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Thorn

The possibility that the Cadiz, Carthagena, and 1805. Rochefort ships might effect a junction, and thereby Oct. present a force of 46 sail of the line, (a rumour in- Exdeed prevailed, that the Brest fleet was out, which, pected without the junction of the Carthagena and Roche- tion of fort squadrons, would have made the combined fleet -adm. 54 or 55 sail,) induced lord Nelson, on the 10th, to bodraw up and transmit to the flag-officers and captains rough. of his fleet, a plan of attack, in which, hourly expecting to be reinforced, particularly by a squadron of fast-sailing two-deckers under vice-admiral Thornborough, he calculates, by anticipation, the strength of his fleet at 40 sail of the line. As this plan, or "General Memorandum," of which a translation appears in several french historical works, is universally considered to be a complete masterpiece of the kind; and particularly, as it agrees in principle with that adopted in the great battle presently to be detailed, we shall offer no apology for inserting it entire in these pages.

Nel

brated

"Thinking it almost impossible," says the noble Lord chief, "to form a fleet of 40 sail of the line into a son's line of battle, in variable winds, thick weather, and celeother circumstances which must occur, without such plan of a loss of time, that the opportunity would probably attack. be lost, of bringing the enemy to battle in such a manner as to make the business decisive; I have therefore made up my mind to keep the fleet in that position of sailing, (with the exception of the first and second in command,) that the order of sailing is to be the order of battle; placing the fleet in two lines of 16 ships each, with an advanced squadron of eight of the fastest sailing two-decked ships: which will always make, if wanted, a line of 24 sail, on whichever line the commander in chief may direct. The second in command will, after my intentions are made known to him, have the entire direction of his line, to make the attack upon the enemy, and to follow up the blow until they are captured or destroyed. "If the enemy's fleet should be seen to-windward

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1805. in line of battle, and that the two lines and the adOct. Vanced squadron could fetch them, they will proLord bably be so extended that their van could not succour Nel- their rear. I should therefore probably make the second in command's signal, to lead through about brated the twelfth ship from their rear, or wherever he attack. could fetch, if not able to get so far advanced. My line would lead through about their centre; and the advanced squadron, to cut two, (cut through?) three, or four ships ahead of their centre; so as to ensure getting at their commander in chief, whom every effort must be made to capture. The whole impression of the british fleet must be, to overpower from two or three ships ahead of their commander in chief (supposed to be in the centre) to the rear of their fleet. I will suppose 20 sail of the enemy's line to be untouched it must be some time before they could perform a manœuvre to bring their force compact to attack any part of the british fleet engaged, or to succour their own ships; which indeed would be impossible, without mixing with the ships engaged. The enemy's fleet is supposed to consist of 46 sail of the line: british 40: if either is less, only a proportionate number of enemy's ships are to be cut off. British to be one fourth superior to the enemy cut off. Something must be left to chance. Nothing is sure in a sea fight, beyond all others: shot will carry away the masts and yards of friends as well as of foes; but I look with confidence to a victory before the van of the enemy could succour their rear; and then that the british fleet would, most of them, be ready to receive their 20 sail of the line, or to pursue them should they endeavour to make off. If the van of the enemy tack, the captured ships must run to-leeward of the british fleet; if the enemy wear, the British must place themselves between the enemy and the captured, and disabled british, ships; and, should the enemy close, I have no fear for the result.

"The second in command will, in all possible

things, direct the movements of his line, by keeping 1805. them as compact as the nature of the circumstances Oct. will admit. Captains are to look to their particular Lord line as their rallying point; but, in case signals can- Nelnot be seen or clearly understood, no captain can do celevery wrong if he places his ship alongside that of an brated enemy.

"Of the intended attack from to-windward, the enemy in the line of battle ready to receive an attack:

son's

plan of

attack.

British.

Enemy.

"The divisions of the british fleet will be brought nearly within gun-shot of the enemy's centre. The signal will most probably then be made, for the lee line (three lines?) to bear up together; to set all their sails, even their steering-sails, in order to get as quickly as possible to the enemy's line; and to cut through, beginning at the twelfth ship from the enemy's rear. Some ships may not get through their exact place, but they will always be at hand to assist their friends. If any are thrown round the rear of the enemy, they will effectually complete the business of 12 sail of the enemy. Should the enemy wear together, or bear up and sail large, still the 12 ships, composing, in the first position, the enemy's rear, are to be the object of attack of the lee line, unless otherwise directed by the commander in chief': which is scarcely to be expected; as the entire management of the lee line, after the intentions of the commander in chief are signified, is intended to be left to the judgment of the admiral commanding that line. The remainder of the enemy's fleet, 34 sail of the line, are to be left to

Oct.

1805. the management of the commander in chief; who will endeavour to take care that the movements of the second in command are as little interrupted as is possible."

Cadiz

straitened

visions.

With the crews of so many ships to victual, Cadiz had become much straitened for provisions. To for pro- remedy the evil in part, especially as regarded his own fleet, the french emperor had ordered shipments to be made at Nantes, Bordeaux, and other ports in the bay of Biscay. The carriers were nominally danish vessels, that landed their cargoes at Ayamonte, Conil, Algeziras, and at some other little harbours between the latter port and Santa-Maria; whence they were conveyed in coasting boats to Cadiz, without any interruption. As some check to this, a vigorous blockade had been adopted by viceadmiral Collingwood, and was still maintained by his successor; who considered it a more likely mode to drive the combined fleet to sea, than a bombardment by Congreve rockets, as had been contemplated by the british admiralty. The arrival of the Naïad, Phoebe, Sirius, Juno, and Niger frigates, along with one or two smaller vessels, enabled lord Nelson to detach a part of them; and the interruption thereby given to the coasting trade was of increased annoyance to Cadiz and the shipping within it.

Between the 9th and 13th of October the RoyalSovereign, Belleisle, Africa, and Agamemnon, joined the fleet. The british force off Cadiz was now at its greatest height, 29 sail of the line; and the whole force under lord Nelson's command, including the five ships recently gone to Gibraltar, amounted to 33 sail of the line. Since the 10th the franco-spanish fleet had moved to the entrance of the harbour, and evinced ture of every disposition to put to sea the first opportunity. sir Ro- On the 14th lord Nelson, as he had been directed, Calder detached to England sir Robert Calder, in the to take Prince-of-Wales, and on the 17th was obliged to trial. send the Donegal to Gibraltar, to get a ground tier

Depar

bert

his

of casks. This done, the fleet under his lordship's 1805. immediate command consisted of the following 27 Oct. sail of the line, four frigates, one schooner, and one

cutter : gun-ship

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Richard King.

John Cooke.

Charles John Moore Mansfield.

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Edward Codrington.

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William George Rutherford.

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Frigates, Euryalus, Naïad, Phœbe, and Sirius; captains the hon. Henry Blackwood, Thomas Dundas, the hon. Thomas Bladen Capel, and William Prowse.

Schooner Pickle, ljeutenant John Richards Lapenotiere, and cutter Entreprenante, lieutenant John Puver.

On the very day, on which lord Nelson arrived to take command of the Mediterranean fleet, arrived at Cadiz a courier, with the french emperor's orders for M. Villeneuve to put to sea. These orders, it may be recollected, had issued since the 17th of the

*For captains William Brown and William Lechmere, gone to England to attend as witnesses on sir Robert Calder's court-martial.

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