upwards of one hundred of my Ship's company absent; we are not much better than a 50 gun Ship. Lord Hood has sent for Suckling, who was in the Sandwich, and I dare say has made him a Lieutenant3 by this time. The Lord is very good friends with me: he is certainly the best Officer I ever saw. Everything from him is so clear it is impossible to misunderstand him. If I should go to Cadiz be assured I will get you a hogshead or two of sherry. Troubridge will tell you, I did not see him or his Ship, after my letter by St. Albans. December 8th. I am glad to see by the papers, that Kingsmill is to hoist his Flag. Pray, when you write to him, remember me kindly to him. Say, can I get him anything in these parts? if so, I will do it with real pleasure. I have been in sight of the French Squadron all day, and we hear they have been joined by a Frigate from Calvi; and really, I think that the Frigate who received most of our fire is not here; [that] they want one of their number, is certain. We have not, ever since the firing, wanted those who say they saw her sink. I own it remains doubtful. Remember me kindly to all your sons and daughters, Mr. Bradley, and all friends, and believe me, Your most affectionate HORATIO NELSON. 2 "To another friend he jocosely observed on this occasion, that those he had were chiefly Norfolk men, and he always reckoned them as good as two others." -Harrison's Life of Nelson, vol. i. p. 112. 3 Mr. William Suckling was made a Lieutenant in 1794. 4 This was not the fact, as La Melpomene was one of the ships taken at Calvi. Vide Postea. TO WILLIAM SUCKLING, ESQ. [From "the Athenæum." On the 15th of November 1793, Lord Hood directed Commodore Linzee "to send Captain Nelson to cruise from Calvi to the Gulf of Especia, to look for the Frigates he had engaged on the 22nd of October, but not to let it be known where he was gone, and to take under his command such Ships as he might find on that Station, which were the Mermaid, Tartar, Topaze French frigate, and Scout Brig, and probably the Amphitrite: and in addition to looking out for the French Frigates, he was to direct him to prevent all Ships and Vessels from going to Genoa, as that Port was in a state of investment and blockade by a part of the Fleet under Lord Hood. In the execution of this service, he was to be as careful as possible not to give further offence to the subjects of such Powers, whose Vessels he might chance to fall in with, and whose Sovereigns were in amity with England, than making known to them the purport of those orders. But in case they should persist in going to the Port of Genoa, he was then to stop the said Vessels, and send them to Leghorn, or Porto Ferrajo, there to be detained."] My dear Sir, Agamemnon, December 5th, [1793,] off Corsica. I am just returned from Tunis, where I have been under Commodore Linzee, to negotiate for a French Convoy from the Levant. You will believe the English seldom get much by negotiation except the being laughed at, which we have been; and I don't like it. Had we taken, which in my opinion we ought to have done, the Men-of-War and Convoy, worth at least £300,000, how much better we could have negotiated : -given the Bey £50,000, he would have been glad to have put up with the insult offered to his dignity. The French sent him very great presents; and he bought, through fear of us, several rich cargoes, for one third of their value. The Ships of War so much believed we should have attacked them, that, at first, they hauled their Ships almost a-ground; but 4 Lord Hood's orders to Commodore Linzee, dated 15th of November, were "to expostulate with the Bey, in the strongest and most impressive manner, on the impolicy of his giving countenance and support to so heterogeneous a Government as the present one of France, composed of murderers and assassins, who have recently beheaded their Queen in a manner that would disgrace the most barbarous savages. The Bey of Tunis, who was possessed of superior abilities, is said at the Conference which Captain Nelson held with him, to have displayed such quickness as to have disconcerted even the Captain of the Agamemnon. On being told of the excesses which the French Government had committed, he dryly observed, That nothing could be more heinous than the murder of their Sovereign; and yet, Sir, if your historians tell the truth, your own countrymen once did the same.' ”—Clarke and M‘Arthur, vol. i. p. 138. latterly almost insulted us. Thank God,Lord Hood, whom Linzee sent to for orders how to act, after having negotiated, ordered me from under his command, and to command a Squadron of Frigates off Corsica and the Coast of Italy, to protect our trade, and that of our new Ally, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and to prevent any Ship or Vessel, of whatever Nation, from going into the port of Genoa. I consider this command as a very high compliment,—there being five older Captains in the Fleet. You will have heard of our little brush from Maurice,1 whom I wrote to from Tunis, by way of Spain: that the Lord should be pleased with our conduct, you need not wonder at; I flatter myself he could not be otherwise. Had they been English, and