NELSON. 
Joes the higheft credit to her captain and lieutenants, 
and I with fully to exprefs the fenfie I have of their judg¬ 
ment and gallantry. Lieutenant Culverhoufe, the firft 
lieutenant, is an old officer of very diftinguilhed merit; 
lieutenants Hardy, Gage, and Noble, deferve every praife 
■which gallantry and zeal juftly entitle them to ; as does 
every man in the thip. You will obferve, fir, I am fure, 
with regret, among the wounded, lieutenant James Noble, 
who quitted the Captain to ferve with me, and whofe 
merits, and repeated wounds received in fighting the 
enemies of our country, entitle him to every reward a 
grateful nation can bellow.” In this aftion, the cap¬ 
tured lliip had 164 men killed and wounded, and loll the 
mizen,main, and fore, malls ; and La Minerve had feven 
men killed, 34 wounded, and all her malls fliot through. 
On the 29th of January, 1797, commodore Nelfon 
failed in La Minerve from Porto Ferrajo, on his return to 
fir John Jervis, with a mind irritated and deprefl'ed, through 
the fear that a general engagement would take place be¬ 
fore he could join the fleet. He arrived at Gibraltar a 
few days after the Spanifh fleet had palled the (traits front 
Carthagena. Impatient to join his admiral, the commo¬ 
dore only remained one day at Gibraltar; and on the nth 
of February, while he was proceeding to the weftward, to 
the place of rendezvous, he was chafed by two Spaniib 
line-of-battle (hips, and fell in with their whole fleet off 
the mouth of the ftraits. He fortunately effected his 
efcape, and joined the admiral off Cape St. Vincent, on 
the 13th of February, juft in time to communicate intel¬ 
ligence relative to the force and Hate of the Spanilh fleet, 
and to fliift his pendant on-board his former ffiip, the 
Captain, of 74guns. Before fun-let, the fignal was made 
to prepare for aftion. At day-break, the enemy were in 
fight. The Britilh force confided of two ihips of 100 
guns each, two of 98, two of 90, eight of 74, and one 
of 64, with four frigates, a (loop, and a cutter. The 
Spaniards had one (hip of 136 guns, fix of 112 guns each,* 
two of 84, and eighteen of 74 guns. The difproportion 
was very great, but the Spanilh admiral, Don Jofeph de 
Cordova, had reafon to believe it was Hill greater, or he 
would not have hazarded a battle. He had learnt from 
an American, that the Englifh had but nine Ihips on that 
ftation, which was aftually the cafe when the American 
had fallen in with them; and upon this information he 
fought an engagement, inftead of going into Cadiz, as he 
at firft intended, relying with a fatal confidence upon the 
accuracy of the American. Ihort account of the ilfue 
of this battle has been given under the article England, 
vol. vi. 787. but we think it right in this place to add a 
few particulars as to the (hare which Nelfon had in the 
glory of the day. 
Sir John Jervis, following the newfyftem of naval taftics, 
determined to break the line of the enemy; and, before the 
Spanilh admiral could form a regular order of battle, of 
which he feemed very defirous, fir John, by carrying a 
prefs of fail, came up with them, paffed through the fleet, 
then tacked, and thus cut oft’ nine of their Ihips from the 
main body. Thefe, in their turn, attempted to form on 
their larboard tack, either with a defign of palling through 
the Britilh line, or to the leeward of it, and thus rejoin¬ 
ing their friends. One of the nine only fucceeded; the 
others were fo warmly received, that they took to flight, 
and did not appear in aftion till the clofe. The admiral 
was now enabled to direft his whole attention to the 
enemy’s main body. Hill fuperior to his whole fleet. He 
made fignal to tack in fucceffion. Nelfon, whofe ftation 
was in the rear of the Britilh line, perceiving that the 
Spanifh flee^was bearing up before the wind, with an in¬ 
tention of forming their line, joining their feparated drips, 
or flying; determined to prevent either of thefe fchemes 
from taking effect, and accordingly, without a moment’s 
hefitation, difobeyed the fignal, and ordered his lliip to 
be wore. This at once brought him into aftion with 
feven of the largeft Ihips of the enemy’s fleet, among 
which were the Santiffima of 136 guns, and two others of 
Vol, XVI. No. 1147, 
701 
112. Captain Trowbridge, in the Culloden, nobly fup- 
ported him ; and the Blenheim, captain Frederick, came 
to their affiltance. The Salvador del Mundo and the San 
Ifidro dropped aftern, and were fired into by the Excel¬ 
lent, captain Collingwood, to whom the latter ftruck. 
