Nelson: Britannia's God of War (76 page)

65 Nelson to William Wyndham 3.9.1796; Nicolas VII pp. cvii–cx. Nelson to Jervis 11, 14 and 19.9.1796; Nelson to Elliot 21.9.1796; Nicolas II pp. 262–74

66
Jervis to Spencer 27.9.1796 enclosing Nelson –Jervis 15.9.1796; Spencer II PP–54–7

67 White,
1797:
Nelson’s
Year
of
Destiny,
pp. 16–17

68 Jervis to Spencer 15.9.1796; Spencer II pp. 52–4

69 Jervis to Nelson 25.9.1796; Naish p. 338

70 Jervis to Elliot 26.9.1796; Naish p. 340

71 Nelson to Jervis 26 and 28.9.1796; Nicolas II pp. 282–5

72 Nelson to Jervis 19.10.1796; Nicolas II pp. 291–4

73 Jervis to Nelson 13.10.1796; Naish p. 338

74 Rose, p. 77

75 Jervis to Elliot 17.10.1796; Naish p. 340

76 Nelson to Jervis 15 and 17.10.1796; Nicolas II pp. 288–9

77 Nelson to Wife 13 and 24.10.1796; Naish pp. 30–6

78 Jervis to Spencer 2.10.1796; Spencer II p. 58

79 Jervis to Spencer 23.10.1796; Spencer II pp. 61–4

80 Nelson to Locker 5.11.1796; Nicolas II pp. 298–9

81 Nelson to Collingwood 20.11.1796; Nelson Suckling 29.11.1796; Nicolas II pp. 304–7. Nelson to Wife 22.11.1796; Naish pp. 308–9

82 Nelson to Collingwood 1.12.1796; Nicolas II p. 307. Nelson to Wife 1, 9 and 12.12.1796; Naish pp. 309–10

83 Jervis to Nelson 10.12.1796; Nicolas II p. 311

84 Jervis to Elliot 10.12.1796; Brenton I pp. 272–4

85 Spencer to Jervis 16.12.1796 Spencer .II p. 78

86 Nelson to Jervis 20.12.1796; Nicolas II pp. 312–15

87 Nelson to Governor of Cartagena 24.12.1796; Nicolas II p. 317

88 Nelson to Jervis 24.12.1796; Nelson to Elliot 24.12.1796; Nelson to De Burgh 29 and 30.12.1796; Nicolas II pp. 317–24

1 Nelson to Spencer 4 and 16.1.1797; Nicolas VII pp. cxxvii–iii This chapter draws extensively on Colin White’s
1797:
Nelson’s
Year
of
Destiny,
1998

2 Minto to Portland (Home Secretary) 24.1.1797;
Minto
II
p. 371

3 Nelson to Wife 13.1.1797; Naish p. 312

4 Nelson to Jervis 25.1.1797; Nicolas VII p. cxxix

5 Nelson to Wife 27.1.1797; Naish pp. 312–13

6 Jervis to Spencer 16.2.1797; Nicolas II pp. 355–6

7 Quoted in Nelson to William Nelson 17.2.1797; Nicolas II pp. 351–2

8 Nelson to Locker 21.2.1797; Nicolas II pp. 353–5

9 Nelson received the letter on rejoining the fleet after Tenerife; Nelson to Parker 19.8.1797; Nicolas II p. 438. Parker was disgraced in 1800 for leaving his station in search of prize, and died in 1802.

10 Nelson to Wife 28.2.1797; Naish pp. 317–18

11 Jervis to Spencer 26.2.1796; 5.3.1797; 6.4.1797 and Spencer to Jervis 3.4.1797; Spencer II pp. 93–7; 379–85

12 Jervis to Spencer 5.3.1797; Spencer II p. 372

13 Nelson to Jervis 11.4.1797; to Saumarez 12.4.1797; Nicolas II pp. 376 and 381.

14 Robert Blake, Cromwell’s leading ‘General at Sea’, destroyed a Spanish fleet at Tenerife in 1657.

15 Nelson to Jervis 12.4.1797; Nicolas II pp. 378–81

16 Nelson to Jervis 21.4.1797; Nicolas VII pp. cxxxii–iii

17 Nelson to Wife 27.5.1797; Naish pp. 324–5

18 Nelson to Mazzaredo and reply 30.5. and 1.6.1797; Nicolas II pp. 388–9

19 Nelson to Jervis 19.4.1797; Nicolas II pp. 378–81

20 Nelson to St Vincent 6, 7, 9,10,12 and 13.6.1797; Nicolas II pp. 392–7 and VH pp. cxxxix–cxli

21 Nelson to Wife 15, 29 and 30.6.1797; Naish pp. 325–8

22 St Vincent to Spencer 3.8.1797; Spencer II 413

23 Nelson to Jervis 27.7.1797; Nicolas II pp. 434–5

24 Nelson to Wife 5 and 16.8.1797; Naish pp. 332–3. Nelson to Jervis 16.8.1797 and reply of same day; Nicolas II pp. 435–6

