P.S. Richard desires his love; but you have deprived him of sleep.
As you could think on Mrs. Pope at the time you were undertaking the most desperate attempt that ever was made, you may probably find time to inquire for Horace T. who is now at Gibraltar hospital mending two broken thighs. He is the son of Mrs. T. whom you have met at our house. She keeps a ladies' school next door to us; and, could you serve her son, you would help the widow and the fatherless, and please me at the same time.
The following letters from Earl St. Vincent, and his secretary Mr. Tucker, will demonstrate the high estimation in which the victory of the 12th of July was held at the Admiralty.
Admiralty, 5th August 1801.
My dear Sir
I have to acknowledge your letters of the 30th June, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 13th July, and to congratulate you most heartily on the career of glory you and your gallant squadron have run in the course of those periods. The hardy enterprise of the 6th merited complete success; but all who know the baffling winds in the Bay of Gibraltar can readily account for the event of it. The astonishing efforts made to refit the crippled ships in Gibraltar Mole surpasses everything of the kind within my experience; and the final success in making so great an impression on the very superior force of the enemy crowns the whole. I have great satisfaction in reporting to you that I have received the most gracious and full approbation of his Majesty this morning of your whole conduct, and that of every officer and man under your command, and I hear nothing but praise and admiration from every quarter.
We wait impatiently the arrival of Vice-admiral Pole from the Baltic to detach a powerful reinforcement to you, and we are not without hopes that four ships of the line are on their passage from Cork to join you before Cadiz, or at Gibraltar.
Having, from the moment of your departure, felt the most perfect confidence that everything would be performed for the honour and success of his Majesty's arms within the reach of human power, I have only to add my anxious wish that another opportunity will present itself, ere long, for a further display of that talent and intrepidity from which the country has, upon so many occasions, received important benefits.
I have the honour to be
With the most perfect regard and esteem,
Very sincerely yours,
St. Vincent.