another Ship for the reception of Rear-Admiral Sir Richard Bickerton's flag, for it is perfectly clear in the event of falling in with the Enemy's Fleet, in a situation that would require a long chase to come up with them, the services of the Royal Sovereign would be entirely out of the question, as she could not keep company with the other Ships, but for a very short time, under a heavy press of sail, which she is constantly obliged to carry, and which naturally hurts and strains the Ship very much. I am, Sir, &c. NELSON AND Bronte. Sir, TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty.] Victory, at Sea, 21st February, 1805. I herewith transmit you for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, a letter from Captain Schomberg, dated the 13th February, giving an account of the capture of his Majesty's late Sloop Arrow, and Acheron, Bomb-Vessel, on the 4th of that month by two French Frigates,3 together with the extract of the Log therein-mentioned; also a letter from Captain Schomberg, dated 19th February, with the one therein alluded to from Lieutenant Coggan, Agent for Transports, containing further particulars of the unfortunate loss of His Majesty's said late Vessels. The circumstance of this misfortune can only be attributed to the very long and tedious passage of the Convoy which sailed from Malta on the 4th January, and the Enemy having no doubt gained intelligence of them, and knowing that I was in pursuit of their Fleet (which sailed from Toulon on the 17th ultimo) had sent two of their Frigates to the Westward for the purpose of intercepting them. 4 The two Frigates named in the margin are to the Westward; and by the last accounts I had from the Fisgard, she was off Malaga, so that it was to be presumed the safety of the said Convoy was little to be doubted as far as Gibraltar. I am, Sir, &c. NELSON AND Bronte. * Vide p. 263, ante. Fisgard, Amazon. TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty. "At Noon, Maritimo N. b E. E., nine leagues." -Victory's Log.] Sir, Victory, at Sea, 22nd February, 1805. Since my letter of the 12th of this month, I have to acquaint you, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that I arrived with the Fleet off Malta on the morning of the 19th instant, and received information from Captain Schomberg of the Enemy's Fleet having put back to Toulon in a very crippled state ;" and yesterday, off Maritimo, I received by the Bittern the accompanying letter from Mr. Elliot, his Majesty's Minister at the Court of Naples, which you will please to communicate to their Lordships, and acquaint them that all the Frigates and other Vessels are at present detached to obtain intelligence of the Enemy's Fleet, and that the moment I receive a more particular account of their state, I shall send a Sloop of War with information thereof to their Lordships. The Fleet under my command is in excellent good health, and the Ships, although we have experienced a great deal of bad weather, have received no damage, and not a yard or mast sprung or crippled, or scarcely a sail split. I am, Sir, &c. NELSON AND Bronte. * On his return to Toulon, Admiral Villeneuve wrote a dispatch to the Minister of Marine, dated, "ler pleuviose, an. xiii," i. e. 21 January, 1805, in which he said: "I declare to you, that Ships of the Line thus equipped, short-handed, encumbered with troops, with superannuated or bad materials, vessels which lose their masts or sails at every puff of wind, and which, in fine weather, are constantly engaged in repairing the damages caused by the wind, or the inexperience of their sailors, are not fit to undertake anything. I had a presentiment of this before I sailed; I have now only too painfully experienced it." And Monsieur Thiers adds, "Napoleon was sensibly displeased on hearing of this useless sortie. 'What,' said he, is to be done with Admirals who allow their spirits to sink, and determine to hasten home at the first damage that they receive? It would be requisite to give up sailing, and to remain wholly inactive, even in the finest weather, if an Expedition is to be prevented by the separation of a few Vessels. The whole of the Captains,' he added, ought to have had sealed orders to meet off the Canary Islands. The damages should have been repaired en route. If any Ship leaked dangerously, she should have been left at Cadiz, her crew and the troops being transferred to L'Aigle, which was in that Port, and ready for sailing. A few topmasts carried away, some casualties in a gale of wind, were everyday occurrences. Two days of fine weather ought to have cheered up the crews, and put everything to rights. But the great evil of our Navy is, that the men who command it are unused to all the risks of command.' "—Thiers' History of the Consulate and the Empire, vol. v. p. 159. TO REAR-ADMIRAL SIR RICHARD BICKERTON, BART. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 399. "February 28th [i. e. 27th.] P.M. At 5-45, came to with the best bower anchor in Pula Roads, (Sardinia)."-Victory's Log.] 27th February, 1805. What a dreadful thing, not either to get hold of the French Fleet, nor even to hear of them since their return, except from Naples: what weather! Did you ever see such in almost any Country? It has forced me to anchor here, in order to prevent being drove to leeward, but I shall go to sea the moment it moderates. I am, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty. "March 2nd [i. e. 1st.] P.M. At 5, arrived the St. Christopher, a Spanish Cartel, having on board the English Consul from Minorca.” "March 2nd, A.M. At 6-20, weighed, and made sail out of Pula Roads. P.M. Fresh gales and heavy squalls. At 3·30, anchored in Pula Roads." "March 3rd. A.M. Light breezes. At 6-15, weighed, and made sail to the westward, Squadron in company. P.M. Strong gales and squally. At 3-30 anchored in Pula Roads-Squadron anchored as convenient." "March 4th. A.M. Light airs. At 3.30, weighed and made sail to the W.S.W. At noon, Squadron in company."-Victory's Log.] Sir, Victory, at Sea, 4th March, 1805. 