The Sun.
London, England, 1805-11-07 00:00:00

• Earyalus, Cupc Trafalgar,
Qn?ober 22, 1805.
The ever to be lamented Death of Vice-Admiral
Lord Viscount Nelson, who; in the late Confliet
with the Enemy, fell in the hour of VieloryLleaves
to me the duty. of informing. my Lords Commis-
sionen of the Admiralty, that on, the ieth instant,
it communicated to the Commander lit Chief
: from the Ships watching the motions of the Erteuay IA
Cadiz., that the Combined Fleet had put, to sea ; as.
they4siled with light winds westerly, his Lordship
codestination was the Mediter-
ra and their
ndinunediately made all sail for the
Lclnelj e,
Streights' entrance, with the British Squadron,
consisting 'of Twenty-seven ,Ships, three of them
sixty-four's, where his Lordship was informed by
Captain Blackwood (whose vigilance in' watching,
. and giving notice of the Enemy's movements, has
been highly meritorious), that they had'-not yet
passed the Straights. '
On Monday the'2lst, instant, at daylight, when
Cape Trafalgar bore E. by S. • about seven leagues,
the Enemy was discovered six or seven miles to
the eastward, the-wind about west, and verylight
the Commander in Chief immediately made the sig-
nal for the Fleet to bear up in two coluMns, as they
are formed in order of sailing; a mode of attack his
Lordship had previously direEted, to, avoid the in-
convenience and delay in, forming a line of battle
in the usual manner.: The Enemy's line consisted
of thirty-three Ships (of which eighteen were, French
and fifteen Spanish); commanded in Chief by
Admiral Villeneuve ; • the 'Spaniards, under the di-
re:lion of Gtatilla, wore, with their heads to the
northwhrd, and formed their line of battle with
peat closeness and ecirreaness ; but as the mode of
'ag itnusual, so, the struEture 4 ' rtheir line
was new; it formed a crescent corivexing to lee-
ward—so that, in leading clown to their centre,
had both their van and rear abaft the beam; before
the fire opened every alternate Ship was about
cable's length to windward of her second a-head
and a-stern, forming a kind of double line, and ap-
peared, when on their beam, to' leave a very little
interval between them; and this without croWding
their Ships. Admiral Villeneuve was in the Buceri-
taure in the centre, and the
jPrince of Asturias bore
Gravina's flag in the rear; but the French and Spa-
. nisli Ships were mixed without any apparent regard,
to order of National Squadron.
As the mode of our attack had, been previously
determined on, and Communicated to the Flag-Oili-
cers and. Captains, few signals were necessary, and
none were made, except to direa close order , as the
lints 'bore down.
. The Commander in Chief, in the ViCtory, led the
weather column, and the Royal Sovereign, which
bore my flag, the lee.
The allot.' began at twelve o'clock, by the
leading Ships of the columns breaking through the
Enemy's line," the Commander in Chief ibotit the
tenth Ship from 'the van, the Second, in Command
about the twelfth froin the rear,. leaving the van
of the' Enemy unoccupied; the succeeding Ships
breaking'. through, in all parts, astern of their
leaden, and engaging the Enemy at the muzzles
of the guns ; the conflia was severe ; the, Ene-
j tny's Ships were fought
ij with gallantry highly
honourable to their Officers, but the attack: on
. them was* irresistible, and it pleased the Almighty
• Disposer Of all events, to grant His IsMesty's
Arms a complete'and glorious yietnry. About three
P. M. many of the Enemy's Ships having struck
their colours, their line gave way ; Admiral Gravina,
with ten Ships joining their,Vrigatesio leeward,
stood towards Cadiz. The 'five headmost Ships in
their van tacked, and standing to the sonthward, to
windward of the British Line, were. engaged, and ,
the" iterrntost of them taken ; the 'others, went off,
leas ing to His Majesty's Squadron nineteen Ships of
the Line (ofwhich two are first rates, the Santissima
Trinidad and the Santa Anna),, With three Flag Offi-
cers, viz; Admiral Villeneuve,. the Commander in
Chief, Den Ignacio Maria D'A.liva, Vice-Admiral;
Mid the Spanish Reai-Admiral Don IlaltaZar Hidalgo
Cisneros: •
After such a ViCory it may appear. tinnecrsarY