TO CAPTAIN JOHN CHAMBERS WHITE, H. M. SHIP KENT. [Order-Book.] Victory, at Sea, 16th August, 1804. Having received a letter from the Honourable Captain Boyle of his Majesty's Ship Seahorse, which is herewith transmitted, respecting James Reynolds, alias James Clarke, a native of Mullingar, who acknowledges himself the murderer of a Mr. Rochfort, and the said man having delivered himself up to the Civil Law, You are hereby required and directed to receive him on board his Majesty's Ship Kent, under your command, and keep him in confinement, as a person guilty of the crime he has acknowledged, until your arrival in England, when you will deliver him up to the Civil Power, with the before-mentioned letter, acquainting the Commanding-Officer at Portsmouth of the circumstances, previous to your doing so. You will victual the said man the same as your Ship's Company during the passage. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO CAPTAIN JOHN GORE, H. M. SHIP MEDUSA. [Letter-Book.] Sir, Victory, at Sea, 18th August, 1804. I have received your letter of the 22nd ultimo, and very much approve of your having sent the Fisgard direct to me, as well as of your ordering the Termagant to Malta with the Convoy. I am glad it was convenient for you to take Mr. M'Donough and my dispatches to Lisbon, and sincerely hope you may join the Amphion, and fall in with the French Frigates mentioned in the enclosure which accompanied your said letter. You did perfectly right in detaining the Fisgard, for the purpose of bringing the Public money to the Fleet. I am, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO SIR ALEXANDER JOHN BALL, BART., MALTA. [Autograph, in the possession of Sir William Keith Ball, Bart.] My dear Ball, Victory, August 19th, 1804. Since the Amazon left us, except the arrival of the Fisgard, which you know of, but little has occurred. She is a fine Frigate; but both Maidstone and Narcissus must go hometherefore, I am still reducing. Except some Public letters of no consequence, I have not a scrap of a pen from any one in Office. The French Ships have been out a few miles; but they see so far that the Coast is clear, that there is but very little prospect of getting at them: they are now reported nine Sail of the Line in the Outer Road, and seven or eight Frigates. I am keeping as many Frigates as possible round me; for I know the value of them on the day of Battle: and compared with that day, what signifies any Prizes they might take? I yet hope to get hold of them before my successor arrives, then ten years will be added to my life. Although I have no particular complaint, my general constitution has suffered much the last winter, and I ought not, in justice to myself, to encounter another. I think either Sir Roger Curtis or Young are likely to come here: either will do well; but they may leave the command with Sir Richard Bickerton. Sir John Orde (Lord Mark Kerr' says) is gone to succeed Young at Plymouth. If so, he is either coming here, or going, instead of Pellew, to command in India; but I can only guess, for none of them write me news. Your sister Emma, was very well June 23rd, and always desires to be remembered to you and to Macaulay; say so to him. I send you, in confidence, a copy of my letter to the Admiralty about Monsieur La Touche: they may do as they please, I care not. Such a liar is below my notice, except to thrash him, which will be done, if in the power of, my dear Ball, your sincere friend, 5 NELSON AND Bronte. I am so much pleased with Mr. M'Donough's conduct at Afterwards Admiral Sir William Young, G.C.B. Vide vol. i. p. 88. Third son of William John, fifth Marquis of Lothian, K.T.; and Captain of the Fisgard, which had lately joined Lord Nelson from England: he died a RearAdmiral of the Red, in September 1840. Lady Hamilton. Algiers in the Termagant, that I have recommended him for Tripoli in the room of your friend, who, I am sure, is unfit for that place. I shall write the Dey of Algiers a trimmer." TO CAPTAIN WILLIAM PARKER, H. M. SHIP AMAZON. [Letter-Book.] Sir, Victory, at Sea, 19th August, 1804. His Majesty's Ship Amazon, under your command, being sent to Malta, for the purpose of refitting with all dispatch, and as the different Port duties might materially interfere with your constant attention to the more important service of completing the Amazon for sea, I would recommend your allowing Captain Schomberg to carry on the Port duty, and not give yourself the trouble of interfering with it, as your own concerns will afford you sufficient employment. I am, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO CAPTAIN THE HONOURABLE GEORGE ELLIOT, H.M. SHIP MAIDSTONE. [Order-Book.] Victory, at Sea, 19th August, 1804. Whereas it is my intention that his Majesty's Ship Maidstone, under your command, shall proceed to England with the Convoy from Malta, about the middle, or 20th September next, or earlier, should Captain Schomberg signify to you officially, that they are ready for that purpose. You are hereby required and directed (when Captain Schomberg shall signify to you, as above, that the Trade are ready to proceed to the United Kingdom,) to make the signal for, and take the