THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR AND DEATH OF ADMIRAL HORATIO NELSON | The Mitchell Archives - Original Historic Newspapers THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR AND DEATH OF ADMIRAL HORATIO NELSON TRAFALGAR – A DECISIVE VICTORY FOR ENGLAND, BUT ALSO A GREAT LOSS (NELSON) COMPLETE EYEWITNESS DETAILS OF THE BLOODY BATTLE The London Gazette, EXTRAORDINARY November 6, 1805 We are truly proud to present first report of Admiral Collingwood’s (Nelson’s second in command) official account of the most famous English Naval battle since the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1688. The admiral describes the triumph over the combined French and Spanish Fleet, lists the dead and wounded, and laments the death of Britain’s naval hero, Lord Horatio Nelson, who was mortally wounded while pacing the deck of his powerful flagship Victory.

The long report reads, in small part: “Euryalus, off Cape Trafalgar, October 22, 1805, SIR, The ever to be lamented Death of Vice-Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson, who, in the late Conflict with the Enemy, fell in the Hour of Victory, leave to me the Duty of Informing my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty…”, followed by an in-depth account of the events leading to the battle, and the historic sea-fight itself.

Collingwood continues: “…The Action began at Twelve o’clock, by the leading Ships of the Columns breaking through the Enemy’s line…the Conflict was severe; the Enemy’s Ships were fought with a Gallantry highly honorable to their Officers, but the Attack on them was irresistible, and it pleased the Almighty Disposer of all Events, to grant His Majesty’s Arms a complete and Glorious Victory…Such a Battle could not be fought without sustaining a great Loss of Men, I have not only to lament, in common with the British Navy, and the British Nation, on the Fall of the Commander in Chief, the Loss of a Hero, whose Name will be immortal, and his name ever dear to his Country.” Nelson invoked several new tactics that broke the enemy’s line of warships and created chaos–many of the French and Spanish ships never got into the battle! In London, Trafalgar Square commemorated the legendary victory, and features a large statue of Horatio Nelson. In addition, his flagship “Victory” is berthed in Portsmouth where I had the honor to be piped aboard in my Naval uniform in 1987, and was allowed to examine Nelson’s cabin–quite a thrill for me.

Four pages, last page blank, partial auburn tax stamp on page two, excellent condition throughout. All other newspapers obtained their reports on the event from this printing. One of the rarest and most sought after of English newspapers. $9500 Nelsons Heroic Death at Trafalgar 1805 Nelsons Heroic Death at Trafalgar 1805 SHARE: Facebook Twitter Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson was the pride of the fleet, the pride of his captains and his men, and of the public at home. The third surviving son of a middle-class family, he had risen to almost the highest rank in the navy. His naval career was admirable, his rise through the ranks was steady, like his character. He cared deeply about the men and vessels under his command. His country, his duty, his monarch and his religion were the pillars of his existence. On the 21st of October, 1805, he stood on the quarterdeck of his great flagship HMS Victory. His staff attended him, the chief among these being the Victory‘s Captain, Thomas Hardy.

To Nelson’s left stood his Purser and prize agent, John Scott, a tall Irishman with thinning brown hair and a sad face. It was his job to record the progress of the battle as it went on, and to this end, he had set up on deck a little chair and table, complete with ink pots, paper and pens – a most incongruous sight in the midst of the preparations for battle. Here also were the ship’s surgeon, William Beatty, another Irishman, and John Pasco, the young and enthusiastic Signals Officer. These officers were attended by clerks and servants, and all around them the gunners and soldiers were poised at their posts, ready for the coming battle. This was the moment when the battle was at last about to be joined. South of Cadiz, West of Gibraltar, in a long, heavy swell the great fleet was assembled to face the combined might of the allied French and Spanish navies. The sun was high, the wind light and breezy. Nelson’s fleet was outnumbered and outgunned, and the importance of the battle could not be overstated. If he was victorious, the Franco-Spanish navies would never again challenge the might of England at sea.

If he were defeated, Britain would be left open to invasion by the forces of the French Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte. Battle Of Trafalgar by William Lionel Wyllie. Image from Nelson’s fleet was arrayed in two lines, laid at right angles to the line of the enemy. These two lines were on course to punch into the enemy line at two points, breaking up the enemy fleet’s cohesion and ability to signal, and forcing them into a ship-by-ship engagement. The Victory was at the front of the forward line, and was driving straight toward the French flagship, the Bucentuare. On the quarterdeck, Nelson stood arrayed in his admiral’s uniform, dark blue with four large silver stars on the left breast. This had concerned Captain Hardy, and the ship’s surgeon William Beatty, both of whom cared deeply about the safety of their Admiral. They were afraid that his presence on the quarterdeck of the flagship, openly displaying his rank, would mark him out to the enemy. Beatty was inclined to plead with the Admiral to at least cover the silver stars on his breast with a cloth or a handkerchief, but the Purser, John Scott, warned him off.

