been a Doctor by, who bled him plentifully, might have carried him off: however, he is now pretty well, but not able to get out of doors. It is the second attack, but do not give him the least hint that you know it, as I fancy the Doctors have pretty well persuaded him it was only a casual fainting. He is very much beloved by everybody here; and I think, from my little personal acquaintance, he is a very genteel man. I found Lord Hood here upon my arrival, and I have requested him to take me with him to the West Indies: he has 4 wrote to Admiral Digby for me, and I was to have sailed with [the] Fleet as this day, but for some private reasons, when my Ship was under sail from New York to join Lord Hood, at Sandy Hook, I was sent for on shore, and told I was to be kept forty-eight hours after the sailing of the Fleet: it is much to my private advantage, but I had much rather have sailed with the Fleet: if there is wind enough they sail this day. I have told you all that concerns myself: if you write to me, direct it under cover to Mr. Hunt, Lord Hood's Secretary; he is a son of Hunt's, at the Navy Board. Charles Pilfold 5 is here, one of the first to be made a Lieutenant: he is a charming character, beloved by his Captain, and all his acquaintance. I have had him with me almost ever since my arrival: he is taller and stouter than me. Peacock has not got a third Lieutenant as yet; I wish he could get him. I shall speak to him this day about him. He has the same gentle disposition and modesty as when a youngster: you must remember the little fellow well. He desires to be particularly remembered to you. Pray wish Mrs. Dyne joy for me, and my best compliments to the old lady and all the family. I am a candidate with Lord Hood for a Line of Battle Ship: he has honoured me highly by a letter, for wishing to go off 3 Rear-Admiral Samuel Lord Hood, who had been created a Peer of Ireland a few months before, was then proceeding with a large Squadron to the West Indies. 4 Rear-Admiral the Honourable Robert Digby, Commander-in-Chief in North America: he attained the rank of Admiral of the Red, and died in February 1815. As the name of Charles Pilfold does not occur in the Navy Lists, he probably died, or retired from the Service, before he obtained his promotion. 6 Miss Frances Bradley married on the 9th of July 1782, Andrew Hawes Dyne, Esq., and died on the 5th of August 1842. Vide p. 48, ante. The "old lady' was probably her mother. this Station, to a Station of Service, and has promised me his friendship. Prince William is with him; I think it is a prelude to the Digby's going off this station; money is the great object here, nothing else is attended to. Peacock will write today, he tells me: he will, perhaps, tell you all the news of this place. The French are still in Boston. The Packet sails tomorrow, and I have been so much employed in fitting my Ship, that I could not get time to write before to-day; and you must excuse me for not saying more, though I could fill another sheet very well. When I arrive in the West Indies you will hear from me. Farewell, my dear Friend, and be assured I am your obliged humble Servant, I have got but a corner, tell all my friends "how do ye." 7 H.R.H. Prince William Henry, third son of King George the Third, afterwards Duke of Clarence, Admiral of the Fleet, and KING WILLIAM THE FOURTH. The Prince honoured Nelson with his warmest friendship, and many Letters in this Collection were addressed to His Royal Highness. The following description of Nelson by the Prince is extremely interesting : "I was then a Midshipman on board the Barfleur, lying in the Narrows off Staten Island, and had the watch on deck, when Captain Nelson, of the Albemarle, came in his barge alongside, who appeared to be the merest boy of a Captain I ever beheld: and his dress was worthy of attention. He had on a fulllaced uniform his lank unpowdered hair was tied in a stiff Hessian tail, of an extraordinary length; the old-fashioned flaps of his waistcoat added to the general quaintness of his figure, and produced an appearance which particularly attracted my notice; for I had never seen anything like it before, nor could I imagine who he was, nor what he came about. My doubts were, however, removed, when Lord Hood introduced me to him. There was something irresistibly pleasing in his address and conversation; and an enthusiasm, when speaking on professional subjects, that showed he was no common being. Nelson after this went with us to the West Indies, and served under Lord Hood's flag during his indefatigable cruize off Cape François. Throughout the whole of the American war, the height of Nelson's ambition was to command a Line-of-Battle Ship; as for prize-money, it never entered his thoughts: he had always in view the character of his maternal uncle. I found him warmly attached to my Father, and singularly humane: he had the honour of the King's service, and the independence of the British Navy, particularly at heart; and his mind glowed with this idea as much when he was simply Captain of the Albemarle, and had obtained none of the honours of his Country, as when he was afterwards decorated with so much well-earned distinction."