Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-10-07
TWO NAVAL HEROES.
Trafalgar and Its Famous Commanders
and Results.
ENGLAND'S POLITICAL POWER.
A Naval Battle In the Days OF Hemp and
Oak-Neison and CoIiingwood
and Their Work.
CyYritten for the D!spatchD


country or age has produced. This |
sovereignty, though practically achieved
and acknowledged before. was fixed on |
spch firm foundation by Nelson's victory |
at Trafalgar that 1t has never been ques-
TONED. much less seriously contested |
cine. and almost warranted the boas,ful |
legend which appeared up to a very re-
cent period on all the registers OF the
British navy:
"The wind and sea are Brltain's wide do
main:
And not a sail but by permission
spreads"
Nelson certainly did not die in vain.
when the magnificent triumphs with
which his name must be forever asso-
ciated confirmed the supremacy OF his
nation upon the ocean. from which has
been drawn so large portion OF It's
commercial prosperity and political
mower. Without such supremacy Eng and
might. indeed. be "a tight little
island" able. possibly. to keep peace
at home and prevent invasion from
abroad: but she could never have been
an empire whose lines circle the globe
and whose flag covers a broader territory
than was swallowed by the wings Of the
Roman eagles.
Without attempting detailed account
OF the battle of afagar-considered by
authorities to have been the greatest
naval engagement Of which history has
any record-a few points, some OF which
are not generally known. may be inter-
esting.
THE FLEET.
The French and Spanish fleets united on
ks.f.. IVs. 1 Nr.r
of the line and seven large frgates. COM
manded by Admirals Nilleneuve and Crawl
ma. the former having command The Eng
lish had only twenty-seven ships of the line
and four frigates The allies thus had nine
sails more than the English. Nelson's Sc
cond In command was his lifelong friend
and associate. Admiral Cuthbert Colling-
wood. After many delays the allied fleets
left the harbor Of Cadiz on the 18TH or
October Their movements were caretully
watched by sleepless eyes. and when at
daylight on the Ast they were
discovered six or seven miles dis
tant OF Cape Trafalgar. Nelson imme-
diately gave the signal for his squadron
TO bear up in two columns. according
TO the plan of battle agreed upon by Col
lincwood and himself two weeks before.
The action began at noon. Nelson leading
the weather column In the Victory.
1OlliuRMOOI
ROYAL Sovereign. The latter ship hav-
ing had her copper cleared, an important
matter In those days as well as In these,
and crowding all sail rapidly left her
companions behind and penetrated the
cnemys first line alone. Nelson "lt-
Messing this bold DASH said TO Captain
Backwood at his side "See how that
noble fellow. Collingwood, takes his ship
into action. How | envy him.
HELD HER OWN.
At the same time COllingwood remarked
20 Captain Rotterdam: What would
Nelson give 10 be here" For more than
twenty minutes the Royal Sovereign WAS
entirely unsupported. but managed to hold
her own against overwhelming odds, Kill
ing and woundng 400 men on board the
Santa Anna at single broadsile. ana
keeping four other ships a bay until as
.sistance arrived. AS "A specimen OF con-
sumate GOODNESS in danger, II may lie
mentioned that in the hottest part Of the
I unequal fight a top gallant studdns-Sall,
! having been shot away from aloft. feH
over the gangWay hammochs. Coliingwood
/ called to Lieutenant Claven TO come anu
| help him take it in. as they should want
| Il again some other day" TAese two oln-
/ GERS quietly walked over decks slipper
with blood through a perfect storm OF
/ shot. rolled up the sail and placed It
| in n boat. II was four minutes past i
when the Victory opened fire, at 10 Nell
son received his wound. from a musket-
ball fired from the mlzZen-top Of the
| Reloubtable: at 400 he died. his last
/ words being:
Kiss me. Hardy.
The Santa Anna struck her fag at $50
| about which time Collingwood vas in
/ formed Of the probably fatal injury OF MS
! chief who sent him message OF love.
! About o'clock many Of the enemy
| ships having surrendered, their line gave
Wv. and Admiral Gravlnn, with ten YES
/ sells. joined the frisates 10 leewari, "nn
re,rcated toWnrd CadiZ. which ViriuaHy
decided the battle. although IT dii not
! end altogether until much later. In all
| twenty II the allied fleet struck, but'
B heavy gale coming on. some sank. some
went ashore. some We're destroyed, one
ESCAPED into Cadz. and only four were
eayeI by the victors, and these Win
greatest difficulty.
HISTORICAL MISTAKE.
Naval historians and Nelson's biogra-
! rhi.s are responsible for the prevailing
cuinion that If the feet had anchored. as
/ he ordered shortly before his death. more
, 81 the surrendered vessels might nave
hacu secured. ana Admiral Co!ling"ood
Z
( hours too late The order 20 anchor was
certainly not communicated TO him whiin
| his superior was living. else he would
have oheyed it ut all hazards. This must
T Ice admitted by all familiar with the rigid
discipline ana implicit obedience TO or
ders for which the British navy was
famous. After the command deVolFed
upon him. he Of course exercised MS o"n
Judgment in the matter. and the sound
tfTr Ia doubted
lv naval men " non that question " aS
discussed in England some time ago a
naval officer Of high rank and reputation
said
NO one can regard with higher admira-
ton than I DO the great qualities OF I0ri
Nelson. but on a question Of mere sea-
manship il is no injustice 10 his fame -
say that he was inferior t. lOrd col
uEgwc0l. who was considered hy al the
navy - be n seaman OF very uncommon
experience and knowledge. and when We
remember that at the tim' the order 10
anchor was given Lord Nelson had been
laving for several hours wounded below
without any opportunity OF knowing the
state # the fleet. it IS impossible To put
the ludem Mt Of the two men at that mo-
mcnt in comp tition.'
IN no CONDITION.
The fact is that the fleet was in no
condition to anchor. Nelson's own ship.
according 10 the Official report, had the
starbOari cathcad shot away, the star
board tower and spare anchors broken
and the stock OF the sheet anchor dam
AGED by shots" Nearly all the rest were
more or less disabled In a similar way. so
that when Colingwood. At =. NJ, gave
the order 10 anchor few OF them could 10
50. as the weather was bad next day.
there is good reason To believe says a
competent authority. that If the English
ships had anchored. instead OF being all
preserved. as was fortunately the case,
most OF them would have persisted upon
/ the shoals OF Trafalgar.
THE LOSSES.
The total British loss In the battle was
1857 That OF the enemy has never been
ascertained but is known TO have been
vastly greater. some estimating IL as high
as 6 900 or 1850. Certain 1t is that Trafal-
gar was one OF the most sangulnary sea
/ fights on record
Nelson's relatives reaped the reward OF
his victory. His brother, a clergyman.
was made an earl. with a grant OF $1,000