“Take care, doctor,” said Scott to Beatty, “I would not be the man to mention such a matter to him!” The admiral’s distaste in the matter of hiding himself from danger was well known. Captain Hardy had tried to convince Nelson to decamp to another ship before the melee began, but was met with exasperated refusal. It was fifteen minutes before noon when the Admiral gave the order to Signals Officer Pasco to run up the famous signal which still resonates down the ages to this day – ‘England expects that every man will do his duty.’ Just after noon the opening shots were fired as the British ship HMS Royal Sovereign came under fire. The Royal Sovereign was in the charge of Nelson’s partner in command, Vice-Admiral Collingwood, and it was the lead ship of the second line which now bore down upon the enemy. Shortly after this, Victory herself came under fire. Placed as she was with her bows toward the enemy’s sides, four of the French ships were able to bring their guns to bear on her, but she could not yet return fire.

At first the barrage was ineffective, the shot splashing into the water or skimming off the Victory’s great curved bow, but as Nelson’s line sped on Victory began to take damage. Wood splintered, shot punched through sailcloth and smashed onto the decks and into the ranks of men waiting at their guns. Shrapnel flew, men cried out and fell. To Nelson’s left, the Purser, John Scott, was hit in the belly by a cannonball. He collapsed to the deck, dead and broken, and his blood pooled on the boards. As was customary in warfare at sea, his corpse was quickly lifted up and heaved overboard, with non ceremony.

Continues on Page 2 Trafalgar: The Aftermath and the Hurricane Trafalgar: The Aftermath and the Hurricane This Page: Trafalgar: The Aftermath and the Hurricane Collingwood Takes Command Late in the afternoon on the 21st of October 1805, as prisoners were rowed from the destroyed French ship Achille to the British ship, Revenge, Captain Thomas Hardy left the Victory and boarded the Royal Sovereign, bearing the news of the death of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson to his successor as Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean, Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood. Collingwood had been a close friend of Nelson's since they had served together in the Lowestoffe, 28 years earlier. Unlike his emotional friend, Collingwood was known to be reserved, but still was seen to shed tears upon hearing of Nelson's death. Hardy also passed on Nelson's final instruction: that the fleet must anchor. But Collingwood's reply was, "Anchor, it is the last thing I should have thought of!" Collingwood had not escaped the battle unharmed, and had a badly wounded leg and had narrowly escaped being killed by a cannonball.

Nonetheless, he accepted his role in command without hesitation. In the early evening, as the discipline of the British seamen overrode their exhaustion and they got to work clearing the decks, throwing bodies overboard and making temporary masts and rigging to replace those lost in battle (to the amazement of French officers who were used to their seamen frequently being 'drunk or disabled' after a battle), Collingwood transferred to the Euryalus frigate. The Royal Sovereign's masts had been destroyed in the battle so he couldn't fly signals from them - a bit of a handicap for a commander required to issue orders to a large fleet! At the start of the battle, the combating fleets had been 18 miles west from Cape Trafalgar, and 22 miles south-south-west from Cadiz. During the hours of battle, the rising swell of the sea had slowly pushed them closer to the coast. Now, the wind was picking up, and the ships, many of which were very badly damaged or even dismasted during the battle, were in danger of being unable to avoid the shallow waters.

This was what Nelson, with his carefully-developed innate sense for the changes of the weather in this part of the sea, had foreseen, and he had known that by anchoring, the fleet could have ridden out the worst of the storm in relative safety. But it wasn't as simple as that. Many of the ships needed urgent repairs just to stay seaworthy, and there was also the problem of the small enemy squadron that had escaped to Cadiz. If they were to return, they could cause a lot of damage to the limping, exhausted fleet, and there was also the possibility of enemy cruisers running into them. Though the swell and the wind were picking up, there didn't seem to be an immediate danger of being pushed against the rocks. On balance, Collingwood decided that the rocks did not present as big a danger as the enemy and damage to the ships, and so he made the decision to sail for Gibraltar, away from Cadiz. The Storm's First Victims As the wind began to pick up, the disabled ships were taken in tow, and the fleet began to move slowly around Cape Trafalgar. The plan was to make it round the shallows before the storm reached its peak.

But in the event, only the Belleisle, and the Naiad which was towing her, made it round before the storm ended, and even they were nearly wrecked. No one (except, perhaps, Nelson) could have predicted how fast the storm would come on, and how ferocious it would be. By midnight, many ships were already dangerously close to the rocks. The wind, for a short time, changed direction so that they could move away from the shore, but only on a course that made them double-back on themselves and head towards Cadiz. But the wind changed direction often as it grew stronger and stronger, until it became hurricane-strength. It was accompanied by torrential rain and lightning, and the sky was so thick with clouds that for a week the sun, moon and stars were obscured. It was impossible to pull away from the coast completely, and the seamen still had to try to work to repair the ships. It was around midnight that the storm took its first victims. The French ship Fougueux had been so badly damaged during the battle that she had to be towed by the British frigate, Phoebe.

She had lost her masts and rigging, so was utterly disabled, and to make matters worse, she had several large battle wounds in the form of holes through which the churning water poured faster than it could be pumped back out. As the storm increased in intensity, the tow rope between her and Phoebe snapped. The crew of the Phoebe tried to get a new line to the Fougueux, but found it impossible. Eventually, the French ship was thrown against the rocks and broken up, killing nearly the whole crew and the British boarding party that had been sent from the Temeraire to take control of her. Preservation of Nelson's Body Though the winds didn't lessen, all the ships survived the next day, though with difficulty. Onboard Victory, Nelson's body was carefully prepared, by Dr Beatty, for his funeral. As it wouldn't return to England for several weeks, it had to be preserved. His hair was cut off in order to obey his instruction to give it to Emma, and all his clothes were removed except for his shirt. It's possible that women assisted in the preparation of the body.

