TO ADMIRAL LORD HOOD. [Autograph, in the Hood Papers.] My dear Lord, Camp, July 24th, 1794. 4 A. M. The General wishes for all the Wine-pipes which can be got to be landed directly at the place near the six-gun battery. We are just returned from work. The mortars carried into their batteries and the 18-pounders been taken from their six-gun battery to the three-gun battery, there mounted, and the 26 pounders carried into the Grand battery. Believe me, your most faithful I should not have troubled your Lordship for empty casks had any been within my reach, but the 400 brought round in the Transport from Bastia are all gone-where I cannot say, but such waste of everything I never was before witness to. I endeavour to keep pace with their wants but it is not always I am able to do it. Since our six-gun battery has been made, every Transport's boat, and Men-of-War's boat have been employed in bringing stores from the Ships and the other Cove; but if they come one trip from the Ships, then what they ought to have brought was things from the shore, and vice versa. The Agents have written desires from me to land everything as fast as possible. We ought to have 700, at least, barrels of powder. I think 900 besides the 400 now landed. I have not yet landed the 200 which I told your Lordship I had on board Agamemnon, when 100 would shall contrive for the soldiers to effect it to-morrow evening. Your very faithful CHARLES STUART.' - Added in Nelson's writing;-" Removed before this letter [was] delivered." -Autograph, in the Nelson Papers. remain on board. I hope it will not be wanted. The General I am just going to, and will communicate his wishes about the powder so soon as I know them. were I am just come from the General, to whom I showed your letter of yesterday. He wishes for more powder, as he cannot tell how soon the Ships may be separated from him. I have at different times taken upon me to assure General Stuart of your inclination to forward his wishes in every respect. What is the matter I cannot tell, but he does not seem satisfied. All our spars, and those sent me, are in Tents, with every sail therefore I have to request that with the powder may be landed a large sail to keep out rain, and proper spars to erect a Tent to hold it. He asked me if you going to strip the Transports of the men, and supposed when the place fell, all the Transports would be taken from him. The General may have his causes to be displeased, but I am confident they cannot be caused by any part of the Naval Department. Our Seamen from noon yesterday till nine o'clock were employed carrying shot from the beach to the battery, mounting the guns on the seven-gun battery and mortars on theirs. This morning have been making a road to remove the Royal Louis battery, which is to be done with a party of seamen to-night. The others are now at work carrying shot. Be so good as to say the day my Journal ends, and I will send the remainder; but I did not mark it when it was sent, but think the 16th. Believe me, with truest esteem, Your most faithful, HORATIO NELSON. Pray what shot has L'Imperieuse landed, or some Ship? 32-pounders are landed, they tell me. I don't think our batteries will open these two days. TO ADMIRAL LORD HOOD. [From a Copy, in the Nelson Papers.] My dear Lord, Camp, July 26th, 1794. I am just honoured with your letter by Gibson, and do not conceive there can be a necessity for more powder: 900 on shore, 200 in Transports, and if distressed 200 in Agamemnon. I am glad the Brig is taken; the other is ready for sea. Some great men of the Revolution may be on board her might not some person from Calvi point them out? There is a Sergeant deserter on board the Mather Transport. It is morally impossible the General can be out of humour with your Lordship, or with any of us. He has never expressed a wish that has not instantly been complied with, in its fullest extent. I trust he will not forget our services; and when I recollect the morning of the six-gun battery, how he expressed his thanks for our Seamen dragging and mounting the guns under a heavy fire of grapeshot, I think he cannot. Sixty Seamen were with the field-pieces, and as exposed as any of the Troops the morning of the Storm, but no notice has been taken of them but I shall not forget this fact, that every gun is dragged and fought by Seamen. Believe me your most faithful, HORATIO NELSON. The Transports have not one empty cask if the Victory has any we shall be glad of them. TO ADMIRAL LORD HOOD. [From a Copy, in the Nelson Papers.] My dear Lord, Camp, July 26th, 1794. Except carrying shot, we had not last night