and The hauling to-windward of M. Dumanoir afforded 1805: to the Minotaur and Spartiate an opportunity which, Oct. as the two rearmost ships of the weather column, Minothey would otherwise have sought in vain. At about taur 3h. 10 m. P. M., having hauled close on the larboard Spartack, the Minotaur and Spartiate lay to with their tiate. main topsails to the masts, and exchanged broadsides in passing with the Formidable, Duguay-Trouin, Mont-Blanc, and Scipion, and, as the Neptuno was considerably astern, succeeded in cutting her off. At 4 P. M. the two british 74s wore, and got close alongside of the spanish 80; who, after defending herself in the most gallant manner, surrendered at about Surren5 h. 10 m. P. M. with the loss of her mizenmast and Neptufore and main topmasts, and with, no doubt, a serious no. loss in men, although it has not been recorded. Having been captured directly to-windward of the Téméraire and her two prizes, the Neptuno drifted upon and fell on board the former. This gave rise to the extraordinary mistake contained in lord Collingwood's official despatch, representing that the Téméraire had been boarded by a french ship on one side and a spaniard on the other. der of and The Minotaur had her foretopsail yard shot Daaway; and both she and the Spartiate had their masts, mage, yards, and rigging generally a good deal damaged. MinoThe Minotaur had three seamen killed, her boat- taur swain, (James Robinson,) one midshipman, (John SparSamuel Smith,) 17 seamen, and three marines wound-tiate. ed; and the Spartiate had also three seamen killed, and her boatswain, (John Clarke,) two midshipmen, (Henry Bellairs and Edward Knapman,) 16 seamen, and one marine wounded. A great proportion of the loss suffered by these two ships was no doubt inflicted by the Neptuno; who, as the Intrépide was the last french, was herself the last spanish, ship that struck to the British on this eventful day. We have still some arrears to bring up in the lee column, a task we shall hasten to execute. It was about 2 P. M. when the Dreadnought got San Juan. of 1805. into action with the San-Juan Nepomuceno, then Oct. surrounded by the Principe-de-Asturias, San-Justo, Dread- and a french 80-gun ship, the Indomptable. In about nought. 15 minutes the Dreadnought ran on board of and Surren captured the San-Juan; who had previously been engaged by the Tonnant, Bellerophon, Defiance, and some other ships, and was nearly in a defenceless state. Without, as it would appear, staying to take possession of the spanish 74, the Dreadnought pursued and fired at the spanish three-decker; but, after the exchange of two or three broadsides, a shot from one of which struck off the left arm of admiral Gravina, the Principe-de-Asturias made sail and effected her escape. Damage, nought and San- The Dreadnought had her masts cut with shot, but. &c. to none carried away: her loss amounted to six seaDread- men and one marine killed, and one lieutenant, (James L. Lloyd,) two midshipmen, (Andrew M'Culloch and James Sabbin,) 19 seamen, and four marines wounded. Besides being dismasted, the San-Juan Nepomuceno was much shattered in her hull, and sustained a loss, as represented, of nearly 300 in killed and wounded. including among the mortally wounded her gallant commander. phe mus. Having yawed to-starboard to allow the Dreadnought to pass on to the spanish three-decker, then Poly- the rearmost enemy's ship by two, the Polyphemus attempted to haul up again; but, finding the english Swiftsure close upon her larboard quarter, she was obliged to wait until the latter passed ahead. It Eng- was at about 3 h. 25 m. P. M. that the english SwiftSwift- sure, having passed the Belleisle's stern, opened her fire upon the french Achille; who, passing along the larboard beam of the Belleisle, edged away to the south-east, followed and engaged by the former. The Swiftsure presently succeeded in crossing her opponent's stern and in getting to-leeward of her ;* when the Polyphemus, who had received a heavy lish sure. * See diagram at p. 67, where the tracks cross. Achille top. fire from the french Neptune, in passing between 1805. the latter and the Belleisle, advanced on the french Oct. Achille's weather quarter. In about 40 minutes after the Swiftsure had commenced the action with the Achille, the latter, having had her mizenmast and French fore yard shot away, and having also caught fire in on fire the fore top, ceased engaging, and, as it appeared in fore to the Polyphemus, waved a union jack at her starboard cathead. The Polyphemus then stood away to assist the Defence in engaging the San-Ildefonso, but who had struck before the Polyphemus got up; and the Prince three-decker bore down between the french Achille and english Swiftsure, just as the latter, considering the Achille a beaten ship, was hauling off to seek a more worthy opponent. But the business of the day, at this end of the line at least, was now nearly over. to Swift The Swiftsure