It's thought that there were several women on board, despite Nelson's insistence that there should be none, though it is hard to know for sure as they weren't entered on any official record and their existence is only know of through witness accounts and the women's own tales. Indeed, one woman claimed to have washed the blood from Nelson's shirt. There was no lead on board in order to make a coffin, and so he was put in a large cask full of brandy, which would act as a preservative, and was guarded by marines. A legend arose, that still persists today, that the cask was actually full of rum, and that the guards siphoned it off to drink. Navy-issue rum was afterwards nicknamed 'Nelson's Blood'. (Incidentally, a type of rum of that name is available today. I've tried some - it's a little strong for me!). A little of the brandy was removed at intervals in order to replace it with fresh brandy, but it's not likely that anyone drank it. At one point, the cask swelled alarmingly due to the natural release of gases from the body, and the lid had to be opened a little to let it out.

The End of the Redoutable The fleet may have survived the day of the 22nd October, but the evening saw more casualties. The French Redoutable, the ship that had caused such devastation to Victory and from which a sniper had delivered the fatal shot to Nelson, was in trouble. She had been all but destroyed in the battle and so was being towed by the British Swiftsure, but began taking on a lot of water as the storm worsened. Captain Lucas, along with two of his officers, had been taken aboard Swiftsure as prisoners earlier in the day. But now, his ship began to make distress signals to the Swiftsure, which began sending boats out to rescue men from the doomed ship. They managed to rescue the British party onboard, as well as several of the prisoners, but it soon became clear that it was too dangerous to send out anymore boats. At around 10:15 in the evening, Redoutable sank. Men in the Swiftsure were subjected to the horror of hearing cries for help from the men going down with their ship, but were unable to do a thing to help them.

The Loss of the Algï¿½siras The French Algï¿½siras had surrendered to the Tonnant during the battle, and a party of fifty men led by Lieutenant Charles Bennett had been sent on board to take possession of her. But she had suffered a lot of damage, and Bennett found it impossible for his fifty men to repair the damage. During the day of the 22nd, he fired several distress signals, but no British ship came to help. By the early evening, Algï¿½siras had been driven dangerously close to the rocks. The lack of help from the British led the French crew to abandon their honourable obligation to remain prisoners after their surrender, as they felt they should have been entitled to protection from their captors. They decided to take back the ship, and Bennett and his men surrendered to them without putting up a fight and causing any more injury or loss of life. The French crew got to work making rudimentary repairs, and managed to rig a couple of sails to the stumps that were all that remained of the masts. There was only one anchor, and that was broken, but the crew managed to fix it to such a condition that it was at least usable.

Now able to manoeuvre her to some extent, they managed to get Algï¿½siras close to Cadiz lighthouse, and were able to anchor there in relative safety. At daylight the next day, having safely ridden out the night, Algï¿½siras found herself to not quite be within the harbour, and still close to the rocks. Having only one anchor, her position was precarious. Boats from Cadiz were sent to try to help, but the weather prevented them from getting close. At around 10pm, the anchor cable snapped, and disaster was narrowly avoided when Algï¿½siras nearly collided with another drifting ship. Fortunately, as it turned out, she became stuck on rocks in the shallows, and sat there for the night. On the 24th, the weather was a little better, and Spanish boats from Cadiz were able to bring a new anchor and cable to the Algï¿½siras. They tried to pull her off the rocks, but she was stuck fast. The crew lightened the ship by throwing guns and other unnecessary items overboard.

Thus, as tide rose in its usual way in the evening, and the wind was fortuitously blowing in an advantageous direction, she was blown over the rocks and into the harbour. The British had lost a prize, but their boarding party and the few hundred French seamen, had not lost their lives. Cosmao Returns On the morning of the 23rd, Captain Cosmao-Jerjulien (pictured left), who had escaped to Cadiz, decided to come back to retake some of the captured French and Spanish ships. His ship, Pluton, was very badly damaged, but nevertheless she led the Indomptable, Neptune, Rayo, San Francisco de Asis, and the frigates Cornï¿½lie, Hermione, Hortense, Rhin and Themis. When he left Cadiz, the wind direction was perfect for bearing down upon the British, and was also less fierce. But that didn't last long, and it soon turned against him and began to pick up.

The rain and spray from the sea made visibility poor, and as Cosmao's ships came into view of the British, they mistook his frigates for battleships, and thought that his fleet was bigger than it actually was, and 11 ships began to manoeuvre into a line of battle to meet them. In so doing, they had to abandon two of their prizes: Santa Ana and Admiral Villeneuve's former flagship, Bucentaure. Bucentaure was abandoned by Conquerer as the British ship got into line and, uncontrollable due to the damage she'd sustained, she began to drift towards the shore. French and Spanish boats from Cadiz harbour managed to rescue most of the French seamen from Bucentaure, as well as the British boarding party, and took them onboard the Indomptable. But, sadly, that ship was not enough to save them for, shortly after Bucentaure was wrecked, she ran aground and gradually broke up. Out of the 1000 souls by that time on board, only 100 survived. They were not the only ships to meet a sorry fate.

