Horatio Nelson: Britains Admiral

The Napoleonic Wars was a giant struggle for Europe. On land, Napoleon Bonaparte and his Grande Armée was almost unstoppable, but at sea, it was Britain who ruled the waves. After Britain’s victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, Napoleon would never challenge the Royal Navy again. At the centre of it all was Britain’s greatest hero, Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson.

Horatio Nelson was born in 1758 in Burnham Thrope near the coast of Norfolk in England. His father, Edmund Nelson was rector of the church in Burnham Thorpe. His mother, Catherine Suckling was the grandniece of Sir Robert Walpole, a man many historians consider to be the United Kingdom’s first Prime Minister.

But it wasn’t his mother’s connections to a Prime Minister that would set a young Horatio on a path of greatness. Instead, it was his uncle, Maurice Suckling. A Captain in the Royal Navy, Maurice brought his young nephew onto his ship, the HMS Raisonnable as a midshipman in 1771. Nelson was just 13 at the time. Around that time, it was normal for boys of 12 or 13 to be enlisted in the navy as a midshipman.

Aboard his uncle’s ship, Nelson would learn all the tips and tricks to become a great seaman and by the end of his time on HMS Raisonnable, he couldn’t wait to get back to sea. But Nelson also made a discovery while aboard his uncle’s ship. He suffered from sea sickness. Something that would never go away and would follow him throughout his career.

In 1773 Nelson convinced a captain of a ship that was leading an expedition to the North Pole to let him join, even though the captain insisted that no boys were to be allowed on the journey. However the expedition was not what Nelson thought it would be. The team made no scientific discoveries due to the ship getting trapped in ice. Nelson returned home never having reached the North Pole. But It wouldn’t be long until he was out at sea again. This time on the HMS Seahorse.

In 1775 after a few years on the Seahorse, Nelson would encounter his first taste of battle. HMS Seahorse was supporting the East India Trading Company when it was attacked by Prince Hyder Ali’s ketches. After a brief exchange, HMS Seahorse drove off the attackers. This would not only be Nelson’s first taste of battle, it would be his first taste of victory!

However, it was not all up for Nelson from that point. roughly a year later in 1776 Nelson contracted malaria. He would return to England where he would recover. Once he recovered, he was made acting lieutenant aboard the HMS Worcester and a year later despite not serving a full 6 years in the navy, Nelson was allowed to take the lieutenant’s exam. This was thanks to his uncle once again. By this time Maurice Suckling was quite high ranking in the Royal Navy and even sat on the board that evaluated his nephew.

In 1777 Nelson was made Lieutenant aboard the HMS Lowestoffe. During this time, the British was engulfed in a revolutionary war with the 13 colonies. AKA The American Revolutionary War.

HMS Lowestoffe was stationed around the coast of the United States and captured an American privateer ship called the Resolution. It would serve as a tender, or support ship for the HMS Lowestoffe and was given to Nelson to command. This would be Nelson’s first taste of leadership. After impressing Captain William Locker of the HMS Lowestoffe, Nelson was moved to serve as a Lieutenant aboard the HMS Bristol, under the command of Admiral Peter Parker.

Nelson was not slowing down though, not only had he impressed the captain of the HMS Lowestoffe but he had also impressed Admiral Peter Parker and was made Master and Commander of HMS Badger and as if that was not enough, roughly a year later in 1779 Nelson was made Captain and given command of HMS Hinchingbroke. He would spend time staying near the Americas and would be tasked with capturing Spanish colonies in Central America.

One of these operations would see Nelson take a military force into Nicaragua, up the San Juan River. However, San Juan fort would block the way. Nelson would command the naval element of the operation which involved transporting troops. This was due to the fact Nelson had experience and knowledge of this coastline. The convoy left Kingston, Jamaica, on February 3 1780. The night before Nelson participated in capturing the enemy outpost. The ensuing siege of the fort lasted 18 days. Many British troops died as a result of dysentery or malaria caused by poor living conditions, tropical rainstorms and extreme heat.

Nelson himself would fall seriously ill after drinking from a water pool and would be sent to Port Royal to recover at Admiral Parker’s home. However, Nelson’s condition would not improve and was sent back to England.

