The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1905-10-06

the great naval battle or trafalgar,
an event often recalled by the venture
of the Russian Baltic feet to the far
east and its humiliation In the
strait of Corea. In the battle of Tras
algar, fought Oct. 81, 1905, off the
coast of Spain, Lord Nelson was killed
before he had destroyed the hostile
fleet, as he hoped to do. The British
fleet under Nelson went into action with
twenty ships of the line ana four
frigates, while the combined French
and Spanish fleets which he attacked
numbered thirtythree ships of the line
and seven frigates. When Nelson lay
dying he was congratulated upon the
completeness of the victory and told
that fourteen or fifteen of the enemy's
ships had surrendered. THAT is WE'LL
said he, 'but ! bargained for twenty"
The evening of the battle several
French and Spanish ships reached the
harbor of Cadiz, whence they had
sailed to meet the enemy, and one in
trepid Spanish ship recaptured five yes
sells that had been taken by the Eng
fish. Some critics declare that the vic
tory of Togo over Rojestvensky was
greater than that of Nelson at Trafal-
gar, Notwithstanding that Nelson has
always been credited with having IAN
initiated the enemy on that memora-
bic day.
Nelson's fame, the greatest in the
naval annals of England, does not rest
upon his achievement at Trafalgar or
upon any one war. For eleven years
preceding his death he had been ship
commander, squadron and fleet COM
mander and commander-in-chief by
turns. As reward for victory won
over the French at Aboukir, in 1898,
he was created Baron Nelson of the
Nile and in 1900 was raised to the
rank of viscount for defeating the
Danes at Copenhagen. Like Napoleon
he destroyed his enemies with terrible
and unvaIying certainty.
Nelson's distinguishing traits were
holiness and audacity IN attack. Twice
Nelson dlsobeyed the orders of his chief,
the second time being at Copenhagen,
where his disobedience won the vic
tory When Nelson's division was get
ting the worst of it at Copenhagen
he flagship hoisted the signal, leave
off action Nelson said bitterly:
Leave off action! Now, d-n me if |
do" Turning to the captain of his
own ship, he told him to keep his signal
for close action flying, then purposely
placing a telescope to his blind eye-a
souvenir of battle-continued You
know, Foley, that have only one eye
and have a right to be blind some
lines. | really do not see the signal.
On the signal anyway! Keep mine
for close action flying. Yes, nail it
TO the mast That's the way answer
signals to leave off action" IL an
other hour he, the subordinate, was
debating terms to the vanquished
Prince of Denmark.
Nelson's bluntness was often dis
played in action. At the battle of the
Nile one of his ship commanders, In
great glee over the prospect, exclaimed,
IF we succeed what will the world
say?" Said Nelson: There is no if
about it. We shall succeed, but who
will live to tell the story Is another
question" At Trafalgar the captain
OF the flagship Victory told the ad-
miral that he could not take the YES
| sci through the enemy's line of battle.
as had been ordered, without running
into some one of three of the enemy's
ships standing across the course. Said
Nelson: 81 cannot help it. Go aboard
which you please. Take your choice
At Trafalgar he said, "If the signals
cannot be understood a captain can
not do wrong if he lays his ship along
side of the enemy" This he called
the NELSON touch" and it probably
played a greater part in winning Traf-
algar than the oft quoted signal, Eng
lands expects every man to do his
duty"
Nelson was killed by a French sharp
shooter, who fired from the tops of the
Redoubtable when that ship was in the
embrace of the English flagship. Some
circumstances indicate that he felt the
approach of fate when he set out to
engage the enemy. 1t is said that he
even gave orders in London about
coffin. The night before the battle
he wrote letters to Lady Hamilton, the
woman who had remarkable influence
upon bis life after his victory of the
Nile, and to his adopted daughter"
Horatia. After giving the instructions
quoted above to his captains he ex-
claimed on parting, Il shall never
speak to you again"
Among some letters, sold In London
recently, with a collection of Nelson
relics, is one to Lady Hamilton con
tanning passage which indicates
that Baron Nelson of the Nile could
make love as ardently as he could