San Francisco de Asis, one of the ships Cosmao had brought with him from Cadiz, had to anchor outside the harbour, but her anchor cables broke and she too was wrecked. Rayo couldn't make it back into Cadiz, either, and anchored a few miles away. She was dismasted during the storm, but survived. The British ships formed their line, blocking off the rest of their prizes and, with the weather also against him, Cosmao decided he didn't want to fight, and went back to Cadiz. The only ship that he was successful in rescuing was the Santa Ana. But in doing so, he lost two of the ships he'd started with, and indirectly caused the wreck of another. Still, he was later praised for his actions, and Napoleon called him "The best sailor of the time; none was ever braver and more generous." Meanwhile, the British party aboard their prize, the former Spanish ship Neptuno, upon seeing Cosmao's little fleet, tried to join the British line as it was forming. But the crew, believing they would be rescued, rose up and took back control of the ship.

One of Cosmao's ship, the frigate Hortense, got to Neptuno and started to tow her towards Cadiz. But they were stuck outside the harbour all night, and in the morning the anchor cable snapped and she was driven ashore. The British prisoners helped the Spanish to build rafts to get everyone off the ship and, aside from some that drowned when the raft capsized once, they managed to get almost all of those onboard the ship, to safety. 'Prepare to Quit' At 8.30am on the 24th, Admiral Collingwood flew the signal 'Prepare to quit and withdraw men from prizes after having destroyed or disabled them if time permits'. The storm was not abating, and the men were by now beyond exhausted. It was becoming virtually impossible to repair the most damaged ships, and it was proving to be fatal to remain on them. Collingwood decided to cut his losses and save the British ships and crew, even if meant losing their prizes. But he would at least have them destroyed so the enemy couldn't get them back. In the circumstances, there was very little else he could do. But nature hadn't finished with them yet.

Continued Tragedy The majestic Spanish giant, Santisima Trinidad, had been difficult to keep afloat since the battle, to the point that the crew hadn't even had opportunity to clear the decks of blood and body parts. Towed by the Prince, she was boarded by British men from that ship as well as from Neptune and Ajax. On the 24th, realising that she was sinking, they began to abandon ship, and men were lowered by rope from the stern to get into the boats. All but 30, who were deemed too badly wounded to move, were rescued, and only ten minutes after the last boat left, the largest battleship in the world sank. Meanwhile, the Spanish Monarca, which had been boarded by a small British crew, found herself dismasted and close to the rocks. The Spanish seamen were exhausted and gave up trying to pump water out of the ship, and prepared to let her run aground. But in the morning, as the weather was a little better, they raised their hopes again and got back to work on the pumps. Nearby, the Rayo, one of Cosmao's ships, remained anchored and dismasted.

The British Leviathan came up and fired a single shot, to which the Rayo surrendered without a fight. The men aboard Monarca were evacuated to Leviathan, with the exception of about 150 Spanish who were too afraid to get into the boats. Monarca and Rayo were left at anchor as they were too badly damaged to move in such bad weather. But both of their anchor cables snapped, and on the morning of the 25th Monarca was wrecked, with Rayo following her on the 26th. The French Aigle, having surrendered to the British Defiance during the battle, was drifting away from the fleet after the British crew had failed to set up a tow rope. During the night of the 24th, the French crew overpowered their British captors and took back the ship, and managed to get her close to the harbour, but in the morning she scraped on rocks and lost her rudder. Uncontrollable, Aigle ran aground and was wrecked. Intrï¿½pide, abandoned by the British Britannia which had to join the line against Cosmao, was leaking badly.

Giving up hope, the French crew abandoned the pumps and broke into the storeroom to get drunk instead. Luckily, the British Orion passed nearby and was hailed by the prize crew. She was able to take men off Intrï¿½pide, and the prize was set on fire. The San Augustin was also burned, and Argonauta was scuttled. Captain Malcolm and the Donegal Special mention here goes to Captain Pulteney Malcolm of the Donegal. He had just returned from Gibraltar with supplies, and upon arriving took possession of the doomed Rayo before anchoring. He saw the French Berwick anchored nearby with a British prize crew onboard. Suddenly, and inexplicably, the French prisoners cut the Berwick's anchor cables, and she began to be driven by the wind towards the rocks. Taking a big risk to his own ship, but unable to sit back and watch the men aboard Berwick be killed without trying to help, he had Donegal's cables cut, and went after her. He sent boats to rescue first the French wounded, then the British prize crew. But he couldn't save many more before Berwick hit the rocks, and 300 men were killed.

"May humanity after Victory be the predominant feature in the British Fleet," had been Nelson's wish as he wrote his 'Trafalgar Prayer' before the battle, and Captain Malcolm certainly fulfilled that wish. The wounded French were given cots and bedding at the expense of the British and, with that bedding to make their journey as comfortable as possible, were sent into Cadiz under a flag of truce, where they could receive treatment. The Donegal then anchored off Cadiz. The Aftermath The aftermath of the hurricane presented a far bleaker picture of tragedy and devastation than the battle had done. Only one ship, the French Achille, had been destroyed during the battle. In the week that followed, 14 of the prizes taken by the British were destroyed. The loss of life had been horrendous, far more than during the battle. Only four of the prizes remained in possession of the British - Bahama, San Ildefonso, San Juan Nepomuceno, and Swiftsure, and these were sent to Gibraltar. In the end, with the addition of Cosmao's ships which were wrecked, Nelson almost got his wish of 20 ships destroyed or taken.

