CHAPTER VIII.

THE BATTLE OF ST. VINCENT.

(1797.)

The Battle of St. Vincent-Nelson's own account-Letters from Collingwood, Prince William Henry-His father and his wife-Jervis's error of tactics-Rear-Admiral-Knight of the Bath-Blockade of Cadiz and the Spanish Fleet-Capture of the Spanish gunboat-Nelson's life saved by John Sykes-The cost of a Knighthood of the Bath and coat-of-arms.

IN the 16th of December, 1796, Sir J. Jervis sailed for Lisbon with his fleet, now, by a series of accidents, reduced to ten sail-of-the-line, where he remained until the 18th of January, 1797, when he left for the rendezvous which he had appointed off Cape St. Vincent. On the 6th of February, a reinforcement of six ships-of-theline reached him there, and with fifteen sail-of-the-line and four frigates he there awaited the Allied squadrons. On the 12th, Nelson in the Minerve brought the news that the Spanish Fleet had been seen two days before in the Straits; and on the 13th, the look-out ships of both squadrons reported the enemy by signal at the same time.

"The Spaniards," says his gallant French biographer, "who knew nothing of the reinforcement of Jervis's squadron, and felt confident in their immense superiority of numbers, neglected to close up their order of sailing during the night, and continued in a state of dis

persion. Little ambitious of closing with the English squadron, they imagined that it would never venture to act on the offensive; but Jervis, on the contrary, intended to fight. He knew how important a victory would be to England at this moment; and he calculated on this victory from the labours he had bestowed for two years upon the improvement of his squadron.":

I

"The 14th of February," continues our author, "a day fatal to the navy of Spain, broke dark and hazy upon the two fleets—towards the east the coast of Portugal showed dimly through the fog, with its rocky cliffs and the lofty Sierras of Monchique, commanding the Bay of Lagos. The English frigates sent forward to reconnoitre the enemy, only reported as yet six Spanish ships, and a thick mist shrouded both squadrons. However, as the sun. rose above the horizon, the mist which had enveloped them rolled off in fleecy clouds, driven before the breeze, or spirally ascended through the masts, to disperse in the atmosphere. At nine o'clock, twenty sail of Spaniards had been counted from the masthead of the Victory, and at eleven the English frigates reported twenty-five. Owing to the loose manner in which they had sailed during the night, the Spanish ships now found themselves divided into two groups. Admiral Jervis determined to profit by this fault, and prepared to attack one of the divisions. The one composed of nineteen ships formed the main body of the fleet; the other, only consisting of six, had fallen to leeward during the night, and was the first seen by the British ships. Both carried all sail to effect a junction imprudently delayed. Towards the interval which still separated the two masses of the enemy's fleet, but which was momentarily narrowing, the British squadron advanced in a single line. Such was the exciting scene presented for some hours by the two fleets; but the Spanish admiral, seeing that if he continued on the same course he would not clear the whole of the British squadron, tacked the moment the British van approached him. Hardly had Cordova tacked when Jervis made the signal to Culloden (the leading ship of the English van) to do the same, and to lead the fleet after the sixteen ships which were standing on the larboard tack. The ships between the Culloden and the Victory followed the Culloden movement, and followed in succession by the centre ranged up alongside the Spanish Fleet.

"But though by this movement, in time the whole of the English ships might have been ranged side by side with Spanish ships, and an old-fashioned battle in two lines fought with some success, it was

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Nelson's disregard, or rather anticipation of orders, that caused the great success. Seeing that the Spanish admiral led his line so as to pass on the rear of the English Fleet. But Nelson," continues the author, "who had re-hoisted his broad pendant on the Captain, commanded by Captain Miller, was the third ship of the rear division, and watched the fate of the day. He had astern of him only the Excellent 74, Captain Collingwood, and a small sixty-four, the Diadem. Cordova's movement was scarce commenced when Nelson, guessing its object, saw that he would not have time to inform Admiral Jervis and receive his orders; there was not, in fact, an instant to lose if this movement of the Spanish Fleet was to be opposed. Nelson quitted his station without hesitation, and wearing his ship, passed between the Excellent and the Diadem, who continued their course, and placed himself across the bows of the Santissima Trinidad. Thus he stopped the way against her, obliged her to haul to the wind, and threw her back upon the English advanced ships. A part of that advanced squadron then passed to leeward of the Spanish ships, to prevent a further attempt to that which Nelson had defeated, and the other part, led by the Victory, ranged along the Spanish line to windward, and placed Cordova's rear ships between two fires."