we French, the case, I am sure, would have been different. I am now cruizing for them; they are in St. Fiorenzo. Corsica, December 8th:-I have been in sight of the French Squadron all day, at anchor; they cannot be induced to come out, notwithstanding their great superiority. Remember me in the kindest manner to Mrs. Suckling, Miss Suckling, and all the family. Believe me, Your most affectionate Pray don't forget me to Mr. Rumsey. HORATIO NELSON. TO THE REV. MR. NELSON, HILBOROUGH. [Autograph, in the Nelson Papers.] My dear Brother, Agamemnon, Leghorn, December 27th, 1793. You may probably have heard of our evacuation of Toulon by last post, when I wrote Maurice a line, as the report then went. For England, the getting rid of such a place is a most happy event. Our money would have gone very fast. Even the Staff which was appointed from England was sufficient for Ireland, and other places, which was filling as fast as horses could draw them across the Continent, or they could find Ships to carry them to Toulon. The particulars 1 Vide p. 337. are as follows; that on the 13th a most numerous Army covered the neighbouring hills, that Lord Hood had given notice to the inhabitants of the probable evacuation of the place, that on the 17th at eight o'clock at night a general attack was made on all our outposts, which lasted all night; the Foreign troops quitted them sooner than they ought to have done, and the others were obliged to be abandoned the next morning, destroying the works, and spiking the guns, as well as a short time would allow. Lord Hood attempted to rally the flying troops, but it was impossible: our Army retired into the Town and Fort la Malgue. On the 18th the Neapolitan troops were ordered to embark, together with the Royalists in as many Ships as could be found. Then began a scene of horror which may be conceived, not described. The mob rose; death called forth all its myrmidons, which destroyed the miserable inhabitants in the shape of swords, pistols, fire, and water. Thousands are said to be lost. In this dreadful scene, and to complete misery, already at the highest, Lord Hood was obliged to order the French Fleet, twenty Sail of the Line, twenty other Men-of-War, together with the Arsenal, (Dock-yard,) Powder-Magazines, &c., to be set on fire. One half of the Town is said to have been consumed with them. Only three of the French Fleet, one First-rate, one 80, one 74 and two Frigates, saved: all the Forts are blown up, and it is now strongly reported that Lord Hood has sailed for Hieres Bay. Fathers are here without families, and families without fathers, the pictures of horror and despair. Agamemnon is here getting provisions, but stationed with a Squadron off Corsica. Josiah is well, and desires to be remembered. Don't omit my remembrance in the kindest manner to Mrs. Nelson and my Aunt. I expect to see them soon, for this War cannot last much longer. Hoste is a very good boy indeed, as is Bolton. Compliments at Swaffham, and believe me, Your affectionate Brother, 5 Afterwards Captain Sir William Bolton, who was Nelson's Proxy at his Installation as a Knight of the Bath, on the 19th of May 1803. He married, shortly before the Installation, his Patron's niece, Catherine, daughter of Mrs. Bolton, and died in December 1830. I am glad to hear my mare is not sold. Lord Hood has not quitted La Malgue.-27th, 6 P.M. Mrs. Nelson wrote about a fish dried called Tonges for Mr. Speed. I cannot find out any such fish. I think she must have mistaken the name. Be so good as to find out what it is, and let me know. Sir, TO H. R. H. THE DUKE OF CLARENCE. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol.i. p. 140.] Agamemnon, Leghorn Roads, 27th December 1793. My last letter to your Royal Highness would convey to you my opinion of the impossility of holding Toulon without a superior Army in the field: but the fall of it has been something quicker than I expected, owing to the Foreign troops having but very badly defended some of the outposts, as reported here by several vessels with some of the wretched inhabitants of Toulon. Lord Hood is said to have attempted rallying the flying troops, but in vain; and that he exposed himself to great danger. The reports, although there is some difference in the telling, all seem to agree that the following are facts:: That on the 13th a most numerous Army covered the hills; that Lord Hood issued a Proclamation to prepare the inhabitants for what would probably happen, the evacuation of Toulon; that on the 17th, at eight o'clock at night, the Enemy made a general attack on all our outposts, which lasted the whole night, many of which they carried with too much ease; that the other outposts were obliged to be abandoned, and the troops to retire to Fort la Malgue; that on the 18th, Lord Hood ordered all the Neapolitans to be embarked together, with as many Royalists as could find Ships to carry them; and that our Fleet, with that of Spain, were anchored under La Malgue. On the 19th, in the morning, such a scene was displayed, as would make the hardest heart feel the mob had risen, was plundering, and committing every excess; many-numbers cannot be estimated-were |