Even as long as 10 days after the battle, bodies and wreckage were still being washed ashore at Cadiz. Because the British showed humanity in returning the Spanish prisoners, the Spanish were happy to help them, and the hospitals were soon full of British wounded along with the French and Spanish. Besides, the Spanish and British had never really hated each other like they did the French, and it isn't likely that Spain would have allied with France at all if it weren't for the pressure Napoleon put them under. Admiral Collingwood set about returning to some semblance of a normal duty, arranging for exchanges of prisoners, and organising a blockade of the Cosmao's ships. The British succeeded in keeping them there until 1808, when Napoleon invaded Spain, and the Spanish army took the ships to use against the French. Victory went to Gibraltar for repairs and for her wounded to receive treatment. From there, she sailed to England, taking Horatio Nelson on his final journey.

BBC - History - British History in depth: The Battle of Trafalgar Print this page Global power The Battle of Trafalgar was to witness both the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte's plans to invade Britain, and the death of Admiral Lord Nelson. It was never going to be any ordinary battle, and quickly acquired a heightened, almost magical, reality. ...the Royal Navy annihilated the greatest threat to British security for 200 years ... During the engagement at Trafalgar, on 21 October 1805, the Royal Navy annihilated the greatest threat to British security for 200 years, but lost Britain's national hero in the process. Little wonder the battle transcended the mundane calculation of ships and men, victory and defeat. It guaranteed Britain's control of the oceans, the basis of her global power for over a century. By 1805 Nelson was already a national hero, and considered the ultimate naval commander. His elevated conception of war ensured that every battle he fought was used to solve major strategic problems, and his many successes ensured he was the only contemporary to rival Bonaparte as ultimate exemplar of total war.

Nor did Bonaparte disagree - he kept a bust of Nelson in his private quarters. Nelson developed the art of war at sea to the new, terrible form he characterised as 'annihilation' to counter the war effort of Napoleonic France. He did so by taking the command system of Admiral Sir John Jervis, the tough old officer who taught him how to keep a fleet efficient, and melding it with the genius for battle and strategy he developed while serving under Admiral Lord Hood. Nelson used this combination of strategic flair and practical management to help Britain survive the 22 year struggle with Revolutionary and Napoleonic France. He understood that invasion by France was the least of Britain's worries - the real threat was the destruction of her global commercial system. Top Defensive strategy HMS 'Victory' - in dry dock in Portsmouth © In 1803 the Peace of Amiens - a temporary armed truce between Britain and France - broke down, and for nearly two years British strategy rested on the defensive, waiting for the French navy to make the first move. Late in 1804, however, Spain joined the war as an ally of France, giving Napoleon the ships he needed to challenge Britain.

This was the context of Trafalgar. Napoleon was looking for an opportunity to strike at Britain, without having to fight Nelson and the Royal Navy - while all his attempts to attack British interests were thwarted by expert seamen who countered his every move. Villeneuve's fleet ... was ideally positioned to attack British trading ships or Britain itself. Thus, when Vice-Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve, Commander of Napoleon's Franco-Spanish fleet bottled up in a safe haven at Toulon, broke out into the Atlantic in early 1805, Nelson chased him all the way to the West Indies in the most daring of all his campaigns. By September 1805, however, Villeneuve's fleet had found shelter at Cadiz, and was ideally positioned to attack British trading ships or Britain itself. It had to be destroyed. Top Battle plan Nelson explains his plan for the forthcoming Battle of Trafalgar © Nelson joined the British fleet off Cadiz in late September. His very presence electrified the men under his command, while his new battle plan, explained at his table on HMS Victory, was key to decisive combat.

If the enemy put to sea Nelson wanted to be able to annihilate them completely, ending the need for Britain to stand on the defensive. Nelson's arrival unsettled Admiral Villeneuve, who was already being bullied by Napoleon, who wanted his fleet to support an attack on Naples. Thus under pressure Villeneuve, believing Nelson's fleet to be weaker than his own, put to sea on 19 October. In fact his 33 ships of the line faced 27 British vessels. Nelson anticipated his enemy's every move. At dawn on the 21st the fleets were in visual contact. Nelson's fleet was formed into two columns, for a risky head-on approach that exposed the unarmed bows of his leading ships to the full weight of enemy broadsides. He knew a storm was coming, and he had to engage the enemy quickly. Nelson knew his skilled captains could wipe out the rest of the opposing fleet ... He was to lead the first column into the attack and destroy the enemy flagship, leaving his opponents, leaderless and confused, to be destroyed by the second column, led by Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood.

