The Story of Nelson 21

The Story of Nelson 21

Southey, when dealing with the execution of Caracciolo, has seen fit to

introduce Nelson’s relations with Lady Hamilton into the matter, which

may be forgiven a man who published his narrative in 1813, when current

scandal and gossip were often the chief “authorities” of the historian.

“Doubtless” he remarks, “the British Admiral seemed to himself to be

acting under a rigid sense of justice, but to all other persons it

was obvious that he was influenced by an infatuated attachment--a

baneful passion, which destroyed his domestic happiness, and now, in

a second instance, stained ineffaceably his public character.” Now

Lady Hamilton, as a matter of actual fact, had nothing whatever to do

with the hanging of the traitor and did not converse with the Admiral

during Caracciolo’s detention. The rebel was tried by those of his own

nationality, and according to Mahan, “there is no ground for doubting

that he (Nelson) had authority to order a court-martial, and to carry

its sentence into execution, nor that Caracciolo came within the

jurisdiction of a court-martial properly constituted.” It is only just

to add, however, that in the opinion of the same eminent authority

there was no real necessity for such undue haste on Nelson’s part. “He

should have remembered that the act would appear to the world, not as

that of the Neapolitan plenipotentiary, but of the British officer,

and that his nation, while liable like others to bursts of unreasoning

savagery, in its normal moods delights to see justice clothed in

orderly forms, unstained by precipitation or suspicion of perversion,

advancing to its ends with the majesty of law, without unseemly haste,

providing things honest in the sight of all men. That he did not do

so, when he could have done so, has been intuitively felt; and to the

instinctive resentment thus aroused among his countrymen has been due

the facility with which the worst has been too easily believed.”

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER XII

 

Nelson in Temporary Command

 

(1799-1800)

 

“_The great object of the war is_--Down, down with the French.”

 

NELSON.

 

 

King Ferdinand was again on board the _Foudroyant_, holding his Levées

on the quarter-deck, and making himself as affable as was possible to

a man of his morose temperament. Nelson’s infatuation for the welfare

of his Majesty and his kingdom seemed growing. The castle of St Elmo

had fallen, thereby completing the conquest of Naples, but the Admiral

saw fit to order Troubridge to march against Capua, thereby denuding

the fleet of a thousand men, who were to act in concert with four times

that number of troops. This was done after the receipt of a warning

from Keith that it might be necessary to withdraw the squadron for the

protection of Minorca.

 

“Should such an order come at this moment,” Nelson writes to Earl

Spencer, “it would be a cause for some consideration whether Minorca

is to be risked, or the two Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily? I rather

think my decision would be to risk the former.” In other words,

Nelson placed the interests of an allied Power before those of his

own country, although of course his services to the Sicilies were of

importance to the latter. One cannot help thinking that there is more

than a suspicion of ulterior motives in what was to lead to a flagrant

disobedience of orders. The letter concludes with the most affectionate

references to Sir William and Lady Hamilton, who were assuredly his

evil genii at the moment. According to Nelson they were with him to

his “great comfort,” without them “it would have been impossible I

could have rendered half the service to his Majesty which I have now

done: their heads and their hearts are equally great and good.” Writing

to Keith on the same day--13th July 1799--he refers solely to King

Ferdinand: “It has been and is my study to treat his Majesty with all

the respect due to so great a personage, and I have the pleasure to

believe that my humble endeavours have met with the Royal approbation.”

 

After penning this communication the Admiral received a despatch from

Keith, dated the 27th June, implicitly requiring him “to send such

Ships as you can possibly spare off the Island of Minorca to wait my

orders.” This he acknowledged by saying that “as soon as the safety of

His Sicilian Majesty’s Kingdoms is secured, I shall not lose one moment

in making the detachment you are pleased to order. At present, under

God’s Providence, the safety of His Sicilian Majesty, and his speedy

restoration to his Kingdom, depends on this Fleet, and the confidence

inspired even by the appearance of our Ships before the City is beyond

all belief; and I have no scruple in declaring my opinion that should

any event draw us from the Kingdom, that if the French remain in any

part of it, disturbances will again arise, for all order having been

completely overturned, it must take a thorough cleansing, and some

little time, to restore tranquillity.” In order to justify his conduct,

Nelson next sent a second note to Earl Spencer. After referring to his

previous letter, which showed that he was prepared for Keith’s order,

he adds, “more than ever is my mind made up, that, at this moment, I

will not part with a single Ship, as I cannot do that without drawing a

hundred and twenty men from each Ship now at the Siege of Capua, where

an Army is gone this day. I am fully aware of the act I have committed;

but, sensible of my loyal intentions, I am prepared for any fate which

may await my disobedience. Capua and Gaeta will soon fall; and the

moment the scoundrels of French are out of this Kingdom, I shall send

eight or nine Ships of the Line to Minorca. I have done what I thought

right; others may think differently; but it will be my consolation

that I have gained a Kingdom, seated a faithful Ally of his Majesty

firmly on his throne, and restored happiness to millions. Do not think,

my dear Lord, that my opinion is formed from the arrangements of any

one. _No_; be it good, or be it bad, it is all my own.” The writer

concludes with an appeal for Earl Spencer’s interest with the Board

of the Admiralty, which was not vouchsafed. His having proceeded to

the Bay of Naples and of the operations against the castle of St Elmo

were approved, but not of the land warfare carried on by the seamen

against Capua. Their Lordships did not see “sufficient reason to

justify your having disobeyed the orders you had received from your

Commanding-Officer, or having left Minorca exposed to the risk of being

attacked, without having any Naval force to protect it.”