much to do for the Victory's landed. In removing the Royal Louis battery, the roads being so very bad, we were not able to get one gun to the battery, therefore I am necessitated to keep the Victory's to assist us this night. I asked the General about the forty Royal Louis, in the Terrible. He does not want them, and if of no use on board, thinks they had better be landed at Fiorenzo with their Regiment. The General also requested me to say that the Cannoniers landed here belonged to the Commerce de Marseilles, that their wives and families and things were on board her, and that they were much distressed to know what was to become of them,whether they were to join their Ship, or to have their families &c., landed? I am sorry to put all these questions, but the General asks me, therefore I am obliged to trouble you. Our thirty-six-pounders are not to be mounted to-night. To morrow night, the General says he hopes to be ready for them, but each day brings a further delay. The eighteenpounders found in the Fountain battery, are to be turned against the Enemy, and one eighteen-pounder in the Mozelle. When all our batteries are completed, we shall have thirtyfive pieces of ordnance playing on the Town, and I think a very few hours must bring them to terms. There are now on shore nine hundred barrels of powder, but from what I wrote yesterday they think they never can have enough of anything. To see the piles of shot at the back of the Mozelle, as I tell them, looks like Woolwich Warren. We must, thank God, be fast drawing to a close: it cannot be procrastinated many days longer. Believe me, your Lordship's most faithful Captain Hallowell who is as active and good as ever, desires his best respects. The proceedings on the 27th and 28th July are shown by the following Note from General Stuart to Captain Nelson, dated Sunday, July 27th: TO ADMIRAL LORD HOOD. [Autograph, in the Hood Papers.] Camp, July 29th, 1794. My dear Lord. Since the Agamemnon has been here, two seamen, good men, have entered from the Changeable Transport into the Agamemnon. The Master came to me, and hoped I would give him two men in lieu. One, his Carpenter, was mutinous; and the other, his Second Mate; that he would be satisfied with an indifferent Carpenter, but he could not with propriety go to sea without one: that he would not ask for any one in lieu of the other, but he was very short-handed. I told him that if your Lordship had no objection I would discharge two men in lieu, but without that I did not feel justified, and desired him to take an opportunity of going on board, and asking Captain Inglefield for an order. Lieutenant H— this morning came to me in a very uncivil way, that the Master of the Changeable had complained to him that [he] could not go to sea for want of two men in lieu; that if I would not give men in lieu to send them back, "Dear Sir,-What I require from your people to-night, for the good of the Public service, in which I am sure of your kind assistance, is nearly as follows,— To place three eighteen-pounders upon their carriages, and in the batteries; to carry down, and place upon their respective platforms, two thirty-six-pounders, and one twenty-six. Captain Stephens informs me that he has settled with respect to the number of Seamen we require on the batteries to-morrow, a little before day-break, a number similar to that I had the honour of showing you some days ago, and which then appeared to me inferior to the service, but which upon a further explanation, I find to be sufficient from the number of additional guns added to them. May I entreat, for the safety of the whole, that no tobacco may be smoked by the sailors when upon this duty. I have the honour to be, your obedient servant, CHAS. STUART." Autograph, in the Nelson Papers. Captain John Nicholson Inglefield. Captain Sir Hyde Parker, First Captain to Lord Hood, having been promoted to Rear-Admiral, and wishing to hoist his Flag, (to which his Lordship consented,) Lord Hood issued an order dated "Victory, Hieres Bay, 19th June 1794," which, after stating those facts, and that from not having twenty Sail of the Line under his command, he did not feel himself entitled to appoint a First Captain in Sir Hyde Parker's room, "yet having a very urgent "and pressing occasion for assistance," he had "thought fit to authorize Captain Inglefield to repair on board the Victory, and take upon him the duties of First "Captain, under the character of Adjutant-General of the Fleet." Captain Inglefield was afterwards a Commissioner of the Navy; and was placed on the Retired list of Post-Captains in February 1799. |