ralty that a proper Convoy shall be appointed for the said Sir, TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original in the Admiralty.] Victory, off Cadiz, 13th October, 1805. I herewith transmit you for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, a Letter from Captain Hoste of the Eurydice, dated the 7th inst., together with the list of Vessels captured as therein mentioned. I am much pleased with Captains Hoste and Thomas for their exertions in getting the Eurydice so expeditiously off the shoal, particularly so as she is stated to have received no damage. I am, Sir, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. Sir, TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original in the Admiralty:] Victory, off Cadiz, 13th October, 1805. I herewith transmit you a letter from Captain Sir Edward Berry', of His Majesty's Ship Agamemnon, dated the 10th inst., The Agamemnon sailed from England on the 2nd of October, having on board Lord Robert Fitzgerald, Minister at Lisbon; and she joined the Fleet on the 13th of October. When the Agamemnon was signalled, Lord Nelson rubbed his hands, and exclaimed with glee, "Here comes Berry; now we shall have a Battle." Sir Edward Berry's report of his masterly escape from the Rochefort Squadron was as follows : "My Lord, "This morning, at half-past three, Cape Finisterre bearing S. 70 W. distance 20 leagues, I discovered eight Sail to windward. At four, one of them bore down towards the Agamemnon. I immediately made the Private Night-signal to her, which was not answered. I kept steering my course, S. by W., full and by, all sail set, except studdingsails. At daylight I made the Private Signal, which was not answered. The Ship that bore down to us I soon made out to be a Threedecker, with five Ships of the Line, two Frigates, and a Brig, evidently French. The Three-decker was within gun-shot of us at day-break, and crowded all sail to get alongside of us, as did an eighty-gun Ship on our lee quarter. I ordered all the water on the lower decks (there being a butt before the breast of every giving an account of his having on the morning of that day fallen in with a French Squadron off Cape Finisterre, which you will be pleased to lay before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty for their information. I am, Sir, &c., NELSON AND Bronte. TO ALEXANDER DAVISON; ESQ. - [Autograph in the possession of Colonel Davison.] My dear Davison, Victory, October 13th, 1805. Many, many thanks for your kind and affectionate note. I should have much rejoiced to see you, but I was called away, and I obeyed. I am vexed you should have had such a fag upon my account. Sir Edward Berry has had a narrow chance from the Rochefort Squadron. I hope Sir Robert Calder will escape them; and some happy day I hope to get at their Fleet, and nothing shall be wanting on my part to give a good account of them. My dear Lady Hamilton has told me of your kindness. You will do the needful about my gun) to be started, and the casks thrown overboard, to be clear for battle. At 9 A.M. I had the satisfaction to perceive that we gained from the Three-decker, but the eighty-gun Ship gained on the Agamemnon. I was determined not to keep away, and I could not tack without the certainty of a broadside from the Three-decker, and being raked by the eighty-gun Ship when in stays. I, therefore, kept the Ship steady to her course, furling the top-gallant sails, and hauling down the staysails in the squalls, and setting them occasionally. At 10 the maintop-gallant sheet was carried away. I then let fly the top-gallant sheets, and fired guns until it was bent. The eighty-gun Ship still gained on us. I ordered the weather quarter-boat to be cut away, and ran out the stern chasers. At eleven the French Admiral relinquished the chase, bore up, and called in the eighty-gun Ship, at which time she was within random shot of us. I immediately hoisted the colours, and shortened sail. The Enemy's Squadron also hoisted English colours. During the chace we ran per log seventy miles. Perceiving a Frigate to leeward, evidently English, kept No. flying, and fired guns repeatedly. I feel it my duty to express to your Lordship my approbation of the exemplary conduct of every Officer and individual in the Ship; but it would be injustice to the First Lieutenant, Mr. Hugh Cook, not to bear testimony to his very judicious conduct and most able counsel, to whom I ascribe the saving of His Majesty's Ship in this retreat. "In the afternoon, I interchanged signals with His Majesty's Ship, L'Aimable, the Frigate to leeward, and in the evening communicated with the Hon. Captain Bouverie. He informed me that he had, some days ago, dispatched a Sloop to the Hon. Admiral Cornwallis, and to England, with the intelligence of the Rochefort Squadron being out. I therefore deemed it unnecessary to interfere with his former orders.-I have, &c. "E. BERRY, Captain," accounts, and settle with Mr. Chawner for what is going on at Merton. I have not a moment more, than to say I am ever most faithfully yours, NELSON ANd Bronte. Sir, TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original in the Admiralty.] Victory, off Cadiz, 13th October, 1805. You will be pleased to acquaint the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that His Majesty's Ships Agamemnon and L'Aimable joined this forenoon, and that the Prince of Wales, bearing the Flag of Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Calder, Lord Nelson's generous motive for allowing Sir Robert Calder to return to England in his own Ship, the Prince of Wales, appears in a Letter in p. 56 ante; and there are in the Nelson Papers the following letters from that unfortunate Officer. If Lord Nelson was correct in thinking, as some of his biographers assert, that Calder was one of the only two enemies he ever had in the Service (vide vol. ii. p. 337), his conduct towards him, on this occasion, must have been painfully felt. TO VICE-ADMIRAL LORD VISCOUNT NELSON, K.B. 66 ' (Private.) 