Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1914-01-30
MYSTERIES OF WAR.

l
controversy as to what Admiral Lord
Nelson, the famous English hero of
the battle of Trafalgar, sisnaled his
fleet at the beginning of that unusual
engagement IL is generally given that
the signal read England expects that
every man will do his duty but there
| have been number OF deviauons
brought out through various sources.
For nearly fifty years the English
, school children were taught that the
signal read, England expects every
man to do his duty and the ito"
was not changed to will in the
school books until the Nelson column
was erected in Trafalgar square, with
will instead OF to
Then Investigations added the word
chat" to the sentence, England ex-
poets that" ETC., the first three figures
being 253, 269 and 1868, which repre-
sent the three words given. and this
form was used in the song celebrating
the victory;
From line to line the signal ran,
"Egland expects that every man
This day will do his duty"
The following version of what is
probably the most renowned of war
signals may be worth introducing
here, as it differs slightly from the
usual reading, and as it comes direct
from the scene of battle and from an
officer engaged in the conflict. 1t is
taken from a column of the London
Times of December 26, 1905:
Extract of letter from on board
his majestys ship Prince, at sea, Oct.
26, 1905: On Monday morning at day
light, saw our intended prizes, thirty
seven sail of the line, to leeward, with
several frigates; bore up, made all
sail, and cleared for action. At TWEEN
ty minutes after 10 o'clock our gal
liant commander made the signal
(which was the last he made) by tele-
graph, England expects every officer
and man to do his duty this day,
which believe everyone did"
1t is said that the original form sug-
gested by the great admiral ran:
Nelson confides that every man will
do his duty" but on the suggestion
| of the officer taking the order, Mel
son" was changed to England" and
it would appear that the signal man
proposed expects" for "confides," as.
the former was in the code and the
latter not, and time was important.
Regarding the statement in the Times,
it is hardly likely that it is correct,
for on such an occasion Nelson would
not have drawn a distinction between
an officer and man.
All the words in this famous dis
patch had a code number, with the
exception of duty" which had to be
spelled out.
On the morning of this famous sea
fight October II, 1906, Nelson, on
board the Victory went below to his
cabin and wrote the following historic
prayer:
May the great God, whom l wor.
ship, grant to my country and for the
benefit of Europe in general, a great
and glorious victory, and may no mis-
conduct in anyone tarnish it; and may
humanity after victory be the pre-
dominant feature in the British fleet.
For myself individually, l commit my
life to him who made me- and may
his blessing slight upon my endeavors
for serving my country faithfully. To
him | resign myself and the just cause
which is intrusted to me to defend. |
Amen, Amen, Amen"
It was Nelson's last day, but his
/ prayer was heard. As the admiral and
his faithful Hardy were pacing the
deck of the Victor about a quarter
past l O'Clock Nelson was struck with
ball in the shoulder, which pene-
trated his chest. He fell to the deck
on his face.
A sergeant of marines and two sea-
men raised him, stained with the blood
of his own secretary, Scott, who had
been killed on the spot a little while
| before
They have done for me at last, |
Hardy" said Nelson q hope not,
was the answer. Yes" said Nelson,
my backbone is shot through"
They carried him down into The
cockpit "hellish with the groans OF
the wounded, history tells us. When
Hardy arrived Nelson inquired how
the battle was progressing. Hardy
replied that twelve Of the fourteen
ships had struck TO this Nelson re.
Piled: Anchor Hardy anchor
Nelson tbercupon turned to the
chaplain Of Che Victor and said: DOC.
tor l have not been a groat sinner
The doctor rubbed the poor fellow.
.