The Portland daily press., 1896-12-19
A FRENCH ACCOUNT OF TRAFALGAR.

A FRENCH ACCOUNT OF TRAFAL GAR.
Capt. Servants Experience on the Fou-
pueux and His Ideas of rglish Human
ity.
The Paris Figaro, on the occasion OF
the recent English celebration of Nell
son g victory over the French and Span
ish Mt Trafalgar, printed the following
extract from the unpublished memories
of Pierre Ssrvaux, captain of marines
ON the French war ship. Fougueux. SER
vaux's concluding comments on the
English are bitter and interesting as
giving Brench view. He wrote:
"Iu the month of Eeptem Der. 1906, we
set sail under command of the French ad-
miral Villeneuve, and the Spanish VICE
admiral, Gravina leaving the bay OF
Eerrol. A few days afterward we reached
Cadiz, and remained anchored in the
harbor until the goth Of October, when
the signal to make sail and prepare for
action was given by the French admir-
ais ship. At II O'Clock we left the har-
Dor, and the order was given to. form
The feet in three columns. Whether the
order was badly understood, or whatever
was the cause, several captains Of both
French and Spanish vessels failed to
form in line and when the English feet
was sighted, the Spanish and French
fleets we're, SO to say. In disorder. The
two fleets observed each other during the
whole night, and never ceased making
agnAAL
''At daybreak on the 21st of October
ws found the French feet in about the
sane position that it was in the evening
before; several vessels had fallen off,
and one spanish vessel was at least three
miles to leeward. The admiral gave
signal 30 form in line Of battle, but no
bstser result was obtained. The English,
favored by little breeze, maneuvered
very much better than We did. They
formed easily in two columns. one hav-
Ing in the lead the Victory, with ITO
guns, commanded by Admiral Nelson.
The other column followed the Prince
Sovereign, also with 40 guns. and COM
maaed by Admiral Collingwood. The
English feet advanced to cut the poorly
orwed Ii ne of the French ano Spanish
vessels, which, for the most part, left too
great q distance between them and their
leader.
"The Fougueux, on which served as
master at arms, had for her leader the
Spanish vessel 6ainte-Anne, with ITO
guns BY bad maneuvers she left more
than cable length between her and the
vessel ahead, and in that way made 1t
easy for the euemy's vessels to pass
Through. 1t WAS precisely toward this
point that Admiral Collingwood bore
down to cut the line, and, as it was nee
sssary that he should CROSS our bow, 1t
was with him that we became engaged.
"At 10. Is the Fougueux, with "a guns,
opened fire upon the English admiraPs
ship, which was far superior to our YES
sci 10 height, In artillery and In men.
Her third battery and castles lowered
over our deck and enabled the enemy to
observe all our crew and marines. Ac-
oording to our usual bad habit, we fired
mors than hundred shots before the
Ed glish vessel burned a match. 1t WAS
only when we were broadside on and
yards against yards that they gave us
broadside of IS cannon charged with shot
ana shrapnel. / thought that the Fou-
gucux was pulverized. The quantity of
projectiles that reached her hull and rig
ging on the starboard SIDE made her heel
to port. A great part of her
sails and rigging was cut and the deck
was swept of considerable portion OF
our crew and marines. Our batteries
were somewhat less badly treated; and,
after all, there were only about 80 of our
men put hors de combat. This some
what lively reconnaissance did not dis
courage our men, and well-sustained
guns.
"Ths English vessel, having passed as,
endeavored to cut the 1ine between US
and the Saint-Anne, which, during our
didn't fire single shot,
but continued to travel on, without tax
lQ& Ia HhAAs = LAS 0duS an oaoy ReaonoSO-
way for the enemy. AS soon as our COM
mander found himself in the English
mans water, bowsprit on stern almost.
be bore of. By this movement we took
the English ship BY the port bullock. so
that all she could do was to send few
sb OTIS from her stern guns, while she re-
eeivsd point. blank our entire broadside,
which enfiladed heE batteries. Soon we
saw her mizzep mast come down. Then
her steering gear was damaged, for it
becazne evident that she could not work.
Fer sails duttared In the wind; her
sheets and running rigging were cut by
ous shyapnel, and for some time she
,sassd firing. We redoubled our fire
and saw her main topmast come down.
At that moment we perceived on the
miszenmast two signal flags, which
made US suppose she was calling for help.
In this we were not deceived. for short
" afterward two English vessels came
lown upon us, one taking us on the star