Page 43 - All About History - Issue 16-14

Heroes & Villains
HORATIO NELSON

The Battle of Trafalgar saw
22 French and Spanish ships
sunk, while not a single British
one was lost

The Captain and the Culloden both took heavy him. The loss of his arm gained him sympathy and
damage under the barrage of multiple guns, but he returned to England to a hero’s welcome.
Nelson was still able to lead boarding parties onto Never one to be idle long, he made his comeback
the Spanish San Nicolas and the San Josef, forcing in 1798, stalking Napoleon at sea from Gibraltar to
their surrender. As night fell, the Spanish fleet was Italy to Malta and finally Egypt, where the British
able to break off and flee onward to Cadiz and destroyed the French fleet at the Battle of the Nile,
the French, but Cordoba had lost four massively curtailing Napoleon’s ambitions
ships: two of them to Nelson alone. in the East. Nelson was rewarded with
Nelson had disobeyed orders, a barony. He complained that he
but significantly contributed Nelson’s should have been made a viscount. the total dominance of the British Empire at sea,
to the British victory. His battle cry was Successful campaigns in Italy and saw Nelson implementing the unheard-of
insubordination saw him and the Baltic followed, as well tactic of attacking the opposing fleet head on,
left off Jervis’ official reports “Westminster as the aforementioned Battle of throwing the Franco-Spanish line into chaos. He
(though he wasn’t actually Abbey or glorious Copenhagen. However, these also, no doubt with his own independence in mind,
reprimanded), but Nelson were all mere preludes to the allowed all his captains a degree of improvisation,
personally made sure the story victory!” Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, at realising that chance and circumstance were as
was known far and wide. which Nelson, now commander-in- important in a sea battle as iron-clad rules.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife was chief of Britain’s Mediterranean fleet Trafalgar was a spectacular success for the
less of a success – an overambitious aboard the flagship HMS Victory, saw British and for Nelson personally, but it also cost
assault on the Spanish at the Canary off the combined French and Spanish navies him his life. Commanding in full view and full
Island port city, hamstrung by the loss of the off the south west coast of Spain. The Franco- regalia on deck right in the middle of the enormous
element of surprise and resulting in several Spanish alliance lost 22 vessels, while the British firefight and bombardment, even having refused to
hundred British casualties and a bruising truce. surrendered not one. One of the most decisive change his coat to make himself less conspicuous,
But even here the British public refused to blame naval victories of the Napoleonic Wars, it reinforced he almost inevitably caught a bullet from a French
marksman. Correctly informing the ship’s surgeon
Defining moment William Beatty that “I have but a short time to live”,
he was made comfortable below decks, and called
Emma Hamilton 1799
The most significant relationship of Nelson’s life was not with for his flag captain, Thomas Hardy. The legendary
his wife but with his mistress Emma Hamilton, the wife of line, “Kiss me, Hardy”, was genuinely uttered by the
Sir William Hamilton, the British envoy to Naples. Emma was dying Nelson, but his final words, as recorded by
friendly with Queen Maria Carolina of Naples, so met Nelson Beatty, were “God and my country.”
during the controversial Neapolitan campaign. They began With an escort of 10,000 soldiers, Britain’s finest
an affair tolerated by the ailing Sir William, and the strange
ménage-à-trois became a popular scandal of the time, eaten sea dog was interred in St Paul’s Cathedral on 9
up by the newspapers and made even juicier when Emma January 1806. His legacy is as a figure embodying
gave birth to Nelson’s daughter Horatia in 1891. After Nelson’s British imperial triumph and pride – an inspiration
death, his instructions that Emma and Horatia should be to British leaders ever since.
provided for were ignored and Emma fell into debt.

Defining moment 1806
O War crimes? O Battle of Copenhagen O At war with Napoleon Burial of a British hero O
Nelson’s actions Nelson ignores the Sparked by the French Trafalgar 1805 Despite the British
in support of the signal to withdraw and Revolution, France’s With the famous signal “England expects that every man will do his duty”, triumph at Trafalgar,
Neapolitan royalists fights on against the power begins to Nelson’s 27 British ships take on the 33 belonging to the combined French and Nelson is killed in the
against the revolutionary Danish fleet, turning increase exponentially as Spanish forces. As wreckage flies around him, Nelson is reported to observe, victorious battle. He
Jacobins see him a potential loss into Napoleon’s forces conquer is buried at St Paul’s
accused of war crimes a lucrative truce. He swathes of Europe. Nelson “This is too warm work to last long!” He tears up the rule book of naval Cathedral. The sailors
in some circles. He claims afterward that finds a new obsession, engagement, which had traditionally seen fleets engage each other in parallel charged with folding
vehemently denies any Copenhagen was the although he and Napoleon lines. Instead, Nelson divides his fleet into two perpendicular lines, attacking his burial flag instead
breach of British honour. toughest battle of his will never directly face the Franco-Spanish ships head-on and diving their line, while making tear it to shreds for
1799 life. 1801 each other. 1803 themselves a much smaller target. The tactic is devastatingly successful. souvenirs. 1806
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