“ But Collingwood,” fays Nellon,“ difdaining the parade 
of taking poffeffion of beaten enemies, moll gallantly 
puflied up, with every fail fet, to lave his old friend and 
mefs-mate, who was to all appearance in a very critical 
fituation.” The Captain was at this moment fired upon 
by three firft-rates, and the San Nicholas and a 74 were 
within piftol-fliot. The Blenheim was a-head, and the 
Culloden crippled a-ftern. Collingwood ranged, and 
paffed within ten feet of the San Nicholas, giving her a 
mod tremendous broadfide, puflied on for the Santiffima 
Trinidada. At this time the Captain had loft her fore - 
top-mall, had not a fail, Ihroud, or rope, left; her wheel 
was (hot away, and thus left incapable of farther fervice 
in the line or the chafe; her noble commander, Nelfon, 
inftantly refolved on a bold and decilive meafure, and de¬ 
termined, whatever might be the event, to attempt his 
opponent fword in hand; and diredled captain Miller to 
put the helm a-ftarboard, and the boarders were fum- 
moned. “ Fortune,” lays colonel Drinkwater, the ani¬ 
mated narrator of this battle, “favours the brave!” nor 
on this occafion was (lie unmindful of her favourite. 
Ralph Willett Miller, the commodore’s captain, (who 
was afterwards in the battle of the Nile, where he gained 
great honour, and was flain in the Thefeus, under fir 
Sidney Smith,) fo judicioully direfted the courfe of his 
lliip, that he laid her a-board the (larboard quarter of 
the Spanilh 84; her fprit-fail-yard paffing over the enemy’s 
poop, and hooking in her mizen llirouds: when the word 
to board was given, the officers and feamen, deftined 
for this perilous duty, headed by lieutenant (now fir 
Edward) Berry, (who was afterwards lord Nelfon’s cap¬ 
tain in the Vanguard, in the battle of the Nile,) together 
with the detachment of the 69th regiment, commanded 
by lieutenant Pearfon, then doing duty on-board the 
Captain, paffed with rapidity 011-board the enemy’s lliip, 
and in a Ihort time the San Nicholas was in poffeffion of 
her intrepid affailants. The commodore’s ardour would 
not permit him to remain an inaftive fpeftator of this 
fcene. He was aware that the attempt was hazardous, 
and he thought his prefence might animate his brave 
companions, and contribute to the fuccefs of this bold 
enterprife. He, therefore, as if by magic impulfe, accom¬ 
panied the party in this attack; paffing front the fore¬ 
chains of his own (hip into the enemy’s quarter-gallery, 
and thence through the cabin to the quarter-deck, where 
lie arrived in time to receive the fword of the dying com¬ 
mander, who had been mortally wounded by the boarders. 
The Englifh were at this time in poffeffion of every part 
of the lliip, and a fire of mulketry opened upon them 
from the (tern-gallery of the San Jolef. The commodore 
was not long in rel'oiving on the line of conduft which he 
ffiould adopt. The two alternatives that prefented tliem- 
felves were, to quit the prize, or inftantly to board the 
three-decker. Confident in the bravery of his feamen, 
he determined on the latter. Directing, therefore, an 
additional number of men to be fent from the Captain 
on-board the San Nicholas, Nelfon, whom no danger 
could appal, headed himfelf the affailants in this new 
attack, exclaiming, “ Weftminller Abbey, or a glorious 
viftory!” Succefs in a few minutes, and with little lofs, 
crowned the enterprife. For a moment, commodore 
Nelfon could fcarcely perfuade himfelf of this fecond in- 
ftance of good fortune; he, therefore, ordered the Spanilh. 
commandant, who had the rank of brigadier, to affemble 
the officers on the quarter-deck, and means to be taken 
inftantly for communicating to the crew the lurrender of 
the ffiip. All the officers immediately appeared, and the 
commodore had the furrender of the San Jolef duly con¬ 
firmed, by each of them delivering his fword. It was at 
this moment, one of the failors came up, and with an 
S Q Englilhman’s 
