War Medals and Their History

by William Augustus Steward

On October 9th, 1817, Duncan set sail from Yarmouth Roads with 20 ships, 4 cutters, and a lugger, to meet the Dutch fleet which had at last left the Texel. Just before noon on the 11th, Duncan signalled to his ships "clear for action and close," and by half-past 12 Vice-Admiral Onslow, in the "Monarch," had got through the enemy's line and engaged Vice-Admiral Reyntier. Admiral Duncan engaged the "Vyrheid," the Dutch Admiral's flagship, and after a hard fight lasting until 2 o'clock, De Winter only struck his ship to the "Venerable" when he was the only unwounded man on the quarter-deck of his mastless ship. It is significant of Duncan's character and manliness that when his opponent offered his sword he refused to take it, saying "rather a brave man's hand than his sword." On October 16th the victorious Admiral anchored off the Nore with the eleven ships he had taken, and next day King George raised him to the Peerage with the titles of Baron Duncan of Lundie and Viscount Duncan of Camperdown.

The vessels engaged were: H.M. ships "Venerable," "Ardent," "Adamant," "Agincourt," "Bedford," "Belliqueux," "Brackel," "Lancaster," "Monarch," "Montague," "Monmouth," "Powerful," "Russell," "Director," "Isis," "Veteran," "Triumph," the frigates "Beaulieu," "Circe," and "Martin," the cutters "Active," "Diligent," "King George," "Rose," and the lugger "Speculator."

The Nile.—For over a year hardly a British man-of-war had passed into the Mediterranean until Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson, with Captain Trowbridge, entered with his fleet to frustrate the pretensions of Napoleon. There were 13 74-gun ships and 1 of 50 guns; but before the action commenced on August 1st, 1798, the former had been reduced to 12 by the grounding of the "Culloden." The French fleet was of equal proportions; but included several heavier ships: "L'Orient," the flagship, a magnificent three-decker carrying 120 guns, and three others with 80 guns apiece. The French fleet was moored on the edge of a shoal in a compact line running north-west by south-east. Captain Foley, with the "Goliath," led the way between the front ships and Aboukir Island, thus executing a manœuvre which the French Admiral had thought impracticable. Five ships thus engaged the enemy on the port or land side, while the "Vanguard," followed up by other ships, made for the centre of the line. At half-past 6 in the evening the battle commenced, and by 8 o'clock 8 British ships and an equal number of French were engaged in one of the most deadly struggles in naval history.

NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL AND KNIGHT COMMANDER'S HANOVER BADGE AND STAR.

Awarded to Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Ussher, C.B., K.C.H.

Early in the contest the French Admiral, de Brueys, had been badly wounded, but, gallant sailor that he was, refused to go below, and met his death about this time by a shot that almost cut him in two: even then his resolute spirit refused to yield, and death only gave his comrades the power to remove his maimed body. At 9 o'clock his ship, "L'Orient," was seen to blaze out; but her determined crew stuck to their guns and fired them until they were literally scorched out of their places—and then the great ship blew up. So awful was the scene that the gunners of both fleets were apparently too dazed to fire again for about a quarter of an hour. Meantime a French lad won undying fame by his devotion to his father, the Commodore of "L'Orient," and his name has been immortalised by a British poetess, Mrs. Hemans, who has so well portrayed the story of the little ten-year-old lad who refused to leave his mortally wounded father, and despite the fact that, as a French writer states, "the English seamen made the most strenuous efforts to save the young Casabianca," he went down to his death with the father he loved so well.

Just before "L'Orient" blew up, Nelson received a severe wound on the forehead which was for a time thought likely to prove mortal; but on hearing that the great vessel had blown up, he gave orders for the launching of the only boat so that the unfortunate survivors of the explosion might be rescued. The night with its horrors had exhausted the fleets, and firing gradually ceased until the day broke at 4 o'clock: by then 6 French ships had hauled down their colours and two were aground, while the "Tonnant," commanded by the bravest of brave seamen, Captain Dupetit-Thouars, showed fight to the last, for her seamen were filled with the spirit of their dead captain, who had his colours nailed to the mast, and when wounded unto death refused to yield. Such courage as his must be infectious. With both arms and a leg shot away, seated in a tub of bran, this defiant and gallant Frenchman commanded his ship until the conqueror of all—Death—claimed the victory.

Only 2 French ships-of-war and 2 frigates escaped. The flagship and the "Arteruise" had blown up, 2 were aground, a frigate had been sunk when Rear-Admiral Villeneuve endeavoured to get away with the badly damaged "Tonnant" and 3 others. Of these the "Timeleon" grounded, and after her crew had got ashore, her captain burnt her; the "Tonnant" was captured; and only the "Guillaume Tell" and the "Genereux," which had hardly taken any part in the conflict, escaped with the frigates "Justice" and "Diane." Not a British vessel went down, but all showed severe evidence of the fight that had been waged on that August day in 1798. The victory was due not only to the excellent seamanship of Nelson, who was raised to the peerage as Baron Nelson of the Nile, and of Burnham Thorpe, for what Lord St. Vincent described as "the greatest achievement the history of the world can produce," but to the superb gunnery of his men, who served their guns with such rapidity and precision that their opponents were absolutely outclassed.