Читать книгу The Times Great Events - Группа авторов - Страница 10
Оглавление8 November 1805
We have received, by the Pickle schooner, several accounts relative to the late glorious action for the truth of which we can vouch.
Towards the middle of last month Admiral VILLENEUVE received orders, from Paris, to sail at all events from Cadiz before the 21st, to accomplish a particular object which the EMPEROR had in view. VILLENEUVE knew that Admiral LOUIS had been detached with several ships from the fleet off Cadiz and supposed that the force had been, in consequence, reduced to about twenty sail of the line, it not having transpired that reinforcement had arrived shortly after Admiral LOUIS’S departure. Lord NELSON had been apprised of the instructions which VILLENEUVE had received, and of his intention to obey them. His Lordship was, therefore, thoroughly prepared to meet the enemy. On the other hand, the Commanders in Chief of the Combined Fleet having learnt that the Hero of the Nile commanded the blockading squadron, were fully sensible of the kind of reception they would meet should he fall in with them, and therefore, it is presumed, had consulted upon all the means necessary for a vigorous defence. It was not possible that two fleets could meet on more equal terms with respect to preparation.
As soon as Lord NELSON was convinced that he had it in his power to bring the enemy to action, on the 21st, he caused it to be understood on board of every ship, “That England expected every man to do his duty.” There was, however, little necessity for the intimation; every man seemed to partake of the ardour of the Commander in Chief, and burned with impatience to commence the action. On no occasion whatever have our brave Tars felt such confidence of success. It was the word throughout the fleet, “That when led on by Lord NELSON, they were sure of victory, whatever might be the disparity of force.”
At the commencement of the action our ships contested with each other, as far as was consistent with the preservation of order, the honour to get first engaged. The Victory did not fire a shot until she was close along-side the Santissima Trinidad, when the Commander in Chief ordered her to be lashed to the enemy. As soon as the men began their work, the Commander of the Santissima Trinidad desired his men to assist in lashing his ship to the Victory. It was about two o’clock, when the battle was at the hottest, that the gallant NELSON received a musket ball in his breast. What was very remarkable, it absolutely penetrated through the star which he wore.
The Britannia and Prince having driven from their stations, were prevented from sharing in the action to the extent they could have wished. The Belleisle did wonders; she was the first in the action, and one of the last out; and, we are sorry to say, the number of her killed and wounded is very great. The Victory also sustained a great loss.
It had taken more than a fortnight for news of the battle to be conveyed to London from the waters near Gibraltar. The Franco-Spanish fleet, commanded by Admiral Villeneuve – a survivor of the Battle of the Nile – had left Cadiz three days prior to the action at Trafalgar on 21 October.
Villeneuve was making for the Channel, where Napoleon intended to assemble an even larger navy to protect his projected invasion of Britain. Historians suspect that the French admiral knew he had lost the Emperor’s confidence and sailed in the hope of redeeming his reputation rather than await the arrival of the officer sent to replace him.
When it was intercepted by Nelson, Villeneuve’s fleet outnumbered the British by 33 to 27 ships. However, the Englishman’s unorthodox tactics – slicing through the enemy line rather than sailing parallel to it – proved decisive. Villeneuve was taken prisoner, attended Nelson’s funeral and, after returning to France, was found stabbed to death in 1806. Doubts remain about the official verdict of suicide.