6 I herewith transmit you, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, copies of two Reports of survey held on the Officers named in the margin, belonging to the Swiftsure and Spencer, together with copies of Orders given to Mr. Robert H. Barclay' and Mr. James HarrisR to act in their room, which I request you will be pleased to lay before their Lordships for confirmation. And as the frequent Surveys upon Officers may appear strange, I judge it proper to acquaint you for their Lordships' information, that the most strict regard has been paid to prevent this measure as much as possible, and in no case where the least probability of recovery Lieutenant William Marcus Courtenay, Lieutenant James Proctor. The former of these Officers was made a Commander in 1810, and died between 1816 and 1820; and the latter died before 1814. 7 Mr. Robert Heriot Barclay: he was made a Commander in 1813, Posted in 1824, and died in 1837. Mr. James Harris: he was wounded while Lieutenant of the Spencer, in Sir John Duckworth's Action, in 1806, and appears to have died a Lieutenant before in this Country remained, has an Officer been condemned as unserviceable; but as you will observe from the different Reports of Survey, that rheumatism and consumption (which bring on general debility) are the prevailing complaints, and from which there is no recovery in this Country, as clearly established from experience, and confirmed by all the medical opinions; I, therefore, trust their Lordships will be perfectly satisfied that no countenance has been given to the Surveying of Officers, and that my General Orders on this service are most strict, a copy of which I also herewith enclose for their Lordships' information, together with a list of Commissions, Warrants, and Acting Appointments, which I have given to the Officers therein mentioned, since the 16th August, 1804, which you will be pleased to lay before their Lordships for confirmation. I am, Sir, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. GENERAL ORDER. [Enclosed and referred to in the preceding Letter.] , Whereas, Captain of His Majesty's Ship has represented to me by letter of this date, that Lieutenant A. B. of the said Ship is afflicted with rheumatism and other complaints, which render him incapable of doing his duty, and there being no prospect of his recovery in this Country, has requested that I would order the said Lieutenant to be surveyed. You are therefore hereby required and directed to repair immediately on board His Majesty's Ship taking to your assistance the Captains of His Majesty's Ships named in the margin, Doctor Gillespie, Physician of the Fleet, together with your respective Surgeons; and as great inconvenience may arise to the Service from Officers quitting their Ships on Foreign Stations, and the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having very strongly marked their disapprobation thereof, it is my positive directions that you most strictly survey and examine into the state of health, and nature of the complaints with which the said Lieutenant A. B. is afflicted, reporting to me from under your hands a very particular account of his complaints, and whether, in your opinion there is any probable chance of his recovery in this Country. NELSON AND Bronte. TO SIR ALEXANDER JOHN BALL, BART. [Autograph, in the possession of Sir William Keith Ball, Bart. A.M. "March 7th. At 8-10 a Cartel came into the Squadron with Spanish Colours at the fore, and Union-jack at the main, the Ship having American Colours at the mizen peak. At 11.20, anchored in the Bay of Rousse, to the Eastward of Cape Favolaro. Fresh gales and cloudy weather. Squadron in company, part of them at anchor. March 8th. A.M. Moderate breezes and cloudy. At 10, weighed and made sail. P.M. At 5-45, anchored in the Gulf of Palma."-Victory's Log.] My dear Ball, Victory, Gulf of Palma, March 8th, 1805. From the 19th February to this day have we been beating, and only going now to anchor here, as it blows a gale of wind at N.W. It has been, without exception, the very worst weather I have ever seen. In addition to my other mishaps, (I must not call them misfortunes,) Captain Layman,' of his Majesty's Sloop late Raven, arrived in a Flag of Truce from Cadiz, where that Sloop was wrecked on the night of January 29th, in a gale of wind. The humane and kind attention of the Captain-General of Andalusia, the Marquis of Solano, has been so great to these unfortunate people, and his sending them to me, (I believe without the absolute condition of their being Prisoners of War,) that I cannot sufficiently return his kindness. I have wrote to Captain Lamb to liberate instantly the Captain and Officers of the Ventura. Captain Layman left Portsmouth January 21st. He had Captain Layman has been before mentioned. His narrative of the loss of his Sloop will be found in the " Naval Chronicle," vol. xxxviii. p. 4, together with honourable testimonies to his exertions and skill, from the Marquis de la Solano, and Mr. Duff, the English Consul at Cadiz. A Court-Martial, however, considered that "there appears to have been a great want of necessary caution in Captain Layman, in approaching the land, and the Court doth therefore adjudge the said Captain Layman to be severely reprimanded, and put at the bottom of the List of Commanders." It is said that this severe Sentence was wholly unexpected by Lord Nelson; and as he had, from humane consideration for the Officer of the Watch, induced Captain Layman to omit a severe reflection upon him in his narrative, saying, "If this is laid before the Court, they will hang the Officer of the Watch," his Lordship considered himself to have been, in some degree, the cause of that decision. This fact, and his strong predilection for Captain Layman, explains the interest he took in that Officer's behalf. See a long statement on the subject in the "Naval Chronicle," vol. xxxviii., and in Marshall's "Naval Biography," vol. iii. p. 328, et seq. This able and zealous, but not always judicious, Officer never recovered his place on the Commander's List, and it is stated that he "terminated his existence in the year 1826." |