The Story of Nelson 22

The Story of Nelson 22

On the 15th of the same month Nelson sent the “Sketch of my Life,”

already remarked upon,[45] to Mr John McArthur of the “Naval

Chronicle,” in which he says that when the terms of capitulation were

signed on board the _Culloden_, “a prophecy, made to me on my arrival

at Naples, was fulfilled, viz., ‘_that I should take Rome with my

Ships_.’”

 

“Thus,” he concludes, “may be exemplified by my Life that perseverance

in my profession will most probably meet its reward. Without having any

inheritance, or being fortunate in prize money, I have received all

the honours of my profession, been created a Peer of Great Britain, and

I may say to thee, reader:

 

“‘_Go thou and do likewise._’”

 

Nelson’s enthusiasm in the matter of Italy was due partly to the

magnificent series of victories which the armies of the coalition had

won. Alessandria and Mantua had fallen, Moreau had retreated near Novi,

and Tortona had surrendered. So far everything seemed to be pitched

in a major key, but the minor element entered when the Russians were

sent into Switzerland instead of being allowed to finish their task

in Italy. Masséna won the battle of Zurich, thereby severing the

communications between the Austro-Russian forces in Switzerland and in

Italy. In October the intrepid Suwarrow, crossing the Alps, withdrew

his forces to Bavaria for the purpose of taking up winter quarters,

declining to further expose his worn-out troops.

 

In the same month another and more important event happened, which was

to be far-reaching in its results. On the 9th of that month Napoleon,

having been fortunate enough to escape the vigilance of British

cruisers during his long and tedious voyage from Alexandria, landed

in France. Nelson did not hear the news until the 24th, when he told

Sir Sidney Smith, “I have just got a report that appears to have some

foundation, that Buonaparte has passed Corsica in a Bombard, steering

for France. No Crusader ever returned with more humility--contrast

his going in _L’Orient_, &c., &c.” Nelson was not on intimate terms

with Smith, and was therefore not likely to relieve his mind “against

French villany” as he did to Earl Spencer: “The great object of the war

is--_Down, down with the French!_” “If I could have any Cruisers,” he

said in another letter, “as was my plan, off Cape Bon, in Africa, and

between Corsica and Toulon, Mr Buonaparte could not probably have got

to France; but if it bring on a confusion at Paris, I hope it will be

for the best.” “I have regretted sincerely the escape of Buonaparte”;

he tells the Earl of Elgin, British ambassador at Constantinople; “but

those Ships which were destined by me for the two places where he would

certainly have been intercepted, were, from the Admiralty thinking,

doubtless, that the Russians would do something at sea, obliged to be

at Malta, and other services which I thought the Russian Admiral would

have assisted me in--therefore, no blame lays at my door.” Again, “Our

news here is of a civil war in France--Buonaparte against Barras. May

God increase their confusion.”

 

While Sir Sidney Smith had been eminently successful at the siege of

Acre, which made Napoleon miss his “destiny” and precluded him from

changing “the face of the world,” as he himself stated, the defeat of

the Turks after their disembarkation at Aboukir in July considerably

altered the condition of affairs. Smith and the Turkish Government

were for allowing the French to return to their native country, an

arrangement not at all in accord with Nelson’s wishes. “I own my hope

yet is,” he confesses to the Earl of Elgin, “that the Sublime Porte

will never permit a single Frenchman to quit Egypt; and I own myself

wicked enough to wish them all to die in that Country they chose to

invade. We have scoundrels of French enough in Europe without them....

I again take the liberty of repeating that it is contrary to my

opinion, allowing a single Frenchman from Egypt to return during the

war to France. It would [be a] paper I never would subscribe to; but I

submit to the better judgment of men.” To Spencer Smith, Secretary of

Embassy, Constantinople, he says much the same thing: “I cannot bring

myself to believe they would entirely quit Egypt; and, if they would, I

never would consent to one of them returning to the Continent of Europe

during the war. I wish them to _perish_ in Egypt, and give a great

lesson to the world of the justice of the ALMIGHTY.” “I would have kept

up a more constant communication with Egypt;” he tells Keith on the

7th January 1800, “but I have never had the benefit of small Vessels.”