How Nelson fared in his desperate manœuvre will be best told in his own words :

"A few remarks relative to myself in the Captain, in which my pendant was flying on the most glorious Valentine's Day, 1797. "On Feb. 13, at six p.m., shifted my pendant from La Minerve frigate to the Captain.

Valentine's Day, at daylight, signal to prepare for battle: at ten, saw some strange ships standing across the van of our fleet, on the larboard tack, which was sailing in two divisions, eight in the weather, seven in the lee, on the starboard tack. About eleven, signal to form line as most convenient. At twenty-five past eleven the action commenced in the van, then passing through the enemy's line. About one a.m., the Captain having passed the sternmost of the enemy's ships, which formed their van, consisting of seventeen sail-of-the-line, and perceiving the Spanish Fleet to bear up before the wind, evidently with the intention of forming their line, going large-joining their separated divisions-or flying from us; to prevent either of their schemes from taking effect, I ordered the ship to be wore, and passing between the Diadem and the Excellent, at ten minutes past one o'clock, I was in close action with the van, and, of course, leeward

of the Spanish Fleet. The ships which I know were the Santa Trinidad, San Josef, Salvador del Mando, San Nicolas, San Isidoro, another first-rate and seventy-four, names unknown. I was immediately joined and most ably supported by the Culloden, Captain Troubridge. The Spanish Fleet, from not wishing, I suppose, to have a decisive battle, hauled to the wind on the larboard tack, which brought the ships above-mentioned to be the leewardmost ships in their fleet. For an hour the Culloden and Captain supported this apparently, but not in reality, unequal contest, when the Blenheim, passing to windward of us and ahead, eased us a little. By this time the Salvador del Mondo and San Isidoro dropped astern, and were fired into in a masterly style by the Excellent, Captain Collingwood, who compelled them to hoist English colours, when, disdaining the parade of taking possession of beaten enemies, he most gallantly pushed up to save his old friend and messmate, who was apparently in a critical situation, the Blenheim having fallen to leeward, and the Culloden crippled and astern, the Captain at this time being actually fired upon by three first-rates, and the San Nicolas and seventy-four, about pistolshot from the San Nicolas. The Excellent ranged up, with every sail set, and hauling up his mainsail just astern, passed within ten feet of the San Nicolas, giving her a most awful and tremendous fire. The San Nicolas luffing up, the San Josef fell on board of her, and the Excellent passing on to the Santa Trinidad, the Captain resumed her situation abreast of them, close alongside.

"At this time the Captain, having lost her foretopmast, not a sail, shroud, or rope standing, the wheel shot away, and incapable of further service in the line or in chase, I directed Captain Miller to put the helm a-starboard, and calling for boarders ordered them to board.

"The soldiers of the 69th Regiment, with an alacrity which will ever do them credit, with Lieutenant Pierson, of the same regiment, were amongst the foremost on this service. The first man who jumped into the enemy's mizen chains was Captain Berry, late my first lieutenant. He was supported from our spritsail yard; and a soldier of the 69th Regiment, having broken the upper quarter gallery window, jumped in, followed by myself and others, as fast as possible. I found the cabin doors fastened, and the Spanish officers fired their pistols at us through the windows, but having broken open the doors, the soldiers fired, and the Spanish brigadier (commodore with a distinguishing pendant) fell as retreating to the quarter-deck. Having pushed on the quarter-deck, I found Captain Berry in possession of the poop, and the Spanish ensign hauling down. The San Josef at