sionally take him over for a night's work now and then; but I would not do it without your approbation. We are all well. My eye is much better. Believe me, with truest esteem, Your Lordship's most faithful, No accident. TO WILLIAM SUCKLING, ESQ. My dear Sir, [From" the Athenæum."] Calvi, Camp, July 16th, 1794. It is a little age since I have had the pleasure of hearing from you. A letter would give me real pleasure, and to say you are all well. I hear Captain Suckling is gone abroad, where I am sure he will acquit himself with honour to himself and friends, amongst which I hope I am considered in the strongest degree. To an Officer, I feel, and assure you he does, that an opportunity to distinguish ourselves is our greatest happiness. What pleasure must those who are dear to us feel in reading of a gallant Officer's conduct. I don't doubt but your son will return safe, and with every credit which an Officer can receive-that he may, I most sincerely wish. You will probably have heard that I am landed here, although * Lord Hood's answer to this Letter, dated July 16th, contains his opinion on an important question, to which Nelson alludes in his Letters of the same day : “My dear_Nelson,-I am happy to hear you are better, and that no accidents have happened since yesterday. You are at liberty to make what use you please of Montray, and I have told him so. Captain Seccombe is here, much disposed to be useful, and ready to obey your commands if you would haveʼbim. I am sorry the General and I differ with respect to Summoning the Garrison, having always understood that whenever an Army is before a place and does not Summon it, the besieged conclude no terms will be granted. I shall not, however, say y another word upon the subject. I have given my reasons for the measure, and those increase daily, which makes the delay, even of a day, of importance to our Allies, consequently to his Majesty's service. But I say this to you some It things do not go altogether right no blame shall lay at my door. Aver futhridly yours, Hoon. L'Aigle is in sight from Leghorn.”—Copy in the Hood Peers. every person sees how much I am put in the back-ground at Bastia: yet my zeal for the honour of my Country ought not to abate. On the 7th ultimo, our battery opened. Captain Serocold of the Navy was killed on the 10th. You will be surprised when I say I was wounded in the head by stones from the merlon of our battery. My right eye is cut entirely down; but the Surgeons flatter me I shall not entirely lose my sight of that eye. At present I can distinguish light from dark, but no object: it confined me one day, when, thank God, I was enabled to attend to my duty. I feel the want of it; but, such is the chance of War, it was within a hair's breadth of taking off my head. Lord Hood and myself were never better friends,-nor, although his Letter does, did he wish to put me where I never was-in the rear. Captain Hunt, who lost his Ship, he wanted to push forward for another—a young man who never was on a battery, or ever rendered any service during the Siege: if any person ever says he did, then I submit to the character of a storyteller. Poor Serocold, who fell here, was determined to publish an advertisement, as he commanded a battery under my orders. The whole operations of the Siege were carried on through Lord Hood's letters to me. I was the mover of it-I was the cause of its success. Sir Gilbert Elliot will be my evidence, if any is required. I am not a little vexed, but shall not quarrel. We shall be successful here; and a stranger and a landsman5 will probably do me that credit which a friend and brother Officer has not given me. Best regards to every good friend. Believe me your most affectionate HORATIO NELSON. 3 Vide p. 399, ante. Vide p. 387, ante. 5 General Stuart. TO ADMIRAL LORD HOOD. [Autograph, in the Hood Papers.] My dear Lord, Camp, July 16th, 1794. My letters, I am sure are considered as confidential: therefore I write what I think, as your Lordship saw by my opinion this day. I have the pleasure to say the breaches, for there are tiro, are much enlarged this day, and the General has told me, in confidence, his plan for to-morrow night, when success will attend us, I have little doubt. The Enemy, by their mode of firing this day, are aware of our intentions, for they have tried the range of the different grounds we are to possess. I don't think it is always necessary to Summons a Place before an attack, nor that it precludes the besieged from honourable terms. I have served as Commanding SeaOfficer on shore, when we attacked, and the besieged, when they thought proper, sent out a Flag of Truce. At this place, if they had been aware of our getting so near them in the first position we could not have done it, the ground is so very unfavourable. The Town wall is well built, but after their guns are dismounted I think they will surrender. The From Lord Hood, “July 17th, 1794. My dear Nelson,—Not a soul knows anything of what you communicate except the casualties, and I am sorry for those