When the Admiral heard of the Convention of El Arish, concluded by

Smith and Kléber--Napoleon’s successor in Egypt--Nelson was furious.

By its terms the army and its munitions were to be allowed to return

to France. Had Nelson been Commander-in-chief, he would have refused

“to ratify any consent or approbation of Sir Sidney Smith,” and would

never “for a moment have forgot my text--that at all risks of giving

offence, _not one Frenchman should be allowed to quit Egypt_.” Keith

showed a firm hand when the intelligence reached him. He would consent

to “no Capitulation with the French Army in Egypt, except as prisoners

of war,” and he insisted on the abandoning of all ships and munitions.

Moreover, no troops were to return until they were exchanged. In due

course the British Government consented to the terms which had been

made, although it disapproved of Sir Sidney Smith’s high-handed policy.

On Kléber being informed of the conditions imposed on him by Keith,

he refused to entertain them. Hostilities were renewed before the

receipt of the Order from England confirming the capitulation, and the

negotiations came to nothing.

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER XIII

 

Disobedience to Orders

 

“Pray God we may get alongside of them, the event I leave to

Providence”

 

NELSON.

 

 

Malta was in a pitiful, half-starved condition. Nelson urged Sir

James Erskine at Mahon, and Brigadier-General Graham at Messina,

to send troops to its relief. They were as adamant and refused. He

was therefore kept “in desperation about Malta” until General Fox

arrived at Minorca and released the garrison there for the more urgent

necessities of the unhappy island. The Russians upon whom the Admiral

had also depended were sent elsewhere in pursuance of the Czar’s plan

to withdraw from the enfeebled coalition.

 

The Portuguese having withdrawn their ships from the blockade, it

was eminently necessary to fill their place, especially as it was

understood that a French squadron was likely to be sent to the relief

of the beleaguered. Keith was back at his post in January 1800, and was

off Leghorn with Nelson on the 20th of that month. After proceeding to

Palermo they both went to Malta, where the exciting news was received

that the enemy had not only left port but had been seen off the west

end of Sicily.

 

The Commander-in-chief remained at Malta ready to give the Frenchmen a

warm welcome should they come his way; Nelson was dispatched to capture

the Republican squadron. This consisted of the famous _Généreux_,

the 74-gun ship, which had escaped after the battle of the Nile,

three corvettes, and an armed store-ship. The Admiral had three

sail-of-the-line at his service, when he came up with Rear-Admiral

Perrée on the 18th February 1800, but the chase had already been

started by the _Alexander_, which happened to be cruising near. The

French store-ship struck her tricoloured ensign after a few shots had

been fired, and was promptly secured. The _Généreux_ was then raked

with several broadsides by the _Success_ frigate, a compliment returned

by the Frenchman to the disadvantage of the British crew, of which

one man was killed and the Master and seven men wounded. When the

_Foudroyant_ and the _Northumberland_ approached, and began to fight in

real earnest, the enemy’s flagship fired her broadside and surrendered.

The corvettes made good their escape. Perrée died of his wounds on the

following day. His flag was sent by the Admiral to Leopold, Prince of

Salerno, through Sir John Acton, who described King Ferdinand’s son as

being “in raptures” at the present.

 

On the 24th, the blockade of Malta was entrusted to Nelson by Keith,

the Commander-in-chief sailing for Genoa to assist the Austrians in

the siege of that place, which eventually fell in the first week of

the following June. The position was an ignominious one from Nelson’s

point of view, as his letters testify. He told his superior that

“Without some rest, I am gone,” and that he was “absolutely exhausted.”

In referring to Keith in a note to Lord Minto he underlines “_my

Commander-in-chief_,” for a reason which is fairly obvious. “Ought I to

trust Dame Fortune any more?” he asks, “her daughter may wish to step

in and tear the mother from me. I have in truth serious thoughts of

giving up active service--Greenwich Hospital seems a fit retreat for me

after being _evidently_ thought unfit to command in the Mediterranean.”

