CHAPTER VII. NELSON AS A COMMODORE. (1796.) His work in the Mediterranean-The distinguishing pendant-The King of Spain's letter to the King of Naples-Fresh interview with Sir John Jervis-The broad pendant-Capture of French ordnance stores for the Siege of Mantua-Sale of Austrian prisoners of war to the Spaniards-The Danish neutral-Nelson's reputation on his station-His pecuniary position in 1796-Letters to his father and his wife-The Mediterranean abandoned. under me. N in his Autobiography Nelson says: "In 1796 the Commander-in-chief so much approved of my conduct that he directed me to wear a distinguishing pendant. In June I was removed from the Agamemnon to the Captain, and on the 11th of August had a captain appointed Between April and October, 1796, I was employed in the blockade of Leghorn, taking Porto Ferrajo, the island of Caprea, and finally in the evacuation of Bastia, when, having seen the troops in safety to Porto Ferrajo, I joined the Admiral in St. Fiorenzo Bay, and proceeded with him to Gibraltar; whence, in December, I was sent in La Minerve frigate, Captain George Cockburn, to Porto Ferrajo, to bring down our naval stores, &c. On the passage we captured a Spanish frigate, La Sabina, of 40 guns, 28 eighteen-pounders on her main deck, as will appear by my letter." With the opening of this eventful year, the prospect of Spain throwing in her lot with the Government of France, and thus, not only deserting Naples, but insuring an immense addition to the enemy's fleet in the Mediterranean, became more and more probable. In October, 1795, Sir John Jervis had been appointed to the command of the Mediterranean Fleet, and before he left England gave to Earl Spencer, the then First Lord of the Admiralty, a paper in which were the following questions relative to the attitude of Spain. "Various pretences may be used by Spain to employ a squadron in the Mediterranean, such as conveying the Princess of Parma to Italy, protecting her trade, visiting her ports, particularly Port Mahon; and under any of these pretexts a junction with the French at Toulon is very practicable. Query, What measures can be taken to defeat such a design? . . . In case," he adds in the second question, "such a junction is effected-which might give a very great superiority over His Majesty's ships-with evident signs of hostility on the part of Spain, what then is to be the conduct of the British Fleet?" To these very pertinent questions Sir John never received a reply.1 Again, on Jan. 19, 1796, Sir John wrote to Admiral Man, who was in command of a detached squadron, that he was "without authentic intelligence of a hostile disposition on the part of Spain." of Spain." In May, 1796, he complains to Mr. Drake " of the flagrant partiality shown by Spain to the French, in permitting the cruisers of the Republic to anchor in their ports, and to send out boats to capture unsuspecting, unarmed merchant ships.' Again, in August, he warns Lord Spencer of "the lowering aspect with Spain."2 And yet even then he was apparently without authentic information of the intentions of the Court of Spain. Yet, if the first paragraph in Nelson's last codicil to his will is founded 1 Enclosed in letter to the Viceroy of Corsica. 2 Tucker's "Lord St. Vincent," vol. i. p. 200. Tucker, vol. ii. p. 203. 1796.] THE KING OF SPAIN'S LETTER. 117 on truth, in the year 1796 Lady Hamilton sent to the Ministry the letter which the King of Spain had written to his brother, the King of Naples, acquainting him of his intention to declare war against England, and the Ministry had sent out orders to Sir J. Jervis "to strike a stroke, if opportunity offered, against the arsenals of Spain or her fleets." It is difficult to reconcile these statements. Nelson, of course, believed what Lady Hamilton told him, but it is not unfair to doubt the accuracy of Lady Hamilton's statement.1 I begin the letters in this chapter with the following from his father, Jan. 4, 1796: "The commencement of a new year calls on a father's tender and affectionate feelings to rejoice with you on the many extraordinary escapes you have experienced, which do evidence a Providential hand that has guarded you from impending dangers; may that great and good Being still be your shield and defender. I have also further joy in perceiving these self-approving reflections which arise from a consciousness of having done all that the great trust in you could require, 'Mr. Cordy Jeffreson, in his late work on Lady Hamilton and Lord Nelson, has thrown serious doubts on the claim of the lady to having sent this letter at her own expense to the English Government (vol. i. chap. 18). The letter of September, 1796, says that writer, was by no means the first occasion on which the King of Spain informed his brother of Naples of his intention of withdrawing from the Coalition and join the French against England. He had so written on April 2, 1795, and on August 11th, in the same year, had written about the negotiation going on for peace between France and Spain. As a member of the Council all these letters must have been known to the Queen, and she could have no reason for picking the King's pocket of the September letter. The copy of the letter in the Morrison's MS. is certainly not in Lady Hamilton's handwriting, and the supposed endorsement of Sir William verifying it is, to my mind, very suspicious. The extracts which I have given from Sir J. Jervis's letters, seem to me to greatly increase the doubts of any such letter having been forwarded to the Government. If it was, the charge of gross negligence, in not having forwarded it to Jervis, lies on the Government, or on Sir John, in neither case likely. Another copy of the letter was sold in London lately. That Lady Hamilton paid £400 out of her own pocket has been thoroughly disproved by Mr. Jeffreson. |