of yesterday. I perfectly agree with you that a Town not being Summoned does not preclude the inhabitants from honourable terms, but according to the Rules of War generally practised, a Summons is sent, as it gives a fair opening to the besieged, if they are actuated by the same principles, that of sparing the effusion of blood, after security is offered to persons and property. At the same time in critical situations there may be objections to it, and I was convinced they existed in the first instance, but I am doubtful whether they do so now. However, I shall say nct another word upon the subject, although the rapidity with which the French are getting on at Toulon, makes it indispensably necessary for me to put the whole of the Fleet under my command in the best possible state for service; and I must soon apply to the General for those parts of the Regiments now on shore, ordered by his Majesty to serve in lieu of Marines, to be held in readiness to embark at the shortest notice. I shall delay the application as long as possible, and I am now sending L'Aigle to look into Toulon. I write this in confidence. God send what is intended for this night may be successful. Ever faithfully yours, HooD. P.S. I have no wish to send Seccombe, and only keep him in case he should be wanted. I have sent Sir Harry Burrard the last newspapers to be forwarded to you.”—Copy, in the Hood Papers. Frigates, I am told, every evening are filled with people from the Town: therefore I don't think they intend to burn them. I am sorry to conclude by saying that three Seamen and three Soldiers were blown up by some cartridges taking fire: two or three are in great danger. As I go out at nine o'clock, probably not to return till this business is over, I write this to be ready to close if nothing particular occurs in the night. Did we want assistance we could not object to Captain Seccombe quite the contrary, but too many Captains I have before felt are an inconvenience. Believe me, with truest regard, Your most obliged and faithful HORATIO NELSON. 8 A. M. 17th. Nothing new has occurred since my writing last night. Sandbags, &c., are carried forward to make a battery, which will open against the Town at daylight, or against the Mozelle, if we should by any accident miscarry. One Seaman, blown up yesterday, dead. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR GILBERT ELLIOT, BART. My dear Sir, [Autograph, in the Minto Papers.] Camp, Calvi, July 17th, 1794. You may possibly hear both from Lord Hood and General Stuart of our operations; therefore I shall say little more of them, than that success, I have no doubt, will attend the General; and no Officer ever deserved it more. The place is strong, the access to it difficult; the great difficulties are, I hope, over. The Mozelle will be stormed this night, two breaches are made in it. The great fatigue General Stuart has undergone 7 The French Frigates La Melpomene, of 44 guns, and La Mignonne of 32 guns, which were then in the harbour of Calvi. 8 Captain Thomas Seccombe; he was Posted in 1796; and in January 1808 while commanding the Glatton, having gone to the, assistance of the Delight, Sloop, which had grounded under the batteries of Reggio, he was mortally wounded and taken prisoner. since our landing, has rather injured his health; but nothing stops him from seeing every thing done himself. Our loss has been trifling, not twenty killed and wounded: amongst the former is Captain Serocold, and amongst the latter, in a slight manner, is myself, my head being a good deal wounded, and my right eye cut down; but the Surgeons flatter [me] I shall not entirely lose the sight, which I believe, for I can already distinguish light from dark. It confined me, thank God, only one day, and at a time when nothing particular happened to be doing. I beg my respects to the Governor, if you see him. I would write him a line, but have not time. Believe me, dear Sir, With the highest esteem, Your most faithful Servant, TO ADMIRAL LORD HOOD. [Autograph, in the Hood Papers.] Camp, July 18th, 1794. My dear Lord, I am just come from the General, who seems better pleased than he was last evening. He requests I will write to solicit from you 600 barrels of powder and 1000 English eighteen-pound shot. Now L'Aigle is gone, I am sure you cannot immediately supply that quantity. The Agamemnon has 500, 200 of which I have just ordered to be landed. We shall find plenty about the Mozelle. I have also ordered 200 barrels of powder to be ready for landing from Agamemnon : the powder to be landed where we now land all our stores in Port Vaccaja. I shall thank you to tell me what shot the Imperieuse can land, if any should be wanting. I send your Lordship an account of what we have already expended: it is I believe correct, or very near it. Many of our shot are lost, probably on the roads, so that we cannot say the number remaining will all be forthcoming, by some hundreds. Believe me, with truest esteem, Your Lordship's most faithful, 1 Artillery-man killed. HORATIO NELSON. |