ADDENDA. Tit & The Baron asked me, two or three times, if ther to this I constantly repued, that if these were lost, my risk that my Squadron might be lost on the Coast: Admiral would £nd another, that we should risk the Squadron at all times to assist the General; and having recapitulated would give me credit for my sincere disposition of contribu I had said, with this addition, that I requested the General to assure him that he should not be disappointed. In three ingy power for the success of the common cause, and or four days he promised the General would write to me.— I am, &c., HORATIO NELSON. Autograph in the possession of Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker, Burt 152, 153. 13th April.-P.M. Werbed. P.M. joined the Fleet. 14th.-Parted from be Fleet. 15th-Anchored at Genon.—Agamemnon's Log.] Sir, I anchored here, this morning, and shall immediately get to the information which I have received from the Imperial Agamemnon, Genoa Roads, 15th April, 17% and Sardinian Ministers, both of whom I immediately waited upon. General Beaulieu's letter to the Minister was dated Aqui, yesterday the 14th: he says, 'Yesterday, Generals Argenteau and Lipthain attacked a post of the Enemy at Montenotte; they did not succeed, and returned to their first position.' I beg you not to believe the reports of the ma intentione at Genoa. I cannot say I like this account; but you will form the same conjectures as myself: no loss mentioned, and the word first conveys to my mind a great deal. Argenteau has ever failed; they fell, report says, into an ambuscade. The Minister at Turin writes thus to Monsr. Nomis, the Sardinian Minister here: The snow still lays so much on the mountains near Ceva, that neither party can take possession of those posts they wish. The Enemy made an attack on one of our posts, but were repulsed with some loss.' Monsr. Nomis expects an express from Alessandria, with an account of the attack at Montenotte, and I shall know the contents as soon as they arrive. Salicetti sent from Savona, two days past, for thirty thousand pairs of shoes: the Consul sent off the account to Captain Towry', who had his boats out all night, but without success: eight thousand pair are got to Savona. 2 Mr. Brame. Of the Dido. I send you Mr. Trevor's original letters, for there are parts of them I do not wish my Clerk to see at present. Anxious as I am to do everything, we cannot equip Vessels quite so fast as his Excellency wishes. The Sardinian sailors manning two or three, will be of great use. And I know England must pay for them, and probably victual them. This measure must have a little further thought. Heavy Gun-Boats will not do as cruisers, and, on the contrary, we must have a place to keep them in; and stopping all Vessels going to places occupied by the French must be a thought of his Excellency and Mr. Drake. Let them write me clearly on this subject, and it shall be done; but I shall see you very soon, when I shall enlarge on this subject; and, I am afraid, time enough will remain to equip our Vessels, if not, so much the better. The firing I saw last night between Voltri and Savona on the hills I hope was, an advance of the Generals, but we have heard nothing. Seven P.M.-We have no particulars, but it is said the French have been beat from some of the hills above Savona; many wounded have been brought to Savona. Mr. Brame has attested the conversation, copies of which I shall send to-day to Mr. Drake and Mr. Trevor. By Sunday I hope to get the General's promised tableau. We are readier here for any intelligence, where we can be useful, than anywhere that I know. News from England not much. The Bill for the Abolition of the Slave Trade not carried, lost by 4. Cornwallis put back in the Royal Sovereign; but I dare say you have it all from Leghorn. If I have any potscript, I shall add it in the morning. Believe me, &c., HORATIO NELSON. 11 A.M. the 16th.-Have just received the notes relative to the French Squadron. TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE HON. JOHN TREVOR. [Letter-Book.] My dear Sir, Agamemnon, Genoa Mole, April 15th, 1796. I have this day been favoured with your three letters of the 13th. I hope to God General Beaulieu will be successful. I was a little alarmed to-day on my arrival from the Fleet, to find that the attack at Montenotte had not been successful. The Admiral came off Vado on the 13th, and from my communication of what was going on with the General, the Admiral is induced to stay a few days off here to keep the Enemy in an alarm on the Coast. I shall send your letters to-morrow morning to him, as also one from Mr. Drake to the same purpose, I mean the cypher part-our 58, 407, 95, 343, 151, as many 314, 353, 93, 189, 139, 37 expected, we may expect everything possible from 59, 532, 607, 714, but I hope he will not be forgot in England. Respecting the Gun-Boats, I fancy we cannot set about fitting them out at the present moment at Genoa. Probably we could not buy and equip them. It must be at Leghorn. Besides, at present we have no place to keep them in; and heavy Gun-Boats are not the proper sort of Vessels for laying on the Coast to stop supplies. I hope Mr. Drake will soon give me a meeting. I have wrote to him on the subject of stopping supplies going to the Genoese Towns. It is a very nice point at present. The moment I have authority, I could soon equip two heavy Gun-Boats at Leghorn, and two or three Feluccas to lay on the Coast-the latter in particular would be manned by the Sardinian seamen. I suppose John Bull must pay for the Vessels, and victual the men. This, you will consider-the Neapolitan gentry, I know, will not act, without much looking after, and I know no other way than a joint Flotilla, which a superior English Officer may command. We