The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-05-13
NELSON AT COPENHAGEN.
His Refusal To See the Signal Of Recall
From Admiral Parker.


Captain Alfred Il. Mahan, the great
naval tactician, has an article on "Nelson
In the Battle of Copenhagen i'm The Cen
fury As TO the demeanOr of Lord Nelson,
Captain Mahan, quoting from Colonel
Stewart, gives the following description:
"When the signal from the London, No.
80, was made, the signal lieutenant report
ed IL TO him. He continued his walk, and
did not appear TO take notice Of it. The
lieutenant meeting his lordship ut the
next turn, asked whether he should repeat
it-by which, If done, the squadron en-.
gagged would retire TO the northward. Lord
Nelson answered: No Acknowledge it. >
On the officer returning 10 the poop, his
lordship called after him, rs No rs (for
rlose action) still hoisted?' The lieutenant
answering in the affirmative, Lord Nelson
said, Mind you keep IL So He now
walked the deck considerably agitated,
which was always known by his moving
thSstump of his right arm.
After turn or two he said to me in
quick manner, Do you know what's
shown on board the commander i'm chief,
No. 80! On asking what that meant, he
answered; why, to leave off action Leave
of action, he repeated, and then added
He also Observed, l believe, TO Captain
Foley; You know, Foley, | have only one
eye. | have right to be blind sometimes, ,
and then, with an archness peculiar to his
character putting the glass to his blind
eye, he exclaimed, . l really do not see the
signal.
Professor Laughton, whose authority on
matters relating TO Nelson is second TO that
IF no Ia. 1,t, II f,,11 H., I, Sc
Life of Nelson that this little display
was but joke, Nelson having received a
message from Parker that he was TO use
his own discretion as to obeying the signal.
If so, it is not improbable that he had in
view the effect of his manner upon the
many bystanders who must have witnessed
the scene in the midst of yet doubtful and
desperate battle. 1t is the converse Of the
outward bearing which he reprehended in
the lieutenant The moral effect of such
self possession is Undesirable. The Mon
arch's midshipman already quoted speaks
thus of Il wounded and disabled officer on
board of her, when the carnage was
greatest, lie encouraged his men by APP
plauding their conduct and frequently be-
gan huzza, which is Of more importance
than might generally be imagined, for the
throughout the ship, but when shout is
set up it runs from deck to deck, and they
know that their comrades are, some of
them, alive and in good spirits
As Parker messenger, Captain Otway,
did not reach Nelson until after the signal
was hoistcd, il is possible the scene Wit
messed by Stewart occurred before Nelson
knew Parker S purpose. Parker private
secretary, who afterward served in the same
capacity with Nelson for two years, las
also affirmed that there was a previous TN
Outstanding between the two admirals
The matter is of less consequence than Gp-
pears, for the supreme merit of Lord Mel
son was not the disrcgarding of the signal,
but the sound Judgment and tcnacity with
which he refused to incur the risk of Civ
ing ground at that moment. This was
wholly his.