King Edward's realm: Story of the making of the Empire

by C. S. Dawe

2. Napoleon knew that the only chance of getting his army across "the silver streak" was to get command of the Channel for at least a few hours. With this end in view, he had induced Spain to join him, and devised a scheme for the union of all the French and Spanish men-of-war and their sudden appearance in the Channel. But the best-laid schemes often go awry, and so did this one. The allied fleets did, indeed, come together, but not in the Channel. They were encountered by a British fleet under Nelson, off Cape Trafalgar.

3. The battle of Trafalgar, fought on the 21st October, 1805, is one of the most famous sea-fights on record. The allies mustered thirty-three battleships, the British twenty-seven. Nelson arranged the general order of battle with his captains some days beforehand. He drew up his ships, on the fateful day, in two columns, placing himself at the head of one column in the Victory, whilst Admiral Collingwood in the Royal Sovereign took the lead in the other. The allies received the attack with their ships arranged in a single irregular line, stretching from north to south in front of the harbour of Cadiz.

4. Nelson arranged that the two British columns should advance parallel to each other, and bear down on the enemy at right angles to their line. Collingwood was to break through the line near the centre and engage the ships forming the rear to the south; Nelson himself undertook to break through the line, also near the centre, and so dispose his forces as to leave unengaged ten or a dozen of the enemy's ships forming the van, to the north. By the time these ships tacked so as to come into action, it was hoped that the day would be decided, the allied ships in the centre and rear having had to bear the whole brunt of the attack made by the entire British fleet.

5. Having made all arrangements for the approaching fight, Nelson went down into his cabin to pray. The words of his prayer, written on his knees in his private diary, the last he ever penned, ran thus:—

"May the great God, whom I worship, grant to my country, and for the benefit of Europe in general, a great and glorious victory; and may no misconduct in any one tarnish it; and may humanity after victory be the predominant feature of the British fleet. For myself, individually, I commit my life to Him who made me, and may His blessing light upon my endeavours for serving my country faithfully. To Him I resign myself and the just cause which is entrusted to me to defend. Amen, Amen, Amen."

6. Then our hero appeared on deck ready for anything that might befall him. Just before going into action he issued the famous signal, "England expects that every man will do his duty." The ships of the three nations now hoisted their colours, and the admirals their flags. Nelson wore, as usual, his admiral's frock coat, on the left breast of which were stitched the stars of four different orders. The officers on board the flagship saw these stars with dismay, knowing as they did that the enemy's ships swarmed with soldiers, many of whom were sharpshooters, and that the action would be at close quarters. But none dared to advise their chief to make himself less conspicuous.

7. The Royal Sovereign was the first to reach the enemy's line. As the Victory at the head of the second column advanced, she became the target of all the ships in the enemy's centre. For forty minutes she had to endure the hail of the enemy's shot in silence, her speed continually getting less as one sail after another was stripped from the yards. Despite her injuries the Victory continued to forge ahead, and at last her bows crossed the wake of the French flag-ship, by whose stern she passed within thirty feet. Now spoke the double-shotted guns of the Victory, as they passed in succession the French admiral's ship, their shots raking the vessel from stern to stem. Twenty guns were at once dismounted and a hundred men laid low.

8. The Victory, passing on, brought up alongside the Redoubtable. The rigging of the two ships got entangled so that they lay side by side, with their guns almost mouth to mouth. Both ships were soon on fire. The flames, however, were soon extinguished, but the fury of battle grew fiercer. Marksmen in the rigging of the French ship shot down at the officers and men on the deck of the Victory. The figure of a one-armed officer, with epaulettes on his shoulders and stars upon his breast, attracted the notice of one of these marksmen. The man fired, and the ball shot through epaulette and shoulder and lodged in the spine. The wounded Nelson fell into Captain Hardy's hands, saying, "They have done for me at last."

9. Nelson was carried to the cockpit with his handkerchief over his face and breast, so that the crew might not become discouraged by observing his fate. The dying hero, an hour or two later, sent for his friend Hardy, but he was unable to leave the deck for some time. "Well, Hardy," said Nelson, when at last he appeared, "how goes the battle?" "Very well, my lord; we have got twelve or fourteen of the enemy's ships already in our possession." "I hope none of our ships have struck, Hardy." "No, my lord, there is no fear of that." Nelson then said, "I am a dead man, Hardy. I am going fast" .... "I feel something rising in my breast," he said, somewhat later, "which tells me I am gone. God be praised, I have done my duty." The last words audible were, "God and my country."

10. By the time firing ceased, near sunset, seventeen of the enemy's ships had struck, and one, with the tri-coloured ensign still displayed, was burning to the water's edge. Our boats used every effort to save the brave fellows who had so gloriously defended her; but only two hundred and fifty were rescued, and she blew up with a tremendous explosion.