will very soon fit out, when we set about it. I cannot think the present French Fleet will venture so far from home, unless the Cadiz Squadron joins; and should Admiral Man proceed to the West Indies, of which I have some fears, the Admiral will be distressed-not should they come out together, I am sure we shall beat them; but if they send five Sail upon any service, the Admiral has not Ships to send after them. I shall have a train [?] for these GunBoats. I shall write to Leghorn to a proper person to give me an idea of the expense, and also of two or three large Feluccas: therefore, as to-morrow is a post-day, you must excuse a long letter. I shall most probably see or hear from the Admiral in answer to my letter, before Tuesday. Rest assured all my thoughts are employed on this particular service. I send you a private letter from Leghorn. Corsica is bad enough; and the part respecting the Vice-Roy, although not exactly correct, is nearly so. I have it from Sir John Jervis. Believe me, dear Sir, with the highest esteem, &c., HORATIO NELSON. TO HIS EXCELLENCY [FRANCIS DRAKE, ESQ. ?] [Letter-Book.] My dear Sir, Agamemnon, Genoa Road, April 16th, 1796. I yesterday received your letter of the 13th, which I immediately sent off to the Admiral, who was cruizing off Vado, and it was his intention so to do for eight or ten days, in hopes it might draw off the French Troops from the mountains; for Vado has scarcely a soldier left in it. Mr. Trevor has wrote me that he hopes we shall now be able to cut off supplies going to the French. I wrote you last post on this subject; for it would be extremely improper in me to seize or detain the Vessels from Genoa going to their Towns in possession of the Enemy, till I receive full authority from you on the subject; and probably before such a step is taken you would acquaint the Genoese Government of the measure. I have ventured to tell Captain Towry, that any large quantities of provisions going to Savona, he might desire the Vessel carrying it to return to Genoa; for she could not pass for a few days. Mr. Trevor also hopes I shall equip some Gun-Boats to prevent these supplies. We intended that, if we equipped any Gun-Boats, they were to be such as to oppose the French ones, and these are for battering, not for laying on the Coast; for they do not row fast. Feluccas are the proper Vessels for that service; but I have neither power or authority to take any such steps. I have done so far; wrote to Leghorn, to know what a Tartan, equipped properly for carrying a 36-pounder, will come to, and also what a Felucca will cost, to carry two 6 or 9 pounders in her bow. When we have a place to put them in, we shall soon equip. I wrote about Sardinian seamen: they have one hundred. These will be most useful, when we have the Vessels; but somebody must say who is to buy the Vessels, who is to victual them? The men we put in them can only be occasionally; for a Ship must, at a time we man any of these Vessels, be rendered useless. I hope we shall soon have you with the Army on the Coast, and I am sure we shall find no difficulties. I inclose you a conversation I had with_the_Baron de Malcamp, which I chose should be attested by Mr. Brame, to prevent any mistakes. Believe me, dear Sir, your most faithful servant, HORATIO NELSON. TO ADMIRAL SIR JOHN JERVIS, K.B. [Autograph in the possession of Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker, Bart., G.C.B.] Genoa Road, April 16th, 1796. Dear Sir, Mr. Brame sends you a joint of veal, &c., and I beg leave to send you a bundle of asparagus, and a salad. When you come again in sight of Genoa, I shall instantly weigh, whether I have a letter from the General or not. Believe me your most faithful HORATIO NELSON. I cannot believe the French Squadron mentioned will venture out of Toulon to come this road; but it shows what mischief may ensue, should Admiral Man proceed to the West Indies, and Richery come here. If you should leave the Coast with two Sixty-fours, it may be unpleasant; but with the addition of a Seventy-four, if we cannot act offensively, I have no fears that six Frenchmen would hurt us. This I am sure you will consider much more properly than I can. You will know every movement from the Frigates off Toulon. I almost believe much Toulon news is fabricated in Genoa, to show how alert they are. The principal is well paid, and is to have a good appointment, I hear, in Corsica, some time or other. This was told me in confidence. H. N. TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE HON. JOHN TREVOR. [From a copy in the possession of Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker, Bart., G.C.B. 17th April.-Weighed. Joined the Fleet. P.M. bore away from the Fleet. 18th.-Anchored at Genoa.-Agamemnon's Log.] My dear Sir, Agamemnon, Genoa Road, April 19th, 1796. I am full of sorrow and amazement at what has passed. It seems by land the French are invincible; and, to complete my sorrow, a Convoy of Polacca Brigs, and other small Vessels, got into Savona Mole, and Vado Bay, on Sunday evening. The Ministers, from their total ignorance of Sea affairs, fancy, because our superior Fleet saw them, that it was our neglect that they were not taken. I saw them myself, from the Victory, passing close in shore, and directly to windward of us; therefore the getting in with them was impossible before they anchored under such batteries as would have crippled our Fleet; and, had such an event happened, in the present state of the Enemy's Fleet, Tuscany, Naples, Rome, Sicily, &c., would have fallen as fast as their Ships could have sailed along the Coast. Our Fleet is the only saviour at present for those Countries; and for the sake of driving ashore a few Polaccas, &c., those Countries were not to be risked. Sir John Jervis |