Page 42 - All About History - Issue 16-14

Heroes & Villains
HORATIO NELSON

“ Within half an hour of his arm’s
amputation, Nelson was once again

giving orders to his captains”

and more than willing to place himself Spanish on their way to join the French
right in the thick of action. He lost at Cadiz.
an eye in Corsica in 1794 and his Admiral Sir John Jervis was in
right arm at the Battle of Santa Nelson command of the British vessels
Cruz de Tenerife in 1797 (hence spent years at in the Mediterranean, leading 15
the popular image of Nelson ships from the flagship HMS
with his right sleeve tucked sea, but never got Victory. Nelson’s was a late-
into his tunic), hit by a Spanish arriving 16th, the HMS Captain,
Admiral Francesco Caracciolo led rebels musket ball. Famously, he over his chronic but his first contribution to
during the occupation of Naples, but was
executed by Nelson’s forces without a trial treated the injury as little more seasickness the battle was to somehow
than an annoyance during the sneak through the Spanish fleet
Was Nelson a battle itself, demanding the arm in heavy fog (not quite unnoticed:
he was pursued by a single Spanish
war criminal? be amputated as quickly as possible ship but escaped) and report its position
so he could return to duty. Within half
an hour of the operation, he was once again giving to Jervis. Jervis immediately ordered his fleet to
Nelson was not universally considered a hero,
and controversy still rages over the ‘Black orders to his captains. intercept. Unfortunately, due to the fog, Nelson
Legend’, which paints his actions during the Mutilation notwithstanding, 1797 was one of had been unable to actually count the Spanish
reoccupation of Naples in 1799 as atrocities. his finest years. While his was already a name vessels, meaning that Jervis only learned too
Naples, under the reign of King Ferdinand, had well known to the Admiralty, he achieved his late that the odds looked like they were stacked
entered into conflict with France, but its navy popular fame with the British public a few months overwhelmingly against him.
was soon forced to flee back to Naples with before Santa Cruz at the Battle of Cape St Vincent Luckily for the British, the Spanish fleet, under
the French in hot pursuit. The royal family and
nobles were evacuated, and Naples descended in February. The French and Spanish had allied Admiral Don Jose de Cordoba y Ramos, was
into anarchy, eventually taken by the Italian against the British the year before and their inexperienced, overstretched, and unprepared.
anti-republican counter-revolutionary combined fleets outnumbered the British by more One of Cordoba’s most catastrophic errors was to
movement the Sanfedisti. The remaining than two to one. They weren’t always in the same allow his fleet to become divided, leaving a gap
Neapolitans rioted and looted. place together, however, and Cape St Vincent was that Jervis was able to penetrate: a bold move
Nelson, backed by Ferdinand, demanded the site of the British fleet’s attempt to confront the much to Nelson’s liking. Stationed towards the
the unconditional surrender of the rebels, chief
among them a former Neapolitan admiral, rear of the British line, Nelson was able to observe
Francesco Caracciolo, who had switched approvingly as Jervis’ tactics unfolded, but he was
sides. Caracciolo was refused a fair trial and also in position to see a signal from Jervis that the
sentenced to hang by a royalist court. More HMS Britannia missed, ordering the Britannia to
than two-thirds of the revolutionaries were support the HMS Culloden. Audaciously, Nelson
killed after the armistice. broke away from the British line and threw the
Nelson’s defenders continue to insist that
the revolutionaries were the architects of HMS Captain into the path of three Spanish ships.
their own downfall. Pro-Nelson historians
point out that the terms of the armistice were Defining moment
drawn up by the Sanfedisti Cardinal Ruffo
and never ratified by King Ferdinand, that the Battle of the Nile 1798
rebels could not politically have been allowed The Battle of the Nile is considered by some as even
to escape and that the violence, though it more important than Trafalgar, due to its devastating
happened on Nelson’s watch, was actually impact on Napoleon’s plans in the East. Napoleon
carried out by the Neapolitan royalists. The intended to invade Egypt as the first step in a campaign
debate, much like the roar of a gunship’s against British India, designed to drive Britain out of
cannons, will rumble on for a long time. the French Revolutionary Wars. But at Aboukir Bay the
British forces, led by Nelson, all but destroyed a French
convoy travelling from Toulon to Alexandria, scuttling
The Battle of the Nile played a Napoleon’s scheme. Nelson thought he’d lost his second
big part in turning the tide in
Timeline the Napoleonic Wars eye during the fight, but was only temporarily blinded
by a wound that turned out to be superficial.

1758
O Birth of Nelson O First voyages O Made lieutenant O First captaincy O Blinded O Arm lost
Nelson is born at Nelson first Nelson passes Nelson is appointed Nelson is given Nelson – now promoted
Burnham Thorpe goes to sea as a his lieutenant’s captain of the HMS command of the to commodore – takes
in Norfolk. His midshipman on exam and begins Albemarle. His first HMS Agamemnon command of the HMS
father Edmund HMS Raisonnable, his official naval job is to escort English and sets sail for Captain and joins the
is a cleric and his under his uncle O Arctic expedition career. Joining the traders The Russian the Mediterranean. Battle of Cape Vincent.
mother Catherine is (Catherine’s brother) Nelson joins the HMS Carcass, HMS Lowestoffe, Company back He is wounded His right arm is destroyed
the grand niece of Captain William searching for the Northwest Passage. he sails to the into British waters. and blinded in his by a musket ball, but
Britain’s first prime Suckling. They sail Legend has it that he fights a polar West Indies under Albemarle survives right eye at the Nelson continues fighting
minister, Robert to the West Indies. bear, but fails to claim its skin as a Captain Locker. severe storms in the Siege of Bastia. immediately after the
Walpole. 1758 1771 present for his father. 1773 1777 process. 1781 1793 amputation. 1797

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