25 St Vincent to Lady Nelson 16.8.1797; Naish p. 371. St Vincent to Admiralty 16.8.1797; Nicolas II pp. 434–5.

26 The section on Tenerife is drawn, unless otherwise noted, from the much richer account given in Colin White’s magnificent
1797:
Nelson’s
Year
of
Destiny,
pp. 89–133.

27 St Vincent to Spencer 16.8.1797; Spencer II 414

28 Walker: Abbott had already painted Hood and Bridport, among other naval sitters.

29 In an early letter he declares ‘my mind has long been made up to such an event’: Nelson to Wife 3.8.1797; Nicolas II p. 436

30 Correspondence October–December 1797; Nicolas II pp. 447–61

31 It appears that there were no current plans of this sort, although 25,000 men had been embarked over the summer. Desbrière
Projets
I pp. 264–6

32 Nelson would command several ex–Dutch ships in 1801.

33 Lord Grenville to Spencer 13.10.1797; Sp. II pp. 195–6

34 Tomlinson, B. ‘The Battle Sanctified’, in Duffy, M. and Morriss, R.
The
Glorious
First
of
June.
Exeter, 2001 pp. 165–6.

35 Pitt to Spencer 22.10.1797 Sp. II pp. 213–15

36 Coupland, R. ed.
The
War
Speeches
of
William
Pitt
the
Younger.
Oxford, 1915 Speech of 10.11.1797 pp. 227–8. The republication of these rousing calls to national unity in the next total war was not accidental.

37 Jordan, G. and Rogers, N. ‘Admirals as Heroes; Patriotism and Liberty in Hanoverian England’,
Journal
of
British
Studies
28 (1989), p. 213

1 Nelson received several trophies and rewards for this service from City companies, for whom the events of 1798 were a great relief. The Levant Company’s silver cup was a particular favourite.

2 Baring, ed.
The
Diary
of
William
Windham,
1784
–
1811,
p. 382

3 Ibid. p. 389

4 Naishp. 381

5 Nelson to St Vincent 10.1.1798; Nicolas III p. 3

6 Spencer to Grenville 6.4.1798; Spencer II pp. 433–4

7 Nelson to Mrs Collingwood 12.3 and Nelson to Father 14.3.1798; Nicolas III p. 6

8 Nelson’s will 21.3.1798; Naish pp. 405–6. Nelson to William Nelson 31.3.1798; Nicolas III pp. 7–8.

9 Spencer to St Vincent 30.3.1798; Spencer II p. 432

10 Nelson to Clarence 24.4.1798; Nicolas III p. 10

11 Nelson to Wife 1.5.1798; Naish p. 394–5

12 Spencer to St Vincent 29.4.1798; Spencer II pp. 437–9

13 Mackesy,
Statesmen
at
War;
The
Strategy
of
Overthrow
1798
–
1799,
pp. 3–5

14 Lavery,
Nelson
and
the
Nile;
The
Naval
War
against
Bonaparte
1798,
pp. 93–8. This excellent campaign study informs the operational and tactical discussions of this chapter. Battesti,
La
Battaille
d’Aboukir;
Nelson
contrarie
la
Stratégie
de
Napoleon
provides a compelling assessment of the campaign from the French perspective, stressing the strategic impact of the battle, denying France, and Bonaparte, the dream of escaping the limits of Europe for world empire.