whole which may be collected from the different Ports in the Adriatic, Archipelago, and Sicily, under your convoy and protection, and proceed with them as expeditiously as possible, consistent with their safety, to Gibraltar, taking care on your passage to that place that you do not keep too near to Algiers, as the intentions of the Dey towards us may not be friendly. On your arrival at Gibraltar, you will consult with Vide p. 170, post. the Senior Officer on the probability of getting our Trade from Cadiz, should the French have a superior force in that Port, and be governed by his instructions on the subject of calling for them on your way to England, as it is impossible for me, at this distance, to fix a line of conduct for that particular service. I must, therefore, leave it to the discretion of the Senior Officer to act as circumstances may render necessary. You will take such Trade as may be at Gibraltar, whose Masters are ready and willing to avail themselves of your protection, and proceed with the whole of them, without a moment's loss of time, to England, (governing yourself with respect to our Trade at Cadiz, as above-mentioned) paying the most particular attention to every Vessel under your charge, and regulate your rate of sailing with that of the worst going Ship of your Convoy, in order that none of them may separate from the Maidstone, or fall into the hands of the Enemy's Privateers. On your arrival off Plymouth, you will order the Trade bound for Ireland, or the Bristol Channel, to put into Cawsand Bay, and apply to the Commanding Officer at that place for convoy, proceeding with the Ships bound for London to the Downs, dropping such as are destined to the Ports in the Channel on your way to that place. On your arrival in the Downs, you will immediately acquaint the Secretary of the Admiralty, and transmit to him an account of your proceedings, for their Lordships' information, and remain there for further orders. NELSON AND Bronte. TO RICHARD BULKELEY, ESQ.' [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 367.] [Apparently about August 20th, 1804.] You will have read of my running away from Mons. La Touche; but, as I have written to the Admiralty, if my character is not established by this time for not being apt to run away, it is not worth my while to put the world right. I never was more surprised than to see the fellow's letter; but the next French paper makes a sort of apology. I am, &c. NELSON and Bronte. 7 Vide vol. ii. p. 445. TO CAPTAIN SUTTON, H. M. SHIP AMPHION. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 367.] [About August 20th, 1804.] I have every reason to think, that if this Fleet gets fairly up with Mons. La Touche, his letter, with all his ingenuity, must be different from his last. We had fancied that we had chased him into Toulon; for blind as I am, I could see his waterline when he clued his topsails up, shutting in Sepet; but from the time of his meeting Captain Hawker in the Iris, I never heard of his acting otherwise than as a poltroon and a liar. Contempt is the best mode of treating such a miscreant. I am, &c. NELSON AND Bronte. In the Memoir of Vice-Admiral La Touche Treville, published in the Moniteur of the 1st of September, 1804, after his death, (which took place at Toulon on the 18th of August,) it is said that he commanded the Hermione Frigate, on the Coast of America, in 1780, when he attacked the English Frigate Iris, of equal force, and that the Iris only owed her safety to superior sailing, which enabled her to take refuge in New York. The facts, however, are thus stated in the Log of the Iris: "June 1780, Wednesday 7th, Sandy Hook, West, distance 28 Leagues. Fresh breezes and cloudy weather. At 2 P.M., saw a strange Sail, and gave chase. Fired several shot at her. At 4 ditto, she ran ashore on Long Island. Out Boats, and sent them on board the Snow. At 9, shortened sail for the Snow. past A.M. (?) saw a strange Sail to the Southward: gave chase. At 6, left off chasing the Brig. Chased a Sloop, and Schooner Privateer, to the Northward. At 7, saw a Frigate bearing N.W. Left off chasing the above Vessels, and chased the Frigate. Soon after, she tacked, and stood towards us. Cleared Ship for Action. At about a musket shot she hoisted French colours. Proved to be the La Hermione, of 36 guns. At 9, we began a close Action, which continued an hour and twenty minutes, when the French Frigate made sail from us, with all the Sail she could make. We followed her for three-quarters of an hour, when another Sail was seen ahead, and we were obliged to haul our wind, when our fore-topsail-yard went away, and being very much damaged in our sails and rigging. We had 7 men killed and 9 wounded, and among the latter is Lieutenant Bourne, of the Marines, Employed knotting, splicing, and reeving running rigging." Thursday, 8th, Fresh breezes, &c., &c." Inside the Hook. Unbent sails, and 66 "Friday, 9th, Ditto." "Saturday, 10th. moored Ship." Captain James Hawker's official report of the Action has not been found: he distinguished himself in command of the Hero, of 74 guns, in the Action with Admiral Suffrein, in Porto Praya Bay, in April 1781, and died in 1787. |