stewart, was the well-known and beloved
Bishop of Quebec.
[Sidenote: Sails to Elsinore]
Colonel Brock embarked at Portsmouth with his own regiment of about
seven hundred and sixty rank and file on board Nelson's squadron, and
sailed to Yarmouth Roads, where they joined the fleet under Sir Hyde
Parker. Nelson was anxious to proceed at once before the Danes would
have time to prepare for them, but there were many vexatious delays.
It was March 20th before the fleet anchored in the Kattegat, eighteen
miles from Elsinore, where the Sound narrows to three miles. The
Russian navy was divided, part being at Cronstadt and part hemmed in
by the ice at Revel.
The British fleet advanced very deliberately, a frigate being sent
ahead to land the British envoy, Mr. Vansittart, whose instructions
were to allow the Danes forty-eight hours to accept the demands {26}
of Great Britain and withdraw from the coalition. This delay annoyed
Nelson, who much preferred action to parley, and believed that delay
only gave advantages to the defence. "A fleet of British ships are
the best negotiators in Europe," he had written. "Strike quick and
home," was his motto. On the 23rd Vansittart returned with terms
rejected, and brought a report that the batteries at Elsinore and
Copenhagen were much stronger than they had been informed. So strong
did Vansittart think the defences, that he said if the fleet
proceeded to attack, it would be beaten. The numerous delays had
given the Danes time to line the shoals and harbours with a
formidable flotilla, and to stud the shores with batteries.
The attempt to take the place was nearly given up by Sir Hyde Parker,
but Nelson was determined to persevere, and prevailed upon his chief
to adopt his plan of action. Twelve ships of the line were given to
the daring admiral in addition to his smaller vessels--in all
thirty-three ships, while the rest of the fleet remained to the north
four miles away.
It was on March 30th, 1801, that Nelson's squadron came to anchor
between the island of Huen and Copenhagen. On the morning of April
2nd he shifted his flag from the _St. George_ to the _Elephant_,
placed his ships in order of battle and gave the signal to advance.
Then came a check. Two vessels, the _Bellona_ and _Russell_,
grounded, {27} and although they could use their guns, they were too
crippled to be of much use. Nelson's ship followed, and when he saw
them ground and realized that he had lost their support he hailed the
_Ganges_ on which was the 49th Regiment and told it to keep as close
as possible ahead of the _Elephant_. Colonel Brock was now ordered
to lead the 49th in storming the principal battery in conjunction
with five hundred seamen under Captain Freemantle of the _Ganges_, as
soon as the fire of seventy guns should be silenced.
[Sidenote: A narrow escape]
The Danes made a heroic defence, and the plan of assault with small
boats being impracticable, Brock and his men remained on board the
_Ganges_. Savery Brock was with him, and while in the act of
pointing one of the guns a grape shot tore his hat from his head and
threw him on his back. "Poor Savery is killed," his brother
exclaimed, but the apparently wounded youth jumped up, rubbed his
head, and fired the gun as if nothing had happened. In the early
part of the action, when it was expected that the 49th would land to
storm the batteries, Savery had announced his intention of going in
the boat with his brother, who, knowing the hopeless character of the
attempt to be made, insisted on his remaining on board, observing,
"Is it not enough that one brother should be killed?" The captain of
the _Ganges_ then gave Savery command of the gun and his narrow
escape put an end to the discussion,
{28}
With crippled ships and mangled crews Nelson fought on in spite of
the signal that came from Admiral Parker to leave off action.[1] In
heroic disobedience he still persevered until what might have been an
overwhelming disaster turned to victory. When the heavy fire south
of the three-crown battery had ceased, when most of the Danish
vessels were helpless hulks, four of them remained through which the
batteries and the British kept firing. The ships that had struck
were resisting the attempts of the British to board them, and it was
then that Nelson sent his famous message to the Crown Prince calling
upon him to surrender in the name of humanity. It was Brock's good
fortune to be near the admiral when he wrote it, and the lesson he
learned that day was one he remembered and acted on years afterwards
when he had to send a similar message to a beleaguered foe. The
message was:--"To the brothers of Englishmen, the Danes,--Lord Nelson
has directions to spare Denmark when no longer resisting; but if the
firing is continued on the part of Denmark, Lord Nelson will be
obliged to set on fire all the floating batteries he has taken,
without having the power of saving the brave Danes who have defended
them. (Signed) Nelson and Bronté."
{29}
It was in the preparation and despatch of this note that Nelson gave
another illustration, often quoted, of his cool consideration of all
the circumstances surrounding him, and of the politic regard for
effect which he ever observed in his official intercourse with men.
It was written by his own hand, a secretary copying as he wrote.
When finished the original was put into an envelope, which the
secretary was about to seal with a wafer, but this Nelson would not
permit, directing that taper and wax should be brought. The
messenger sent for these was killed. When this was reported to the
admiral, his only reply was, "Send another messenger"; and he waited
until the wax came and then saw that particular care was exercised to
make a full and perfect impression of the seal which bore his own
arms. Colonel Stewart said to him, "May I take the liberty of asking
why, under so hot a fire, and after so lamentable an accident, you
have attached so much importance to a circumstance so trifling?"
Nelson replied, "Had I made use of the wafer, it would still have
been wet when presented to the Crown Prince; he would have inferred
that the letter was sent off in a hurry, and that we had some very
pressing reasons for being in a hurry. The wax told no tales."[2]
A verbal message by his principal aide-de-camp was sent back by the
Crown Prince asking the particular object of sending the flag of
truce, to {30} which Nelson replied, "Lord Nelson's object in sending
on shore a flag of truce is humanity; he therefore consents that
hostilities shall cease till Lord Nelson can take his prisoners out
of the prizes, and he consents to land all the wounded Danes, and to
burn or remove his prizes." By this time the Crown Prince had sent
orders to the batteries to cease firing, so the battle ended, and
both sides hoisted flags of truce.
It was acknowledged by Nelson that his ships had suffered more than
in any other battle he had ever fought. His success, however, was
complete. Niebuhr, the Danish historian, wrote, "We cannot deny it,
we are quite beaten." As to the importance of the victory, by it the
great coalition of the northern powers was broken and Bonaparte once
more was foiled in his great game.
Unknown to the combatants at the time, however, was the death of the
chief supporter of the coalition--the Czar Paul. On the night of
March 24th he had been murdered, and his young son Alexander reigned
in his stead. This news did not reach Copenhagen until after the
armistice was signed.
[Sidenote: Treaty of Amiens]
In October of the same year preliminaries of peace were entered into
in London, and on March 27th, 1802, at Amiens, Great Britain, on the
one part, and France, Spain, and Holland on the other, concluded a
treaty of peace. The Marquis Cornwallis was the plenipotentiary for
England and {31} Joseph Bonaparte for France. By this treaty France
agreed to evacuate Naples and the states of the church; England on
her side gave up all her conquests during the war to the powers to
which they had formerly belonged, excepting the islands of Trinidad
and Ceylon. Egypt was restored to Turkey, the Cape of Good Hope to
Holland, and it was promised that within three months the English
should evacuate Malta, which was to be given back, under certain
conditions, to the Knights of St. John. After the victory of
Copenhagen, when the 49th returned to England, it was stationed for a
time at Colchester, and in the spring of 1802 was ordered to Canada
where it was destined to remain many years.
[1] When the signal came from Admiral Parker, Nelson said to his
captain, "You know Foley I have only one eye, I have a right to be
blind sometimes," and then putting the glass to his blind eye he
exclaimed, "I really do not see the signal." It was therefore not
repeated from his vessel and the action went on.
[2] "Life of Nelson," Mahan.
{33}