After his recovery, Nelson would spend time in the Baltic Sea carrying out convoy duties and later being sent to the Caribbean to act as a sort of policing unit. Seizing US ships which were attempting to trade with British colonial islands.

In 1783 Nelson moved to France to experience French culture and attempt to learn the language. However, Nelson soon realized that French life was not for him and moved back to England 2 months later. By 1784 he was given command of HMS Boreas and while ends up visiting the island of Nevis in the West Indies.

Around this time Nelson meets a woman called Frances “Fanny” Nisbet. A woman he would later ask to be his wife. But the relationship was not great. The relationship turned sour after Frances admitted after the engagement that she could not carry any children. But Nelson being a gentleman, he went through with the marriage, marrying her in 1787. Although we’ll get into why this wasn’t such a great thing later on.

Nelson would live a quiet life back in England. War with America was soon to be over and not long after the war with France would come to an end.

By 1793 Britain was once again at war with France and although it seemed Nelson’s career was over, he was called back to serve his country.

Nelson was heading to the Mediterranean. A young French commander was about to attack Toulon. His name was Napoleon Bonaparte. At this time no one knew who Napoleon was and was certainly not a concern for Horatio Nelson. We will be covering the battle of Toulon in another article so we won’t touch on it a lot here, but if you know anything about the Napoleonic Wars, you know how it goes down. If you don’t, to put it simply, Toulon falls to Napoleon. Afterwards, Nelson takes charge on land forces and captures the city of Bastia on the island of Corsica, Bonaparte’s home island.

In 1794 Nelson would get his first serious injury when during a battle on Corsica he would be wounded by debris from artillery rounds that exploded near one of his batteries. Throwing gravel and stone into his right eye. This would leave Nelson permanently blind in his right eye.

By 1796 the Royal Navy was leaving Corsica for Gibraltar, Nelson would stick around and leave a year later in 1797. Upon leaving Corsica, Nelson and his crew would spot a Spanish fleet by complete accident. The Spanish were heading to Cadiz to link up with their French allies. Nelson’s ship, HMS Captain, unseen by the fog evaded the Spanish fleet and alerted his fleet commander, Admiral John Jervis. Jervis takes pursuit and catches up with the Spanish fleet of the coast of Cape St. Vincent.

During the Battle of Cape St. Vincent, Nelson engages 3 bigger ships, capturing 2 of them by boarding and using hand to hand combat. This was not only a huge win for the British, but a huge win for Nelson. After the battle, Nelson becomes rich, famous and is promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral.

As an Admiral, Nelson wanted to oversee a plan to capture Santa De Cruz in Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Nelson had planned to 900 men on the shore and take the enemy by surprise. This plan would change due to bad weather. Instead Nelson would lead a land attack since he had lost the element of surprise. Upon landing on the beach, Nelson was shot. A musket ball had gone through his right arm and shattered by humorous bone. Nelson was taken back to his ship where he refused to be carried aboard and climbed onto the deck using his left arm.

Nelson’s arm could not be saved and was amputated on the ship and then then the arm was thrown overboard. Within the hour, Nelson would be back to work but the campaign would end in failure. After the failure, Nelson would retire and return to England. Saying that a one armed Admiral would never again be useful.

Nelson was wrong though and in 1798 he was convinced to return to service. Nelson realized after a conversation that a one armed Admiral could be useful and since he wasn’t enjoying his retirement anyway, Nelson returned to sea and was given command of HMS Vanguard.

His first orders upon returning was to intercept a French fleet that was moving out of Toulon. Nelson was given a squadron of 15 ships. The French fleet he was sent to intercept in the Mediterranean was Napoleon’s fleet. By the time Vanguard had arrived, Napoleon was gone. Nelson learns from his friend Sir William Hamilton that a French naval fleet had occupied Malta. Nelson then realizes that the French destination was Egypt. Nelson wasted no time in setting sail and headed straight for Egypt. However, Nelson and his fleet arrived at the Egyptian coast before Napoleon. Nelson then headed North and then headed West as he feared the French had doubled back to attack Sicily. Nelson was wrong however and soon headed back to Egypt where he would find Napoleon’s naval fleet along the river Nile.

Nelson and his fleet engage in a huge naval battle on the river Nile, completely devastating Napoleon’s fleet, including the French flag ship L’Orient which exploded after a fire had reached the magazine. Napoleon had lost over 3,500 men. Nelson had lost 900. Napoleon would never completely trust his navy again.