With the enemy admiral disabled, Nelson knew his skilled captains could wipe out the rest of the opposing fleet in the remaining hours of daylight. Top 'England Expects ...' British ship crosses battle line of Franco-Spanish fleet © As his vessels approached their enemy, Nelson walked around his flagship, talking with the crew - having sent the immortal signal 'England expects that every man will do his duty' to the fleet. All his men cheered this example of courage and confidence that they had but to follow. The enemy had reversed course during the morning, heading back to Cadiz, leaving their line confused. Now the fleets were off Cape Trafalgar, and the British sailors had time to eat a good meal in preparation for the engagement - although their opponents may not have had such healthy appetites. Nelson waited for Villeneuve to show his flag, so he would know where to strike. As Victory bore down on the enemy line she had to endure heavy fire from the allied line, without being able to reply. Round shot came smashing through the flimsy bow of the ship, killing and wounding the men on the upper deck.

John Scott, Nelson's Public Secretary, was standing on the quarter deck talking with Captain Thomas Hardy, when a shot cut him in two. This is too warm work to last for long. Then the steering wheel was smashed, and a double-headed shot scythed down a file of eight marines on the poop. Still Nelson and Hardy paced up and down on their chosen ground, the starboard side of the quarterdeck, with splinters flying around them. When a splinter hit Hardy's shoe, tearing off the buckle, Nelson observed: 'This is too warm work to last for long'. Fifty men had been killed or wounded, and the crew of the Victory had yet to open fire. Top The battle Battle of Trafalgar © At 12.35pm the concave enemy line allowed the Victory to open fire at last, shrouding the ship in smoke. Soon afterwards the Victory ran right under the stern of the French flagship, the Bucentaure, and fired a double shotted broadside that made the enemy ship shudder, and killed or wounded over 200 men. Admiral Villeneuve was the only man left standing on the quarter deck.

The Redoutable then blocked Victory's way through the enemy line, and Nelson was immobilised on a ship fighting three opponents in the middle of the combined fleet - but he had administered the decisive stroke. Villeneuve was trapped on a crippled ship, and the Franco-Spanish centre was reduced to chaos, lacking the leadership to meet the irresistible British. Nelson, his work done, continued to walk with Hardy, while the captain of the Redoutable tried to clear Victory's upper deck with musket fire and hand grenades. Then, at about 1.15pm, Nelson was hit by a 0.69in-diameter lead ball, which cut an artery in his lung and lodged in his spine. He was knocked to the deck, and it was clear the wound was mortal. Hardy had his chief carried below, where Surgeon William Beatty was hard at work on the mounting list of casualties. Meantime the battle raged, with the faster and more effective British gunnery steadily wearing down the enemy. Over the next three hours the Franco-Spanish force would collapse.

Nelson's attack had broken all the rules of tactics, treating a fleet waiting for a fight like one running away, substituting speed for mass, precision for weight, and accepting impossible odds. ... the battle was won while the enemy had far more ships in the fight than the British. At the start of the battle, when the first British ships arrived, they were initially fighting a far greater number of enemy ships. They won the day because of their speed and flexibility, and by the time they were weakening, a later wave of vessels was in place to administer the coup de grace. In fact the battle was won while the enemy had far more ships in the fight than the British. The real triumph was not of 27 ships against 33, but of 12 against 22. British casualties tell the story - 12 ships fought the early and decisive phase of the battle, suffering some 1200 deaths and injuries. Top Nelson's death Nelson is taken below after being wounded © As Nelson lay wounded, the battle with the Redoutable reached a crescendo.

The French repeatedly tried to board the Victory, only to be driven back by heavy fire, and at 1.30pm the captain of the Redoutable surrendered. At 2.15pm Villeneuve surrendered. The genius of his opponent, the power of the Royal Navy and the failure of his lead squadron to come to his aid had doomed his brave effort. He lived to return to France, only to be murdered by Napoleon. By 2.30pm Hardy was able to go below, to report to Nelson that 12 or 14 of the enemy were taken, and no British ship had surrendered. That last answer betrayed Nelson's anxiety about the outcome of the battle. Hardy, however, could not linger, the lead enemy squadron was belatedly trying to join the battle, only to be bettered by Edward Codrington's brilliantly handled Orion, the Minotaur and the Spartiate. Hardy went back on deck and signalled the ships nearby to support the flagship. Hardy visited Nelson again at 3.30pm to confirm a glorious victory, but could not satisfy Nelson's determination to have 20 prizes.

'Anchor, Hardy, Anchor!' the dying man demanded, as the rising sea reminded him of his weather forecast. Thank God I have done my duty. Hardy knelt and kissed him, as Nelson struggled to breathe and kept repeating his motto: 'Thank God I have done my duty.' Unable to endure his grief at his leader's plight, Hardy went back to the upper deck, burying his feelings in the fighting. Nelson died shortly before 4.30pm, as the battle died down. Nineteen enemy ships had been taken. Top Cost of victory End of the battle - with fleeing enemy ships in the distance © The cost of victory was high. Some 1,700 British were killed or wounded, with 6,000 enemy casualties and nearly 20,000 prisoners. Many of those lives, as well as Villeneuve's flagship, were lost in the storm that followed the battle.