—From Minutes of a Conversation with the Duke of Clarence at Bushey Park, Clarke & M'Arthur, vol. i. p. 53. My dear Sir, TO WILLIAM LOCKER, ESQ. [Autograph, in the Locker Papers.] Albemarle, Off Cape Tiberoon, February 25th, 1783. As I see the Packet is in sight astern, I ought not to miss this opportunity of writing, more especially as I did not write when in Port-Royal harbour, for I was so much hurried in getting my Ship in order for Sea, that I had not time to look round me. The Fleet arrived the 4th instant, and I suppose will be ready for Sea the last day of this month, although stores are as scarce at Jamaica as ever: sixteen topmasts were wanted for the Line of Battle Ships, and there was not one in the Island of Jamaica; and the Fleet must have been sent to Sea short of masts, had not providentially a French-Mast ship, belonging to Monsieur Vaudreuil's Fleet come alongside the Albemarle, and was captured by her. She has nearly a hundred topmasts for large Ships, with a number of lower masts and yards. She will clear upwards of 20,000l. What a good prize if the Fleet had not been in sight. They do not deserve to share for her: we had chased to leeward, and she had passed every Ship in the Fleet without being noticed. The other Mastship that the French brought from America was run ashore, and entirely lost by the Fleet. They had parted from Vaudreuil in a gale of wind, and could not fetch St. John's, Porto Rico, which was their rendezvous, and therefore very fortunately came in our way. The French Fleet, finding we were off Monti Christi, went through the Mona Passage, and have been seen in sight of the Island of Curaçoa, but where they are God knows. I am sent out by Lord Hood to find them if I can. We are all in the dark in this part of the world, whether it is Peace or War. If I should capture anything this cruize, I have made Hanbury and Shaw my Agents. Many inquiries were made after you at Jamaica, by people of all ranks and colour. Captain Reynolds, I think, told me he had heard 8 8 Apparently Captain Francis Reynolds, of the Monarch 74 guns, who was posted on the 12th of April 1762, and succeeded to the title of Lord Ducie. He is again mentioned. from you lately, and that you were in good health, which, be assured, gave me great pleasure. The Fleet fell in with Charles Pole, but I was in chase, and could not see him. I had a letter from him ten days ago by a Ship who parted from his Squadron, for he is quite a Commodore here. He has been pretty successful since he came upon this Station, and will be very much so, if a Neutral, which he sent in, is given to him. She is condemned in Jamaica, but they have appealed, and in England we are afraid of the cursed Neutral flag. My situation in Lord Hood's Fleet must be in the highest degree flattering to any young man. He treats me as if I was his son, and will, I am convinced, give me anything I can ask of him: nor is my situation with Prince William less flattering. Lord Hood was so kind as to tell him (indeed I cannot make use of expressions strong enough to describe what I felt), that if he wished to ask questions relative to Naval Tactics, I could give him as much information as any Officer in the Fleet. He will be, I am certain, an ornament to our Service. He is a seaman, which you could hardly suppose. Every other qualification you may expect from him. But he will be a disciplinarian, and a strong one: he says he is determined every person shall serve his time before they shall be provided for, as he is obliged to serve his. A vast deal of notice has been taken of him at Jamaica: he has been Addressed by the Council, and the House of Assembly were to address him the day after I sailed. He has his Levées at Spanish Town: they are all highly delighted with him. With the best temper, and great good sense, he cannot fail of being pleasing to every one. But I must say God bless you, for the Endymion's boat is just coming on board, who is Convoy to the Packet: they sailed seven days before us from Port-Royal. You will remember me kindly to all my acquaintance and friends that you meet with. Farewell my good Sir, and assure yourself I am, and always shall be, Your most affectionate Friend and Servant, If I get safe back to Port-Royal (which is a matter of great doubt to me), I shall get a cask of the best rum on board for you, when you write, which I hope will have been long before you receive this. You may direct them to the care of Mr. Joseph Hunt, Lord Hood's Secretary, which will be a sure way of my getting them. Bromwich is second Lieutenant of the Albemarle, and is a very good Officer. Not an Officer has been changed, except the Second Lieutenant, since the Albemarle was commissioned, therefore it is needless to say, I am happy in my Ship's company. Once more farewell. H. N. TO REAR ADMIRAL LORD HOOD, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF IN THE WEST INDIES. [Original, in the Admiralty. It is very remarkable that the attempt to recapture Turk's Island, related in this letter, should not be mentioned by any of Nelson's biographers: nor does he allude to it in the "Sketch of his Life." The affair is noticed in Schomberg's "Naval Chronology," vol. i. p. 137, but he does not mention that the Albemarle or that Nelson was present, and leaves it to be inferred that the Ships were commanded by Captain King of the Resistance.] My Lord, Albemarle, March 9 1783. On Thursday, the 6th Instant, a few leagues to windward of Monti Christi, I fell in with his Majesty's Ship Resistance, Captain King.9 From him I received information that the French had taken the Turk's Island, on the 13th February, with one hundred and fifty Regulars, and three Vessels of War. As it would be very little loss in my getting to the Eastward, making the Turk's Island, I determined to look what situation the French were in, and if possible to retake it. The Tartar,1 who joined company a few hours afterwards, I ordered to put herself under my command, which, with the Resistance and La Coquette, a French Ship of War, prize to the Resistance, made a tolerable outward show. On Friday evening, the Albemarle, Resistance, and Drake, anchored at the Island. The Tartar, Captain Fairfax, I imagine, could not 9 The Resistance, of 44 guns, Captain James King, who had been one of the Lieutenants with Captain Cook, in his Voyages of Discovery he died about 1786. : The Tartar was commanded by Captain William George Fairfax, who was First Captain to Lord Duncan, in the Battle off Camperdown, in 1797. He received a Medal, and was Knighted for his services on that occasion, and died a Vice-Admiral in November 1813. 2 The Drake, of 14 guns, Captain Charles Dixon: he was made a Post-Captain in November 1790, and died in 1804. |