700 
N E L 
in Norfolk, there is little to be faid. The fea was his 
true element, to which he was reftored in 1793, on the 
breaking out of the war with France, when he was ap¬ 
pointed to the command of the Agamemnon of 64 guns. 
His reputation foon completed his (hip’s company, which 
was raifed chiefly from Norfolk and Suffolk. He was 
placed under the orders of admiral lord Hood, then ap¬ 
pointed to command in the Mediterranean. The un¬ 
bounded confidence which lord Hood always repofed in 
captain Nelfon, manifefts the high opinion which he en¬ 
tertained, not only of his courage, but of his talents and 
ability to execute the arduous fervices with which he was 
entrufted. If batteries were to be attacked, if (hips were 
to be cut out of their harbours, if the hazardous landing 
of troops was to be effected, or difficult pafl’ages to be ex¬ 
plored, we invariably find Nelfon foremoft on the occafion, 
with his brave officers, and the gallant crew of the Aga¬ 
memnon. At Toulon, and the celebrated victories 
achieved at Baftia and Calvi, lord Hood bore ample tefti- 
mony to the (kill and unremitting exertions of captain 
Nelfon, “ which,” faid his lordffiip, “ I cannot fuffici- 
ently applaud.” During the memorable iiege of Baftia, 
he l’uperintended the difembarkation of the troops and 
ftores, and commanded a brigade of feamen, who ferved 
on-fltore at the batteries. Lord Hood had fubmitted to 
general Dundas, and afterwards to his fuccefl'or d’Aubert, 
a plan for the reduction of Baftia ; but they refufed to 
co-operate, or to furnifli a (ingle foldier on the occafion. 
He obtained only a few artillery-men, and began the 
fiege with lefs than 1200 foldiers, artillery-men, and ma¬ 
rines, and 250 failors. “We are but few,” fays the 
brave Nelfon, “ but of the right fort; our general not 
giving us one of the five regiments he has lying idle.” 
They were landed on the 4th of April. The failors 
dragged the guns up the heights, which was a work that 
could probably have been accompliflied only by Britiflr 
feamen. The foldiers behaved with the fame fpirit. 
The fiege continued nearly feven weeks, and on the 19th 
of May a treaty of capitulation was begun ; and on that 
fame evening, and not before, the troops made their ap¬ 
pearance on the hills ; and, on the following morning, 
general d’Aubert arrived with his whole army to take 
Baftia. The event of the fiege had juftified the opinion 
of the failors ; and, when the conqueft was as good as 
made, then they had the affiftance of the army, which 
they had folicited before in vain. “ I am,” faid Nelfon, 
when he got pofieffion of the fortrefs, “ all aftonifliment, 
when I reflect on what we have achieved ; 1000 regulars, 
j 500 national guards, and a large body of Corfican troops, 
laying down their arms to 1000 foldiers and marines, and 
200 feamen.” The enemy were fuppofed to be far infe¬ 
rior in number, when it was refolved to attack the place; 
and it was not till every arrangement was made, that 
Nelfon received certain information of their great fupe- 
riority. This intelligence he kept a fecret, fearing the 
attempt would be readily abandoned, if a fair pretext 
were afforded. 
The fiege of Calvi was carried on by general Stuart, 
and Nelfon had lefs refponfibility here than at Baftia, but 
the buiinefs was equally arduous. He certainly knew the 
importance of his fervices, and on no occafion fcrupled 
to fet a value upon them. When at Calvi, he faid to 
lord Hood, “ We will fag ourfelves to death, before any 
blame (hall lie at our doors. I truft it will not be for¬ 
gotten, that twenty-five pieces of cannon have been 
dragged to the different batteries, and mounted, and all 
but three fought by feamen.” He was employed full 
four months on-ftiore; and the climate was more deftruc- 
tive to his health, and to the conftitutions of his brave 
comrades, than the war. Nelfon defcribed himfelf as the 
reed among the oaks bowing before the dorm, when they 
were laid low. “ All the prevailing diforders have at¬ 
tacked me,” faid the captain ; “ but I have not ftrength 
enough for them to fallen on me. One plan I purine, 
never to employ a dodlor. Nature does all for me, and 
S O N. 