15 Mackesy, pp. 16–41

16 Lavery, p. 101

17 St Vincent to Spencer 19.5.1798; Spencer II pp. 446–7

18 St Vincent to Nelson 21.5.1798; Nicolas III pp. 25–6

19 Lavery, pp. 7–24

20 Nelson to St Vincent 6.5.1797; Nicolas VII pp. cl–cli

21 Nelson to the captains of HMS
Orion,
Alexander
and
Vanguard
7.5.1798; Nelson to St Vincent 8.5.1798; Nicolas III pp. 13–15

22 Lavery, pp. 63–4

23 Nelson to St Vincent 17.5.1798; Nicolas III pp. 16–17

24 Lavery, pp. 117–19

25 Nelson Order 7.6.1798; Nicolas III p. 23

26 Berry, p. 49

27 Lavery, p. 122

28 Nelson to Hamilton and St Vincent 12 and 12–15.6.1798; Nicolas III pp. 28–30

29 Nelson to Hamilton 14.6.1798; Nicolas III p. 30

30 Nelson to Spencer 15.6.1798; Nicolas III p. 31. Naish p. 398

31 Nelson to Hamilton 17.6.1798; Nicolas HI pp. 32–3

32 Nelson to Hamilton 18 and 20.6.1798; Nicolas HI pp. 33–4

33 Naish pp. 407–9. Lavery pp. 127–8

34 St Vincent to Spencer 15.7.1798; Spencer II pp. 447–8

35 Nelson to St Vincent 12.7.1798; Nicolas III p. 41

36 Nelson to St Vincent 20.7.1798; Nicolas III p. 45. Nelson to Wife 20.7.1798; Naish p. 398

37 Nelson to Hamilton 20, 22. and 23.7.1798; Nicolas III pp. 42–7

38 Nelson to St Vincent 3.8.1798; Nicolas III pp. 58–61

39 Mornington to Grenville 18.11.1798; cited on Mackesy p. 43

40 Nelson to Spencer 9.8.1798; Nicolas III pp. 98–9

41 Nelson to Wife 11.8.1798; Naish p. 399

42 Nelson to Nepean 16.8.1798 and to St Vincent 19 and 26.8.1798; Nicolas III pp.105–7

1 Barry Unsworth’s
Losing
Nelson
confronts this issue with imagination. The scale of the debate should not disguise the poverty of hard evidence. The case against Nelson would not stand in a court of law, being wholly based on hearsay and innuendo.

2 Touchette, L-A. ‘Sir William Hamilton’s “Pantomime Mistress”: Emma Hamilton and Her Attitudes.’ In Hornsby, C. ed.
The
Impact
of
Italy;
The
Grand
Tour
and
Beyond,
London, 2000, pp. 123–46: an excellent illustrated account of her art.

3 Winifred Guerin’s account in
Horatia
Nelson,
Oxford, 1981, is the most hostile on this score.

4 Hamilton to Nelson 8.9.1798; Nicolas III pp. 71–2

5 Hamilton to Nelson 1.8.1798; Morrison, A.
The
Hamilton
and
Nelson
Papers.
Volume
II.
London 1894 privately printed pp. 15–17

6 Acton to Nelson 9.9.1798; Nicolas III p. 118. Nelson to Spencer 16.9.1799; Nicolas III pp. 126–7

7 Paret and Moran eds.
Carl
von
Clausewitz:
Historical
and
Political
Writings,
p. 246 as quoted in Gooch, J. The Politics of Strategy’,
War
in
History
4 (2003), p. 424

8 Rodger,
The
War
of
the
Second
Coalition,
1798
to
1801:
A
Strategic
Commentary
is the leading source for this analysis. It has been widely, and uncritically adopted.

9 Nelson to Father 25.9.1798; Nicolas III p. 131

10 Nelson to St Vincent 27.9.1798; Nicolas III p. 132

11 St Vincent to Nelson 27.9.1798; Nicolas III pp. 84–5

12 Admiralty to St Vincent 3.10.1798; Nicolas III pp. 143–4

13 Nelson to Captain Hood 13.9.1798; Nicolas III pp. 121–2

14 Nelson to St Vincent 30.9.1799; Nicolas III p. 138

15 Nelson to St Vincent 4.10.1798; Nicolas VII p. clxiv

16 Nelson to Pitt 4.10.1798; PRO 30/8/367 ff. 42–3

17 Nelson to St Vincent 4.10.1798; Nicolas VII clxiv

18 Nelson to Spencer 9.10.1798; Nicolas III pp. 146–7

19 Hamilton to Nelson 16.10.1798. Morrison II. pp. 23–4. Nelson to St Vincent 22.10.1798; Nicolas IE pp. 150–1

20 Testa, C.
The
French
in
Malta
1798
–
1800.
Valletta 1997

21 Nelson to St Vincent 7.11.1798; Nicolas III p. 166

22 Mackesy,
Statesmen
at
War:
The
Strategy
of
Overthrow
1798
–17
99.
London pp. 54–6