had her mizen topmast shot away, Daand mizenmast badly wounded, and lost seven sea-met men and two marines killed, and one midshipman, english (Alexander Bell Handcock,) six seamen, and one sure marine wounded. The Polyphemus had her main and and main top masts badly wounded, her spanker-boom phecut through, and one lowerdeck gun disabled, but mus. escaped with the slight loss of two men killed and four wounded. Poly While the Revenge was attempting to pass Rethrough the enemy's line, and just as she had put venge. her helm a-port, to place herself athwart the hawse of the Aigle, the latter's jib-boom caught the mizen topsail of the former; and, before the two ships got clear, the Revenge was enabled to pour into the Aigle's bows two deliberate broadsides. The Revenge then stood on, and, while hauling up on the larboard tack, received a tremendous fire into her lee quarter from the Principe-de-Asturias; who, in conjunction with three two-deckers, probably the Neptune, Indomptable, and San-Justo, nearly fresh ships * See second set of figures in diagram at p. 73. 1805. from the centre, continued cannonading the ReOct. venge, until the Dreadnought and Thunderer came up and engaged the spanish three-decker. The latter, who, it appears, would suffer no british ship to get to-leeward of her, soon afterwards bore away, along with the most efficient of the ships in her company. Da mage, Re venge. The exposed situation of the Revenge had oc&c. to casioned her damages and loss of men to be very severe. Her bowsprit, three lower masts, main topmast, and gaff were badly wounded: she had received nine shot below the copper; her stern, transoms, and timbers, and several beams, knees, riders, and iron standards, were very much wounded, and so was her hull generally. She had several chain-plates shot away, several of her lowerdeck ports destroyed, and three of her guns dismounted. With respect to loss, the Revenge had two midshipmen (Thomas Grier and Edward F. Brooks,) 18 seamen, and eight marines killed, and her captain, master, (Luke Brokenshaw,) one lieutenant, (John Berry,) one captain of marines, (Peter Lily,) 38 seamen, and nine marines wounded. De At about 2 h. 30 m. P. M. the Defence commenced fence. firing at the Berwick; who, in less than half an hour, hauled off and was engaged, as already stated, by the Achille.* The Defence, shortly afterwards, began Surren engaging the San-Ildefonso, and, at the end of an San-II- hour's action, compelled the spanish ship to strike. defonso The Defence had 'her mainmast shot through and der of wounded in several places, her gaff cut in two, and her lower and topmast rigging much injured: she had, also, several hanging knees and chain-plates carried away, one shot-hole through the knee of the head, and five between wind and water. Her loss amounted to four seamen and three marines killed, and 23 seamen and six marines wounded. The SanIldefonso, having been engaged by one or two other * See p. 78. british ships before the Defence arrived up, had 1805. suffered greatly in masts, rigging, and hull, and lost Oct. a full third of her crew in killed and wounded. It was about 3 P. M. when, having bore up to assist the Revenge, the Thunderer wore athwart Thunthe hawse of the Principe-de-Asturias, and having derer. raked her distantly, brought to on the starboard tack. In about five minutes the french Neptune came to the assistance of the spanish three-decker, (into whom the Dreadnought was now firing,) and engaged the Thunderer for a short time; when these two ships, along with most of the others near them, bore up and made off. The Thunderer's main and mizen masts and bowsprit had a shot in each, but otherwise her damages were not material. Her loss Daamounted to two seamen and two marines killed, mag and one master's mate, (John Snell,) one midshipman, (Alexander Galloway,) nine seamen, and one marine wounded. The Principe-de-Asturias, at the time she bore up to escape, had been partially engaged by the Revenge and Defiance, and had received two broadsides from the Prince, in addition to the contest she had previously maintained with the Dreadnought and other british ships: hence her damages and loss were comparatively severe. None of the spanish three-decker's masts appear to have been shot away, but that all were more or less damaged may be inferred from the fact, that her main and mizen masts were unable to withstand the gale that ensued. The loss sustained by the Principe-de-As- Loss on turias amounted to a lieutenant and 40 men killed, Prinand 107 men badly wounded, including admiral Gra- cipevina himself, as already mentioned, in the left arm, turias. (which was afterwards amputated, but too late to save his life,) and some other officers. board de-As fiance. Finding her rigging and sails too much cut to Deenable her to follow the Principe-de-Asturias, the Defiance stood for the Aigle, whose crippled state had prevented her from making sail. At about 3 P. M. |