Providence protedls me.” It was at the fiege of Calvi 
that he loft an eye; and yet, ftrange as it mult appear, he 
was altogether overlooked ; his name did not even appear 
among the wounded. “ One hundred and ten days,” 
faid he, “ I have been aftually engaged at fea, and on- 
(liore, with the enemy ; three actions againft (hips, two 
againft Baftia in my own (hip, four boat-adlions, and two 
villages taken, and twelve fail burnt. I do not know 
that any one has done more. I have had the comfort of 
being always applauded by my commanders-in-chief, but 
never rewarded ; and, what is more mortifying, for fervice 
in which I have been aftually wounded, others have been 
praifed, who, at the time, were adlually in bed, and far 
from thefcene of adlion. They have not done me juftice ; 
but never mind; I’ll have a Gazette of my own.” He 
lived long enough to tafte all the glory that he anticipated. 
When lord Hood left the Mediterranean in Odtober 
1794, the command devolved on.admiral Hotham, who 
confided in Nelfon with the fame alacrity as lord Hood 
had done before ; and Nelfon again diftinguilhed himfelf 
in the actions with the French fleet of the 13th and 14th 
of March, and alfo on the 13th of July, 1795. Under 
admiral Hotham, he had occafionally the command of a 
light fquadron of frigates, with which he performed fome 
valuable fervices ; and he was rewarded with a colonelcy 
of marines. When fir John Jervis, now earl St. Vincent, 
fucceeded admiral Hotham in November 1795, he was too 
fenfible of the merits of captain Nelfon to part with him. 
He raifed him to the rank of commodore, and removed 
him from the Agamemnon to the Captain of 74 guns ; 
and on the nth of Auguft he had a captain appointed 
under him. 
From the month of April till October, commodore 
Nelfon was conftantly employed in the mod arduous fer¬ 
vices, viz. the blockade of Leghorn, the taking of Port 
Ferrajo, with the Illand of Caprea, and, laftly, in the eva¬ 
cuation of Baftia; after which, he joined the admiral in 
St. Fiorenza Bay, and proceeded with him to Gibraltar. 
While the name of Nelfon was but little known to the 
Engliffi public, it was feared, refpedted, and highly ho¬ 
noured, throughout Italy, and in other parts of the con¬ 
tinent. A letter was fent to him, directed, “ Horatio 
Nelfon, Genoa.” When the writer was alked, how he 
could addrefs a letter fo vaguely ? he replied, “ There is 
but one Horatio Nelfon in the world.” In the letter in 
which he mentions this circumftance to his lady, captain 
Nelfon fays, •“ Had all my actions been gazetted, not one 
fortnight would have palled, during the whole war, with¬ 
out a letter from me. One day or other I will have a long 
gazette to myfelf. I feel that fuch an opportunity will 
be given me. I cannot, if 1 am in the field of glory, be 
kept out of fight.” 
During the month of December 1796, commodore Nel¬ 
fon hoifted his broad pendant on-board La Minerve fri¬ 
gate, captain George Cockburne, and was difpatched 
with that (hip and La Blanche to Porto Ferrajo, to bring 
the naval ftores left there to Gibraltar. On the pafiage 
thither, in the night of the 19th, the commodore fell in 
with two Spanilh frigates. He immediately attacked the 
(hip which carried the poop-light, and direfted the Blanche 
to bear down and engage the other. At forty minutes 
pad ten at night, the commodore brought his (hip to clofe 
adlion, which continued without intermiffion till half-pad 
one, when La Sabina, of 40 guns and 286 men, command¬ 
ed by captain Don Jacobo Stuart, ftruck to La Minerve. 
Captain Prefton in La Blanche filenced the (hip he had 
engaged, but could not eftedl pofieffion, owing to three 
more (hips heaving in fight. Commodore Nell'on’s letter, 
on this occafion, to his admiral fir John Jervis, has been 
regarded as a noble example of a generous and modell 
fpirit, inafmuch as he afl'umes no merit to himfelf, but 
gives every praife to the captain, his officers, and crew. 
“ You are, fir,” fays he, “ fo thoroughly acquainted with 
the merits of captain Cockburne, that it is needlefs for 
me to exprefs them; but the difcipline of La Minerve 
4 does 