The following day, Nelson's oldest friend, Admiral Collingwood, opened his wonderful Order of Thanks for the men of the fleet with the following lines: 'The ever to be lamented death of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson, Duke of Bronte, the Commander in Chief, who fell in the action of the 21st, in the arms of Victory, covered with glory, whose memory will be ever dear to the British Navy and the British Nation; whose zeal for the honour of his King, and for the interests of his Country, will ever be held up as a shining example for a British seaman.' This powerful document only heightened the emotional impact of the news across the nation - for Britons the triumph over Napoleon was cancelled out by the loss of Nelson. The loss, however, provided a national hero to help enhance the newly formed British identity. Trafalgar, as the battle was named by George III, had crushed the naval power of a deadly enemy, and - although they had fought like heroes - the Spanish and French had been annihilated. Trafalgar was the coda to Nelson's achievement. He had destroyed Napoleon's maritime strategy and invasion plans when he pursued Villeneuve to the West Indies and back.

This had set the limit to Napoleon's empire, and plotted the course of his downfall. Other British admirals could have won at Trafalgar, but only Nelson could have settled the command of the sea for a century. Trafalgar was the product of one man's obsessive genius and unequalled commitment to his country. Books Nelson: Britannia's God of War by Andrew Lambert (Faber and Faber, 2004) Logs of the Great Sea Fights, Vol. II edited by Admiral Sir T Sturges-Jackson (Navy Records Society, 1902, reprinted 2005). Collection of ships' log books dealing with the day of the Battle of Trafalgar, also the battles of the Nile and Copenhagen. The Campaign of Trafalgar by JS Corbett (Longman, 1910). The definitive study, written by a master of strategic and tactical history. Used to teach naval officers before 1914. The Campaign of Trafalgar by E Desbrière, translated by C Eastwick (Oxford). The French staff history, written before World War One.

Trafalgar and the Spanish Navy by J Harbron (Conway Maritime, London, 2004). The only book-length study of the Spanish perspective, although much of the text is concerned with the century leading up to the battle. The Letters and Dispatches of Admiral Lord Nelson, 1844-46 (vols 6,7) edited by NH Nicolas (reprinted Chatham Publishing, 1998) Nelson: New Letters edited by Colin White (Boydell, Woodbridge, 2005) Top About the author Andrew Lambert is Laughton professor of naval history at King's College, London. His three-part television series 'War at Sea' was broadcast on the BBC in 2004. Horatio Nelson - Wikiquote Horatio Nelson Jump to: navigation , search First gain the victory and then make the best use of it you can. Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson ( 29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805 ) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy.

He was noted for his inspirational leadership, superb grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics, all of which resulted in a number of decisive naval victories, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars (1797–1815). Our Country will, I believe , sooner forgive an Officer for attacking his Enemy than for letting it alone. Contents Quotes[ edit ] Tell the surgeon to make haste and get his instruments. I know I must lose my right arm, so the sooner it is off the better. Before this time to-morrow I shall have gained a peerage, or Westminster Abbey. 1790s[ edit ] There are three things, young gentlemen, which you are constantly to bear in mind. Firstly, you must always implicitly obey orders, without attempting to form any opinion of your own respecting their propriety. Secondly, you must consider every man your enemy who speaks ill of your king; and thirdly, you must hate a Frenchman, as you do the devil. Nelson's advice to his Midshipmen (1793), as quoted in Memoirs of the Life of Vice-Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson K.B. (1849), edited by Thomas Joseph Pettigrew, Vol.

2, p. 580 Success, I trust — indeed have little doubt — will crown our zealous and well-meant endeavours: if not, our Country will, I believe, sooner forgive an Officer for attacking his Enemy than for letting it alone. Statement regarding the attack on Bastia, Corsica (3 May 1794), as published in The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson with Notes (1845) edited by Sir Nicholas Harris Nicolas, Vol. I : 1777-1794, p. 393 The lives of all are in the hands of Him who knows best whether to preserve it or no, and to His will do I resign myself. My character and good name are in my own keeping. Life with disgrace is dreadful. A glorious death is to be envied, and, if anything happens to me recollect death is a debt we must all pay, and whether now or in a few years hence can be but of little consequence.

Letter from Agamemnon at sea (10 March 1795), in Nelson's letters to his wife and other documents, 1785-1831 edited by Navy Records Society, p. 199 I cannot, if I am in the field for glory, be kept out of sight. Probably my services may be forgotten by the great, by the time I get Home; but my mind will not forget, nor cease to feel, a degree of consolation and of applause superior to undeserved rewards. Wherever there is anything to be done, there Providence is sure to direct my steps. Credit must be given me in spite of envy. Letter to his wife, Frances Nelson (2 August 1796), as published in The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson with Notes (1845) edited Nicholas Harris Nicolas, Vol. II : 1795-1797, p. 203 I had rather suffer death than alarm Mrs. Freemantle, by letting her see me in this state, when I can give her no tidings whatever of her husband.

After being wounded during the attack on Santa Cruz de Tenerife (24 July 1797), as quoted in The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson with Notes (1845) edited Nicholas Harris Nicolas, Vol. II : 1795-1797, p. 423 Let me alone, I have yet my legs left, and one arm. Tell the surgeon to make haste and get his instruments. I know I must lose my right arm, so the sooner it is off the better. After being wounded during the attack on Santa Cruz de Tenerife (24 July 1797), as quoted in The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson with Notes (1845) edited Nicholas Harris Nicolas, Vol. II : 1795-1797, p. 423 First gain the victory and then make the best use of it you can. Before the battle of the Nile (1 August 1797) [ citation needed ] Before this time to-morrow I shall have gained a peerage, or Westminster Abbey.

