The Ordway new era., 1917-10-05
By CAPT. ROLAND F. ANDREWS

Napoleon ever believed that Traf-
algar cost him England. Not until the
day of his death on st. Helena did he
cease to berate the unfortunate Ad-
miral Villeneuve, who lost the day.
lost his fleet and in losing the latter
lost for Napoleon all chance of trans
porting safely across the channel the
great French army which lay at
Boulogne ready for the crossing in
flatboats the moment the menace of
the British navy could be removed.
Nelson, having chased the allied
French and Spanish fleet to the West
Indies and back, was doing watchdog
duty off Cadiz wherein lay the French
and the Spaniards, "a sail Of the line
and Z frigates. Velleneuve was
distrustful of the skill Of his crews
and the equipment of his vessels. Ma
poleon was in a rage at Villeneuve,
whom he denounced for excessive
pusillanimity" and to replace whom he
started Rosily for Cadiz. Villeneuve,
hearing Of his intended successors
approach and possessing certain dis
cretionary orders which directed him
to proceed to Naples, fighting the
English should he encounter them in
inferior number, put to sea, leaving
one Of his ships behind him. Thereup-
on Nelson, with 27 sail of the line and
four frigates, sprang at his throat.
The action was fought on the twen-
ty-f1rst of October. 1905. Nelson, COM
ing on deck at daylight, could see the
enemy in line of battle II miles to
leeward. His captains already pos
sessed his memorandum of battle,
which called for attack in two columns.
one led by Collingwood in the Royal
Sovereign and one by Nelson himself
in the Victory. Nelson, however, was
far too able man to expect rigid ad-
herence to any rule Of thumb pro-
gram. His memorandum made broad
provisions. mo captain" he wrote,
''can do wrong If he places his ship
alongside that of an enemy"
To meet the attack Villeneuve
, formed In double column his line curv-
ing something after the fashion Of a
crescent. Nelson observed this dispo-
sition with approval. Attack at once.
he directed, and hoisted his famous last
signal: England expects every man
to do his duty"
To cut the enemy's escape, Nelson's
column was headed about two points
farther north than was Collingwood's.
In consequence it was this latter off,
Ger in his fast-sailing flagship who
first came into action. The Royal Sow
ereign plunged into the enemy line
just astern of the Spanish Admiral
Alava's craft, the big three decker.
Santa Anna, which caught the Sover-
! eign's starboard broadside.
Collingwood was in his element.
'What would Nelson give to be here"
he cried to Rotterdam. his captain.
Nelson for his part called Collingwood
"noble fellow" as the Victory, flying
every battle ensign her flag locker
would yield, plunged into the fighting.
The admiral headed for his old &C.
quaintance, the Santissima Trinidad, q
huge craft of no less than four decks,
which greeted him with terrific blast
from her tiers Of cannon. Scott, the
admiral's secretary. fell at the first
fire. A donble-headed shot moved
eight marines, drawn up with the
guard close by the Admirals side. An
other shot whizzed between Nelson and
Hardy, the victory's commander.
warm work." said Nelson; "Too
warm to last long"
In the tops Of the enemy's ships
soldier rifieman were busily at work.
To them Nelson, In his admiral's uni
form, with four stars Of the orders
with which he was invested on his
left breast, was a shining mark. Beat
ty, the Victory's surgeon, and Scott,
her chaplain, begged him to remove
these decorations, but Nelson an
swered: "In honor I gained them and
In honor I will die with them"
No less than so men aboard the Vic
tory had been killed before she fred a
gun. Then she was laid along side
the Redoubtable, her guns touching
the French ship through the timber Of
which their shot went crashing. Her
larboard battery, meanwhile, was
busily engaged with the Bucentaure.
villeneuve's flagship, and the Santis-
sima Trinidad. Harvey, who saw her
thus engaged from the Temeraire. de-
clared afterward that she seemed to
belch fire. All the other British ships
were similarly occupied. The cannon
ade was terrific, the slaughter dread
full. The French and Spanish, who for
the most part had gone into action
without flags, were now producing
them in order to surrender. VII
leneuve's feet was being knocked to
pieces about him.
Twice Nelson gave the order to cease
firing upon the Redoubtable. believing
she had struck, but it was from this
vessel that he received his death. An
infantrvman in her mixxen ton took