"After lying at Naples for a long time, Lord Keith came out and took the
chief command, and we sailed with a squadron for Malta. On our way we
fell in with a French fleet, the biggest ship of which was the
`Genereux,' one of the line-of-battle ships which had escaped from the
Nile. We captured her and a frigate, and not long afterwards the
`Guillaume Tell,' the other line-of-battle ship, after in vain
attempting to escape from Valetta harbour, surrendered to us; and thus
every ship of the fleet which had escorted Bonaparte to Egypt was
captured, except, I fancy, one frigate.
"At last we went into Leghorn Roads, and after some time Lord Nelson and
Sir William and Lady Hamilton, and other people who had been on board,
landed, and travelled through Germany towards England. I have heard say
that he was more than once very nearly caught by the French during the
journey through Italy. What a prize he would have been to them. I
remained in the `Foudroyant' for some time. We all missed the admiral,
and hoped that he would come out again, and hoist his flag on board his
old ship. Whatever ship he went to it was the same, the men loved him,
and would have done anything for him. At last I was sent home in a
prize, and was paid off. As the admiral was taking a spell on shore, I
thought I would take one too, and enjoy myself. I spent some time with
my old mother; but one night, going down to see an old shipmate who was
ill at a public-house near Deal, I found myself in the hands of a
press-gang, and carried aboard the `Elephant,' Captain Foley. I had
made up my mind to belong to the flag-ship of Admiral Nelson, whatever
she might be. Still, it couldn't be helped, and, of course, I
determined to do my duty. I there learned that Captain Hardy had
commissioned the `Saint George,' of 98 guns, and that it was supposed
Lord Nelson would hoist his flag on board her. This he shortly
afterwards did, and it was some consolation, when we sailed for Yarmouth
Roads, off the Norfolk coast, to join him. It was soon whispered about
that there was work for us to do, and we guessed that there was truth in
the report when the fleet was ordered away up the Baltic. This was in
1801; a long time ago it seems. You see that Russia, and Sweden, and
Denmark were all going to join against us to help the French; and as the
Danes had a fine fleet, it was necessary to destroy or capture it, to
prevent it doing us mischief. We therefore sent to tell the Danes that
they must give it up and be friends, or that we would knock their city
about their ears, and sink their ships. They dared us do our worst.
They ought to have known what Lord Nelson was likely to do; but you must
understand that Sir Hyde Parker was commander-in-chief--he was only
second in command. A great deal of time was lost in diplomatising, and
all that time the Danes were preparing their ships and batteries to
receive us. If you take a look at a chart of the mouth of the Baltic,
you will see what numbers of shoals, and small islands, and narrow
channels there are about Copenhagen. Fortunately one of our captains,
Captain Dommet, knew the coast, and he persuaded Sir Hyde Parker only to
let the lighter ships go up to the attack. The `Saint George' drew too
much water, and, fortunately for us, Lord Nelson chose our ship to hoist
his flag on board. Didn't we cheer him as he came alongside.
Copenhagen stands on a dead flat facing the sea; it is defended by a
large fort and two heavy batteries, thrown up on rocks or sandbanks.
Besides these there was the Danish fleet drawn up in a long line before
the city, and eighteen floating batteries, mounting no less than 690
guns. Some way off, in front of the city, is a shoal called the Middle
Ground, and then another channel, and then comes the long island of
Saltholm. On the last day of March we entered the channel between the
Swedish and Danish coasts, having the castle of Helsingburg on one side
and that of Elsinore on the other, and on we sailed in front of the city
till we came to an anchor off the island of Arnak. Sir Hyde Parker
remained near the mouth of the channel with the heavier ships, so that
Lord Nelson had the lighter ones all to himself, while the brave Captain
Riou commanded the frigates. All the night was spent in preparing for
battle, and Captain Hardy was employed in sounding the channel, through
which we were to pass to the attack. He even reached in the darkness
close up to one of the Danish ships, and sounded round her. There was
the whole squadron anchored so close in with the Danish shore, that had
our enemies known the range they might have done us much mischief. Lord
Nelson spent the chief part of the night dictating orders to his clerks,
to send round to his captains to tell them what to do. At last the
morning broke, and, with a fair wind, the `Edgar' leading under a press
of sail, the fleet stood down the Danish line, and took up their
positions as arranged, the brave Captain Riou and his frigates being
opposed to the Crown Battery, at the further end. With a groan, we who
once belonged to her saw the old `Agamemnon' take the ground on the
shoal I have spoken of; the `Bellona' and `Russel' touched also, but
sufficiently within range to take part in the battle. Soon after ten
the `Edgar' began the action, and one, by one, as the other ships
slipped from their anchors, and following at intervals, took up their
position, they also commenced firing. The commander-in-chief, Sir Hyde
Parker, was away on our right, you'll understand, with the bigger ships,
and from the way the wind was he could not have come up to help us.
Now, along the whole line the action became general. Opposed to us
there were the forts and the floating batteries, and the Danish ships of
war, all blazing away together; and many of them had furnaces for
heating red-hot shot, which several times nearly set our ships on fire.
No men ever fought better than the Danes, and several times when we had
killed or wounded all the defenders of a battery, their places were
supplied by fresh hands from the shore, who worked away at their guns as
bravely as the first, till they, poor fellows, were shot down. More
than once the ships of the enemy had hauled down their flags, and when
we were going to take possession again opened fire on us. This enraged
us, as you may suppose; but we cut them up terribly, and many of their
ships and floating batteries were sinking or on fire. For three hours
or more we were at it, pounding away without being able to silence them.