Before the Battle of the Nile (1 August 1797), as quoted in Life of Nelson, Ch. 5; alternately reported as "Westminster Abbey, or victory!" The Neapolitan officers did not lose much honour, for God knows they had not much to lose - but they lost all they had. After a French rout of the Neapolitan army (1798) [ citation needed ] I am myself a Norfolk man. On being welcomed on arrival in Great Yarmouth, in his home county [ citation needed ] 1800s[ edit ] My greatest happiness is to serve my gracious King and Country and I am envious only of glory ; for if it be a sin to covet glory I am the most offending soul alive . The measure may be thought bold , but I am of the opinion the boldest are the safest . Letter to Frances Nisbet [ citation needed ] The measure may be thought bold, but I am of the opinion the boldest are the safest. Statement to Sir Hyde Parker urging vigorous action against the Russians and Danes (24 March 1801), quoted in "The Book of Military Quotations" by Peter G. Tsouras, p.

54 Bonaparte has often made his boast, that our fleet would be worn out by keeping the sea, that his was kept in order, and increasing, by staying in port; but he now finds, I fancy, if emperors hear truth, that his fleet suffers more in a night, than ours in one year; however, thank God, the Toulon fleet is got in order again, and I hear the troops embarked, and I hope they will come out to sea in fine weather. From a letter to Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, written while aboard HMS Victory and dated (14 March 1805), quoted in full in The Naval History of Great Britain from the year 1783 to 1822 by Captain Edward Pelham Brenton (1824), Vol III, p. 406 Desperate affairs require desperate measures. As quoted in The Book of Military Quotations (1992) edited by Peter G. Tsouras, p. 54 I cannot command winds and weather. As quoted in Letters and Despatches of Horatio, Viscount Nelson, K.B. (1886) edited by John Knox Laughton, p.

99 ...When he was on the eve of departure for one of his great expeditions the coachmaker said to him, "The carriage shall be at the door punctually at six o clock"; "A quarter before," said Nelson. "I have always been a quarter of an hour before my time and it has made a man of me." letter from Sir Thomas Buxton to his son quoted in "Life of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton" from Sylvanus Urban (ed.) The Gentleman's Magazine" July to December 1848, p. 577 The bravest man feels an anxiety 'circa praecordia' as he enters the battle; but he dreads disgrace yet more. Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan, The Life of Nelson: The Embodiment of the Sea Power of Great Britain, Volume 2. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1897, p. 52; attributed by Mahan to Locker's Greenwich Gallery article "Torrington". Time is everything; five minutes make the difference between victory and defeat. Frothingham, Jessie Peabody.

Sea Fighters from Drake to Farragut New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1902. p. 314 I am Lord Nelson. See, here's my fin. Indicating his stub of his missing arm during the battle of Copenhagen, as quoted in Nelson and the Hamiltons (1969) by Jack Russell, p. 238 The Battle of Trafalgar (1805)[ edit ] England expects every officer and man to do his duty this day. As reported in The London Times (26 Decembeer 1805) Now I can do no more. We must trust to the Great Disposer of all Events and the Justice of our Cause . I thank God for this great opportunity of doing my Duty . In response to the cheer that was raised after he sent the signal "England expects every Man will do his Duty.", as quoted in The Life of Admiral Lord Nelson, K.B. from His Lordship's Manuscripts (1810) by James Stanier Clarke and John McArthur, p. 667 This is too warm work, Hardy, to last long. [ citation needed ] Drink, drink. Fan, fan. Rub, rub.

In his dying hours, Nelson was attended by his chaplain, Alexander Scott; his steward, Chevalier; and the purser, Walter Burke. Their accounts have been available to Nelson's modern biographers. This was a request to alleviate his symptoms of thirst, heat, and the pains of his wounds, as quoted in Horatio Nelson (1987) by Tom Pocock, p. 331 It is nonsense, Mr. Burke, to suppose I can live. My sufferings are great but they will soon be over.[ citation needed ] Kiss me, Hardy Spoken to his Flag Captain, Thomas Masterman Hardy, who kissed his cheek and then his forehead.[ citation needed ] Thank God, I have done my duty. Statement among his final dying words. [ citation needed ] Quotations about Nelson[ edit ] Let the country mourn their hero ; I grieve for the loss of the most fascinating companion I ever conversed with… ~ Alexander Scott Let the country mourn their hero; I grieve for the loss of the most fascinating companion I ever conversed with — the greatest and most simple of men — one of the nicest and most innocent — interesting beyond all, on shore, in public and even in private life.

Men are not always themselves and put on their behaviour with their clothes, but if you live with a man on board a ship for years; if you are continually with him in his cabin, your mind will soon find out how to appreciate him. I could for ever tell you the qualities of this beloved man. I have not shed a tear for years before the 21st of October and since, whenever alone, I am quite like a child. Alexander Scott, the chaplain who attended to Nelson at his death, as quoted in Trafalgar: An Eyewitness History (2005) edited by Tom Pocock, p. 154; also in Seize, Burn, Or Sink: The Thoughts and Words of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson (2007) edited by Steven E. Maffeo, p. 588

Question: Which admiral assumed command at Trafalgar after the death of Nelson?
Answer: Collingwood