After the Battle of the Nile, Nelson is given the title “Baron of the Nile” and Sultan Selim III gifts him a jeweled broach that he would wear on his hat until his death.

After leaving Egypt, Nelson heads for Naples where he stays with his friend, Sir William Hamilton. While staying with Hamilton, Nelson falls in love with his wife, Lady Emma. Not long after the two enter into an affair, an affair which William is surprisingly OK with.

In 1800, Nelson requests leave from the Royal Navy after becoming tired of years of fighting and travels back to England on land with William and Emma. While passing through Germany and Austria, Emma falls pregnant with Nelson’s child.

When Nelson arrives in England he is given a heroes welcome. But upon arriving home, he is greeted with understandable confusing. Nelson had returned home to his wife Frances with his mistress, her husband and his unborn child. Frances gives Nelson a choice. Her or Emma. Nelson chooses Emma and Frances moves out of the family home where Nelson, William and Emma continue to live. Not long after William would pass away, gifting his favourite picture of Emma to Nelson. Emma meanwhile would give give birth to Nelson’s daughter, Horatia.

Nelson was back at sea in 1801 after being promoted to Vice Admiral. He was sent to the Baltic sea with Admiral Hyde Parker to stop Denmark from allying with Russia. British fleets arrived in Denmark and blocked the port at Copenhagen. Hyde Parker had given Nelson the order to move into the port and battle with Dutch ships. From afar Parker watched as it seemed Nelson and his fleet would lose and gave Nelson the signal to withdraw from the battle. However, Nelson had a better understanding of the battle and knew he could win. It is believed Nelson held his spyglass up to his blind eye and said “I really don’t see the signal.”

The Battle of Copenhagen would result in a British victory and would see Nelson replace Parker as Commander of the Baltic Fleet. Nelson returns home a hero once again and in 1802 goes on a tour of England and Wales.

By 1803 Nelon is back at sea and given command of HMS Victory. This would be the last ship Nelson would ever command. His orders are to blockade Toulon and stop another invasion. For 2 years Nelson plays a game of cat and mouse with French commander Villeneuve, including a chase that saw Nelson chase Villeneuve across the Atlantic ocean and then back again.

1805 would see Nelson’s final battle. The Battle of Trafalgar. In the lead up to the battle, Nelson had dined with his captains to go through the plan. Meanwhile, French and Spanish fleets gather at Cadiz. Unhappy with his performance, Napoleon decided to replace Villeneuve. Bur before his replacement arrives, Villeneuve saves himself the humilation and sets sail. Scout friages alert Nelson that the French and Spanish fleet are on the move and his Nelson’s 27 ships clash with the enemy of the Cape of Trafalgar with Nelson stating before the battle “England expects every man will do his duty”

During the battle French and Spanish suffer heavy losses with French crews left in the water attempting to climb aboard HMS Victory but are cut apart by the cannons of a passing British ship.

Napoleon would lose 22 ships, Nelson would lose 0. However, a sharpshooter aboard the French ship, Redoubtable took aim at Nelson and fired a shot that would go through his shoulder, puncturing his lung and leaving him paralyzed. Nelson was carried below deck where he would cling to life until his Captain, Thomas Hardy came down and informed him the battle had been won. Nelson uttered the words “Thank God, I have done my duty” and then died.

Nelson’s body was transported to Gibraltar, his body kept in a cask of brandy for preservation. Upon arriving in Gibraltar, Nelson’s body was then transported back to England. His funeral took place St Paul’s Cathedral and was the first non-royal to receive a state funeral. The period of national mourning the public had for Nelson would not be seen again until the death of Princess Diana in 1997. The nation had lost its hero.

I will close this off by addressing some of the controversy surrounding Nelson. Mainly his apparent support of the slave trade. But Nelson was a servant of his country and during his time, the country and the law defended slavery. Had he lived until the end of slavery in the British system, it’s likely he would have supported that. There are also reports of letters that may have been forged in Nelson’s name. I won’t tell you what to believe, if it’s something you’re interested in, the information is out there for you to come up with your own opinion. I hope you have enjoyed learning about Nelson and I will see you in the next article.