The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-08
THE LONDON GAZETTE EXTRA
ORDINARY
ADMIRALTY OFFICE, Nov. 6.
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 6, 1895.

ADMIRALTY OFFICE, Nov. 6.
Dispatches of which the following
are Copies, were received at the Ad
miralty this day, at one o'clock, n.
NJ, from Vice Admiral CollingwOod,
Commander in Chief of his Majesty's
ships and vessels off Cadiz:-
Euryalus, off Cape Trafalgar, Oct. o. 1906
SIR, = The ver-tO-be-la mented
death of Vice-Admiral, Lord Wis
count NELSON, who in the late con
flict with the enemy fell in the hour
OF victory, leaves to me the duty of
informing my Lords Commissioners
OF the Admiralty that on the 10Th
instant it was communicated to the
Commander in Chief, from the ships
watching the motions of the enemy
In Cadiz, that the combined fleet
had put to sea; as they sailed with
light winds Westerly, his LOrdship
concluded their destination was the
Mediterranean, and immediately
made all sail for the Straights en-
trance with the British Squadron,
consisting of twenty-seven ships,
three OF them sixty-fOurs, where his
Lordship was informed by Captain
Blackwood whose vigilance in
watching and giving notice of the
enemy's movements has been high
ly meritOrious) that they had not
yet passed the Straights.
On Monday, the Dist instant, at
daylight, when Cape Trafalgar bore
Il. by ). about seven leagues, the
enemy was discovered six or seven
miles Eastward, the wind about
West, and very light. The Com
mander in Chief Immediately made
the signal for the feet to bear up
in two columns as they are formed
in order of sailing; a mode of attack
his Lordship had previously direct
ed to avoid the inconvenience and
delay in forming line of battle in
the usual manner. The enemy's line
consisted of thirty-three ships (of
which eighteen were French and fif
teen Spanish, commanded in chief
by Admiral Villeneuve; the Spani-
ards under the direction of Gravina,
were with their heads Northward,
and formed their line of battle with
great clOseness and correctness: but
as the mode of attack was unusual,
so the structure of their line was
new; it formed a crescent, convex
to leeward, so that, in leading down
to the centre | had both their van
and rear abaft the beam; before the
fire opened, every alternate ship
was about cables length to wind
ward of her second ahead and as
tern, forming kind of double line,
and appeared when on their beam
to leave a very little interval be-
tween them; and this without
crowding their ships. Admiral Vii
leneuve was in the Bucentaure in
the centre, and the Prince of AS
turias bore Gravina's flag in the
rear; but the French and Spanish
ships were mixed without any ap-
parent regard to order of national
squadron.
AS the mode of our attack had
been previously determined on and
communicated to the Flag Officers
and Captains, few signals were nee.
essary, and none were made except
to direct close order as the lines
bore down.
The Commander in Chief, in the
Victory led the weather column, and
the Royal Sovereign, which bore nv
flag, the lee.
The action began at twelve o'clock
by the leading ships of the column
breaking through the enemy's line,
the Commander in Chief about the
tenth ship from the van, the Second
in Command about the twelfth from
the rear, leaving the van of the
enemy unoccupied; the succeeding
ships breaking through in all parts
astern Of their leaders, and engag
ing the enemy at the muzzles of
their guns. The conflict was
severe; the enemy's ships were
fought with gallantry highly hon
Durable to their officers; but the at
tack ON them was irresistible, and
it pleased the Almighty Disposer Of
all events to grant his Majesty's
arms complete and glorious vic.
tory. Tbout three PM, many of
the enemy's ships having struck
their colours, their line gave way;
Admiral Grayina with ten ships
joining their frigates to leeward,
stood towards Cadiz. The five head
most ships in their van tackled, and
standing to the Southwark to wind
ward of the British line, were en-
gagged, and the sternmost of them
taken; the others went off, leaving