'My dear Lord, 66 "Prince of Wales, the 10th October, 1805. "I send you three letters for your inspection and determination thereon. I have only to remark, that in conformity to your Lordship's opinion, as well as that of Vice-Admiral Collingwood's, and my own, I have summoned Captain Durham to attend on my inquiry, as I mean to do Rear-Admiral Stirling, and all the Captains who were under my orders, when in presence of the Enemy, between the 22nd and 24th of last July-conceiving it proper, for the satisfaction of the Public Service, as well as to clear my character as an Officer. I am sorry to put any Officer to any difficulties, but the Service must not suffer. As the Royal Sovereign has joined, I am in hopes your Lordship will now very soon allow me to proceed to England, as my mind, you are well assured, must be distressed to a degree, until such time as I have an opportunity to clear my character fully to the world. I shall flatter myself to have the honour of paying to you my respects, and to thank you in person for all your kindnesses to me since I have been under your command, and to wish you every possible success. I have the honour to be, my Lord, with very great respect, and true regard, your obliged and faithful humble servant, "ROB. CALder. "The Prince of Wales can spare to any ship a month's bread and salt provisions, if it meets with your Lordship's approbation. R. C."-Autograph in the Nelson Papers. "Captain Durham having declined to attend me to England, on the inquiry solicited on my part, into my conduct, unless he has a positive order so to do, I beg your Lordship will not give yourself any further trouble upon the occasion, leaves the Fleet this evening with orders to proceed direct to Spithead. The Vice-Admiral takes with him the Captains of His Majesty's Ships Thunderer and Ajax, whom I have permitted to accompany him, for the purpose of attending the Court requested by that Officer on his late conduct between the 22nd and 25th of July last, which I hope, for the reasons I have before stated, their Lordships will be pleased to approve of. I am, Sir, &c., NELSON ANd Bronte. as his evidence can be of no moment to the Public Service; and, as to myself, I am willing to relinquish any private consideration on my own account. My reasons for having summoned him in the first instance were, that I might not have been suspected to have collected only such as were my supposed friends, and thereby occasioned the inquiry to be called a packed business. This matter being now settled respecting Captain Durham, permit me to repeat to your Lordship my strong wishes to return to England, without further loss of time, in the Prince of Wales, that my mind may be put at ease, and for the re-establishing of my health, which has suffered so very seriously from my severe and long services. I have the honour to be, my Lord, with very great respect, and true regard, your Lordship's much obliged and faithful humble servant, ROB. CALDER."-Autograph. "I am this instant honoured with your Lordship's letter: I own I was not prepared for its contents. Believe me, they have cut me to the soul, and, if I am to be turned out of my Ship, after all that has passed, I have only to request I may be allowed to take my Captain, and such Officers as I find necessary for the justification of my conduct as an Officer, and to be put into such Ship with them, and Captains Lechemere and Browne, as your Lordship shall deem proper for my passage to England, and that I may be permitted to go without a moment's further loss of time. My heart is broken; and I can only say I have the honour to be, my Lord, with all due respect, your Lordship's obliged and faithful humble servant, ROB. Calder. "P.S.—I hope and trust I shall not be kept here until Vice-Admiral J. T. Duckworth arrives. This would be heaping an additional distress upon me. Adieu."—Autograph. ' (Private.) "My dear Lord, "I have this instant been honoured by your favour by Captain Otway, who has been so good as to take the friendly part which he has done. I have only to thank your Lordship, and to say I feel as I ought to do upon the very friendly communication you have been pleased to communicate to me this evening, and for which I shall ever feel grateful. I can have no objections to your Lordship's forwarding all the correspondence, both public and private, that has passed between us, since I have had the honour to be under your Lordship's command. I have not it in my power to say more at present, as I cannot keep Captain Otway, as it is growing dark. I shall hope to have the honour of paying my respects to your Lordship before I leave this, and to receive your commands. Until when, I have the honour to be, your Lordship's ever much obliged and faithful humble Servant, ROBERT CALDER."—Autograph. "Prince of Wales, at Sea, the 12th October, 1805, 6 P.M. TO VICE-ADMIRAL COLLINGWOOD. [Autograph in the possession of the Hon. Mrs. Newnham Collingwood.] Victory, October 14th, 1805. My dear Coll., Perhaps, as the weather is fine, and the business of the Transports nearly closed (except water, almost for the winter), you will come on board this forenoon, that I may tell you all I know, and my intentions. I am glad Sir Robert Calder is gone; and from my heart I hope he will get home safe, and end his inquiry well. I endeavoured to give him all the caution in my power respecting the cry against him; but he seemed too wise. Africa' did not see the Rochefort Squadron, but heard of them, and sent the Cheerly Gun-brig with information. Ever yours most truly, I approve most highly of your care of the Store Ship; but if it should so happen that you could not spare a Frigate for that service, the Ship might be safely ordered up to the Fleet. The Guard boat has not joined us-the swell has been probably too great-but I would not recommend accounts of great consequence to be sent by them; a few words might be wrote by telegraph. Sir Richard Strachan was certainly in sight of the French Squadron. I wish he was stronger, but I am sure he will spoil their cruizing. I hope we shall soon get our Cadiz friends out, and then we may (I hope) flatter ourselves that some of them will cruize on our side; but if they do not come forth soon, I shall then rather incline to think they will detach Squadrons; but I trust, either in the whole, or in part, we shall get at them. I am confident in your look-out upon them. I expect three stout Fire-Ships from England; then, with a good "October 14th.-Prince of Wales parted. H.M. Ship Africa joined from England."-Victory's Log. |