They were cutting us up too, let me tell you, riddling our hull, and
round-shot, and red-hot shot, and chain-shot, and bar shot flying
around, about, and through us. It seemed a wonder that a man was left
alive on our decks. Lord Nelson kept pacing the quarterdeck, watching
everything that was going on. A young Danish officer had got a big
raft, with a breastwork mounting some twenty guns, and in spite of our
marines, who kept up a sharp fire on him, he held his post till the
battle was over. The admiral praised him for his gallantry, and, I
believe, would have been very sorry if he had been killed, much as he
was annoying us. A shot now struck our mainmast, sending the splinters
flying on every side. I saw the admiral smile. `This is hot work,' he
observed to one of the officers; `in another moment not one of as may be
alive, but, mark you, I would not be anywhere else for thousands.' It's
my opinion that most men would have thought we were getting the worst of
it; and if we hadn't had Lord Nelson for our chief, we should have
thought so likewise.
"Sir Hyde Parker's flag-ship was near enough for us to make out his
signals. It was reported that the signal for discontinuing the action
had been made. `Acknowledge it!' cried Lord Nelson. `Is our signal for
close action still hoisted?' `Yes, sir,' was the answer. `Then keep it
so,' he replied. Soon afterwards he put his glass up to his blind eye,
and turning to Captain Foley, he exclaimed, `I have a right to be blind
sometimes, and really I don't see the signal. Never mind it, I say,
nail mine to the mast.' Admiral Graves in like manner disobeyed the
order, and the rest of the squadron, looking only to Lord Nelson,
continued the action.
"I was telling you about the brave Captain Riou and his frigates. The
`Amazon,' his ship, had suffered much, and was so surrounded by smoke
that he could see nothing of the batteries to which he was opposed. He
ordered, therefore, his men to cease firing to let the smoke clear off,
that they might see what they were about. This allowed the Danes to
take better aim at them, and so tremendous was the fire opened on them
that there seemed every chance of the frigates being sent to the bottom.
Just then, Sir Hyde Parker's signal was seen flying. Captain Riou
judged that he ought to obey it. He had already been badly wounded in
the head by a splinter. `What will Nelson think of us?' he exclaimed,
mournfully, as the frigate wore round. Just then his clerk was killed
by his side, and directly afterwards another shot struck down some
marines who were hauling in the main-brace. It seemed as if not a man
on board could escape, `Come, then, my boys,' exclaimed their brave
Captain Riou, `let us all die together!' They were the last words he
ever spoke. The next moment a shot cut him in two. There was not a
more gallant officer, or one the men loved better, in the service.
"Well, as I was saying, on we went at it for four long hours. In spite
of the shot, and bullets, and splinters flying about on every side, I
had not had a scratch. Several poor fellows had been struck down close
to me. I cannot say that I thought that I should not be hit, because
the truth is I did not think about the matter. I went on working at my
gun like the rest, only just trying how fast we could fire, and how we
could do most damage to the enemy. That's the way to gain the victory;
it does not do to think of anything else. At last I felt a blow as if
some one had struck me on the side, and down I went. My trousers and
belt were singed and torn, and the blood started from my side; but I
bound my handkerchief over the wound, and in a little time got up and
went back to my gun, and there I stayed till the fighting was done, and
then I let them carry me below to the cockpit, for walk by myself I
could not.
"Some of our ships suffered dreadfully. The `Monarch' lost two hundred
and ten men, the `Isis' a hundred and ten, and the `Bellona'
seventy-five, and all the other ships great numbers. At last, however,
the Danes could stand it no longer, and ship after ship struck; but
still the shore batteries kept firing on, and killed great numbers of
men on board the prizes. One of their ships, the `Danbrog,' after she
had struck and was in flames, fired on our boats. Notwithstanding this,
when she was seen drifting away before the wind, the fire gaining on
her, Captain Bertie, of the `Ardent,' sent his boats to the assistance
of the poor fellows as they leaped out of the ports to escape the
flames. At last Lord Nelson, wishing to put a stop to the carnage,
wrote to the Crown Prince, the Danish commander, saying if he did not
cease firing he must burn the prizes. A wafer was brought him. `That
will not do,' said he, `we must not appear in a hurry; bring a candle
and sealing-wax.' Captain Sir Frederick Thesiger, with a flag of truce,
took the letter, and after some time the Danes sent one in return to
arrange what was to be done, and the battle of Copenhagen, for so it was
called, was over.
"While negotiations were going on, Lord Nelson ordered the ships to take
advantage of a fair wind, and to start out of the narrow channels. As
we in the `Elephant' were going out we grounded, as did the `Defiance,'
about a mile from the Trekroner battery, and there we remained for many
hours. At last, however, we got off. We had to burn all our prizes
except one ship, the `Holstein,' 64, which was sent home. The next day
Lord Nelson went on shore to visit the prince, and settle matters. He
was received with great respect, and he told the Danes that he had never
had a braver enemy, or known men fight better than they had done, and
that now he hoped that they would all be friends again for ever after.
Lord Nelson now returned to the `Saint George,' and the fleet sailed to
the eastward to look after the Swedes. We were off Bornholm, but the
`Saint George' could not get through a shallow channel which had to be
passed, and was some twelve leagues astern of us. Every minute we
expected to be engaged with the enemy. At midnight, who should step on
board the `Elephant' but Lord Nelson himself. The night was very cold,
but he had come all that distance in an open boat without even a cloak,
so eager was he to be present at the expected battle. None took place,
and after a little time I was sent home invalided."