The Vanguard commissioned for his Flag. Towards the end of 1797, Admiral Nelson received information from Lord St. Vincent, that he had written to Lord Spencer, and desired that the Foudroyant might be fitted for his flag as soon as she was launched. The commander-in-chief added that Nelson's faithful attendant, John Sykes, had been appointed gunner of the Andromache. Some delay having taken place in the completion of the Foudroyant, on the 19th of December, the Vanguard, 74, was commissioned for Nelson's flag. About this time, he left London for Bath, and there, while the Vanguard was equipping, he passed some weeks in the society of his father and the family of his younger sister, Mrs. Matcham. Nelson rejoins the Earl of St. Vincent off Cadiz. CHAPTER VII. 1798. SIR HORATIO IS ORDERED TO HOIST HIS FLAG ON BOARD THE TO SICILY HIS INTERPOSITION IN BEHALF OF THE Culloden AND HER CAPTAIN PRESENTS SENT TO HIM BY THE GRAND SIGNOR AND OTHER FOREIGN STATES. On the 16th of March, 1798, the rear-admiral received orders to hoist his flag on board the Vanguard, and to take under his charge a convoy for Lisbon. He immediately made every preparation to join his ship. On this occasion a gloomy foreboding hung over the spirits of Lady Nelson, which Sir Horatio exerted himself to dispel. "My ambition," said he, "is satisfied. I am now going to raise you to that rank in which I have long wished to see you." After an ineffectual attempt to put to sea, he at length sailed from St. Helen's on the 9th of April, and on the 29th joined the Earl of St. Vincent, off Cadiz. "I am very happy," wrote the first lord of the Admiralty to the commander-in-chief, on this occasion, "to send you Sir Horatio Nelson again, not only because I believe I cannot send you a more zealous, active, and approved officer, but because I have reason to believe that his being under your command will be agreeable to your wishes. If your lordship French Armament at Toulon. is as desirous to have him with you as he is to be with you, I am sure the arrangement must be perfectly satisfactory." "I do assure your lordship," replied the noble admiral, " that the arrival of Admiral Nelson has given me new life: you could not have gratified me more than in sending him. His presence in the Mediterranean is so very essential that I mean to put the Orion and Alexander under his command, with the addition of three or four frigates, and to send him away, the moment the Vanguard has delivered her water to the in-shore squadron, to endeavour to ascertain the real object of the preparations making by the French." The preparations alluded to by Lord St. Vincent were making at Toulon for an expedition, the object of which was kept a profound secret. The armament destined for it consisted of thirteen sail of the line, seven 40-gun frigates, twenty-four smaller vessels of war, and nearly two hundred transports, filled with troops, horses, artillery, provisions, and military stores. Immediately on Nelson's arrival, the commander-in-chief sent him, as he intended, with orders to proceed up the Mediterranean, and to endeavour to ascertain, by every means in his power, either on the south coast of France or that of Genoa, the object of the expedition projected by the French. About a fortnight after his departure, the commander-in-chief was informed by the Admiralty that a reinforcement under Sir R. Curtis had been sent out to him, and he was directed on its arrival to despatch a squadron of twelve sail of the line and a sufficient number of frigates, under the command of "some discreet flag officer," into the Mediterranean, with instructions to proceed in quest of the French armament. In a private and confidential letter forwarded at the same time by Earl Spencer, government left it entirely to the decision of Lord St. Vincent either to M Nelson is detached to the Mediterranean. make a detachment from his fleet, or to proceed with his whole force into the Mediterranean; the frustration of the object of the Toulon expedition being deemed preferable to the advantages attending the blockade of the Spanish fleet in Cadiz, which, however, was to be kept up, if possible. If you determine," added Lord Spencer, "to send a detachment into the Mediterranean, I think it almost unnecessary to suggest to you the propriety of putting it under the command of Sir H. Nelson, whose acquaintance with that part of the world, as well as his activity and disposition, seem to qualify him in a peculiar manner for that service." Lord St. Vincent, as it has been shown, had already anticipated this suggestion, to the great dissatisfaction of some of the senior officers commanding under him, who even ventured to complain to the first lord of the Admiralty of the marked preference given by the commanderin-chief to a junior admiral of the same fleet. The country, however, had soon abundant reason to congratulate itself on the discrimination which led Lord St. Vincent and the head of the Admiralty to select Nelson for this important service. These instructions were accompanied by orders that any ports in the Mediterranean should be considered as hostile those of the island of Sardinia alone excepted of which the governors or chief magistrates should refuse to permit the commanders of any of his majesty's ships arriving therein to procure supplies of provisions, or of any articles which they might require. The admiral lost no time in forwarding the purport of these instructions to Sir Horatio, who, before they reached him, was exposed, in the night of the 20th of May, being then in the Gulf of Lyons, to the fury of one of those sudden tempests to which the Mediterranean is liable. The Vanguard suffered His Squadron dispersed by a Storm. more from the effects of this storm than any of the other vessels. It carried away her topmasts, and, finally her foremast, besides which her bowsprit was sprung in three places. The line of battle ships were separated by the gale from their three frigates. In the morning, they succeeded in wearing the Vanguard with the remnant of the sprit-sail; and Captain Ball, in the Alexander, took her in tow, bearing up for Sardinia, while the Orion looked out ahead for a pilot to carry them into the road of San Pietro. Nelson, fearful lest the safety of the Alexander might be endangered by her attempt to assist the Vanguard, sent orders to Captain Ball to cast off, but that brave officer replied that he knew he could save the Vanguard, and, by God's help, he would do it.'* On the 24th they reached San Pietro in safety. On the same day, writing to Lady Nelson, he thus described the effect produced on his mind by the dangers which he had just escaped :- "I ought not to call what has happened to the Vanguard by the cold name of accident. I believe firmly it was the Almighty goodness, to check my consummate vanity; I hope it has made me a better officer, * The commencement of the acquaintance of Nelson and Captain Ball was in 1783, when both resided for a short time at St. Omer's, in France. They parted mutually prejudiced against each other, and did not again meet till Ball was sent with the squadron which reinforced Nelson shortly before the tempest. At their first interview, Nelson, under the impression of old feelings, asked, "What do you expect by going with me? Do you wish to get your bones broke?" It was not to save my bones that I came into the service," replied Ball; "I know you are going on a perilous duty, and am therefore happy to go with you." The perseverance and resources displayed by the captain, as related above, won the heart of Sir Horatio, than whom none could better appreciate extraordinary merit; and from that hour the closest intimacy and warmest mutual regard prevailed between these officers. |