“_We of the Nile_ are not equal to Lord Keith in his (Acton’s)

estimation, and ought to think it an honour to serve under such a

_clever_ man,” he tells Troubridge. “I can say little good of myself:

I am far from well”; “My state of health is very precarious. Two days

ago I dropped with a pain in my heart, and I am always in a fever”;

“my very ill state of health”; “I believe I am almost finished,” are

passages to be found in his correspondence at this period. He informed

Keith that his health was “so very indifferent,” that he was obliged

“in justice to myself, to retire to Palermo for a few weeks, and to

direct Troubridge to carry on the service during my necessary absence.

I shall quit this station when matters are all put in a right way.”

 

Troubridge heard of Nelson’s decision with unfeigned sorrow. “I beseech

you,” he says in a note of such sincere regard and affection that it

is worthy of place in any “Life of Nelson,” “hear the entreaties of a

sincere friend, and do not go to Sicily for the present.”

 

Nelson paid no heed to the warning, and proceeded to Palermo. While

returning to Malta the _Foudroyant_ was able to render assistance

to the _Penelope_ (36) frigate, which was following the _Guillaume

Tell_ (86) in much the same way as a sturdy little terrier sometimes

follows a much larger dog. After some hours the _Lion_ (64) came up,

followed by the _Foudroyant_. The _Guillaume Tell_--the sole remaining

sail-of-the-line which had escaped at the Nile--was endeavouring to

break the blockade of Valetta, but the time had come for her last fight

with the undaunted foe. She surrendered after a splendid resistance

on Sunday morning, the 30th March, and was towed in a very crippled

and dismasted state to Syracuse. In due course she was refitted and

rendered good service in the British navy as the _Malta_. Rear-Admiral

Decrès was wounded and taken prisoner, and some 200 of the 1220 men on

his flagship were either killed or rendered _hors de combat_.

 

Sir Edward Berry, who commanded the _Foudroyant_, wrote a hasty letter

giving Nelson a few particulars. “I had but one wish this morning--it

was for you,” is the opening sentence, “How we prayed for you, God

knows, and your sincere and faithful friend,” are the concluding

words. Could better evidence be produced of the love which animated

Nelson and his “band of brothers”? “My task is done, my health is

lost, and the orders of the great Earl of St Vincent are completely

fulfilled--thanks, ten thousand thanks, to my brave friends!” Thus he

wrote to Berry on the 5th April 1800, and on the following day he made

similar remarks to Lord Minto: “Our dear great Earl of St Vincent’s

orders to me were to follow the French Mediterranean fleet, and to

annihilate them: it has been done, thanks to the zeal and bravery of

my gallant friends! My task is done, my health lost, and I have wrote

to Lord Keith for my retreat. May all orders be as punctually obeyed,

but never again an Officer at the close, of what I must, without

being thought vain, (for such I am represented by my enemies,) call a

glorious career, be so treated! I go with our dear friends Sir William

and Lady Hamilton; but whether by water or land depends on the will

of Lord Keith.” Again and again Nelson refers to the prowess of his

comrades in arms. “The happy capture of the _William Tell_,” he writes

to the Capitan Pacha, “is the finish to the whole French fleet, which

my Royal Master desired me to destroy. Having, by the bravery of the

Officers and Men under my command, accomplished my task, I am going to

England for the benefit of my health; but I can assure you, and beg of

your Excellency to assure the Grand Signior of the same, that should

the Enemy again send a Naval force to attack his Dominions, I shall

hold myself ready to come forth again for their destruction.” To the

Caimakan Pacha he says, “It was my orders, in May 1798, to destroy the

French Mediterranean fleet. By the happy capture of the _Généreux_ and

_William Tell_, (the last on the 30th March,) thanks to the Almighty,

and the bravery of the Officers and Men under my command, _all_, _all_,

are taken, burnt, or sunk. Of the thirteen Sail of the Line, not one

remains; and I trust that very soon the same may be told of their Army,

who dared to land on the Territory of the Sublime Porte. Perish all the enemies of his Imperial Majesty the Grand Signior!