 

On the 19th July, Nelson was handed a second urgent despatch from

Keith, ordering him either to leave Sicily and repair to Minorca with

his whole force or to detach the greater part of his squadron and

place it under Duckworth. Keith’s “repeated information” led him to

believe that the enemy was not making for Sicily or Egypt, as had

been thought probable, but for Ireland. Nelson again refused to obey

his Commander-in-chief. Not until the 22nd inst., when Keith informed

Nelson that the French fleet was off Cape Tres Forcas, did he see fit

to dispatch Duckworth with four vessels to Minorca.

 

The Frenchmen succeeded in joining their Spanish allies at Cartagena

and arriving safely at Brest, from which port they did not issue

for some months, an event which does not therefore concern us at

the moment. Capua and Gaeta eventually surrendered, the articles of

capitulation being signed by Acton and Nelson on behalf of King

Ferdinand on the 31st July 1799, thus liberating “the Kingdom of Naples

from a band of robbers,” as the Admiral informed Keith.

 

So far this portion of the narrative has been necessarily confined

to cold, matter-of-fact details. Mention must now be made of the

celebrations held on the first anniversary of the battle of the

Nile. Well might Nelson be fêted on such an occasion; he had served

their Sicilian Majesties all too faithfully. He thus describes the

picturesque scene for the benefit of his wife:--

 

“Thank God all goes well in Italy, and the Kingdom of Naples is

liberated from thieves and murderers. But still, it has so overthrown

the fabric of a regular Government, that much time and great care are

necessary to keep the Country quiet. The 1st of August was celebrated

here with as much respect as our situation would admit. The King

dined with me; and, when His Majesty drank my health, a Royal salute

of twenty-one guns was fired from all his Sicilian Majesty’s Ships

of War, and from all the Castles. In the evening there was a general

illumination. Amongst other representations, a large Vessel was fitted

out like a Roman galley; on its oars were fixed lamps, and in the

centre was erected a rostral column with my name: at the stern were

elevated two angels supporting my picture. In short, my dear Fanny,

the beauty of the whole is beyond my powers of description. More than

2000 variegated lamps were suspended round the Vessel. An orchestra

was fitted up, and filled with the very best musicians and singers.

The piece of music was in a great measure to celebrate my praise,

describing their previous distress, ‘but Nelson came, the invincible

Nelson, and they were preserved, and again made happy.’ This must

not make you think me vain; no, far, very far from it, I relate it

more from gratitude than vanity. I return to Palermo with the King

to-morrow.”[43]

 

It was characteristic of Nelson’s fond regard for his father that when

King Ferdinand created him Duke of Bronté, which he believed would

mean an increase of some £3000 a year to his income, he taxed the

estate to the extent of £500 per annum on behalf of the Rev. Edmund

Nelson as “a mark of gratitude to the best of parents.”

 

Keith being on the look-out for the forty ships of the allied

fleets--for Bruix had been joined by the Spanish fleet at Cartagena

as previously mentioned--the chief command devolved upon Nelson.

Unfortunately Keith was unable to come up with the enemy, who entered

Brest without being brought to battle. He then returned to England.

Nelson hoped that the Lords of the Admiralty would make his temporary

command permanent. Why they failed to do so is not quite clear. Keith

was sent back, and resumed command in the following January. The

situation was a most difficult one for Nelson, especially as the King

of the Two Sicilies invariably showed the white feather when Nelson

wished to conduct him to Naples: “nothing can move him.” The Admiral’s

health was still unsatisfactory. “I am almost blind, and truly very

unwell.” He was worried because the naval force had been withdrawn

from the coast of Italy, worried about the siege of Malta, and worried

by the stupidity of his Russian and Turkish allies. But he maintained

a bold front, and never let the respective commanders know what he

thought of them. Instead, he wrote the most reassuring messages to

everybody, knowing and appreciating full well the value of optimism.

 

In September 1799, we find his squadron disposed at six different

points, namely off Alexandria and the coast of Egypt, under Sir Sidney

Smith; off Malta, under the Portuguese Rear-Admiral the Marquis de

Niza; at Palermo; on the coast of Naples and the Roman coast, under

Troubridge; on the north coast of Italy; and blockading Cadiz and

protecting the Straits of Gibraltar, Minorca, etc., which is sufficient

to show that his task was an arduous one. He endeavoured to stir up

enthusiasm in the land forces on behalf of Malta, Civita Vecchia,

and Rome. To Sir James Erskine, at Port Mahon, he wrote with all the

eloquence he could command to incite him to effort: “The field of glory

is a large one, and was never more open to any one than at this moment

to you. Rome would throw open her gates and receive you as a deliverer;

and the Pope[44] would owe his restoration to the Papal Chair to an

_heretic_. This is the first great object, as it would not only be the

complete deliverance of Italy, but restore peace and tranquillity to

the torn-to-pieces Kingdom of Naples.... The next great object is the

reduction of Malta, and in any other moment than the present, it would

be a most important one.... To return to the first object, I can take

upon me to say, that our King would be much gratified that _Britain_

not _Austria_ should re-instate the Pope. You are at perfect liberty to

say this from me; for the world sees the ambition of Austria, and her

eagle wants to extend her wings from the Adriatic to the Mediterranean.

I will not say more, but that I will support you to the utmost of my

abilities.” Succour did not come from Erskine but from a division of

troops sent by the veteran Russian commander Suwarrow, and, on the

1st October, Nelson was able to inform the Admiralty of the terms

entered into with the French by Troubridge for the evacuation of Rome

and Civita Vecchia, “on which event I sincerely congratulate their Lordships.”