Trafalgar And The Death Of Nelson
From the main peak of the flag-ship Victory hung out Admiral Nelson's
famous signal, "England expects every man to do his duty!" an inspiring
appeal, which has been the motto of English warriors since that day. The
fleet under the command of the great admiral was drawing slowly in upon
the powerful naval array of France, which lay awaiting him off the rocky
shore of Cape Trafalgar. It was the morning of October 21, 1805, the
Let us rapidly trace the events which led up to this scene,--the
prologue to the drama about to be played. The year 1805 was one of
threatening peril to England. Napoleon was then in the ambitious youth
of his power, full of dreams of universal empire, his mind set on an
invasion of the pestilent little island across the channel which should
rival the "Invincible Armada" in power and far surpass it in
performance.
Gigantic had been his preparations. Holland and Belgium were his, their
coast-line added to that of France. In a hundred harbors all was
activity, munitions being collected, and flat-bottomed boats built, in
readiness to carry an invading army to England's shores. The landing of
William the Conqueror in 1066 was to be repeated in 1805. The land
forces were encamped at Boulogne. Here the armament was to meet.
Meanwhile, the allied fleets of France and Spain were to patrol the
Channel, one part of them to keep Nelson at bay, the other part to
escort the flotilla bearing the invading army.
While Napoleon was thus busy, his enemies were not idle. The warships of
England hovered near the French ports, watching all movements, doing
what damage they could. Lord Nelson keenly observed the hostile fleet.
To throw him off the track, two French naval squadrons set sail for the
West Indies, as if to attack the British islands there. Nelson followed.
Suddenly turning, the decoying squadron came back under a press of sail,
joined the Spanish fleet, and sailed for England. Nelson had not
returned, but a strong fleet remained, under Sir Robert Calder, which
was handled in such fashion as to drive the hostile ships back to the
harbor of Cadiz.
Such was the state of affairs when Nelson again reached England. Full of
the spirit of battle, he hoisted his flag on the battle-ship Victory,
and set sail in search of his foes. There were twenty-seven
line-of-battle ships and four frigates under his command. The French
fleet, under Admiral Villeneuve, numbered thirty-three sail of the line
and seven frigates. Napoleon, dissatisfied with the disinclination of
his fleet to meet that of England, and confident in its strength,
issued positive orders, and Villeneuve sailed out of the harbor of
Cadiz, and took position in two crescent-shaped lines off Cape
Trafalgar. As soon as Nelson saw him he came on with the eagerness of a
lion in sight of its prey, his fleet likewise in two lines, his signal
flags fluttering with the inspiring order, "England expects every man to
do his duty."
The wind was from the west, blowing in light breezes; a long, heavy
swell ruffled the sea. Down came the great ships, Collingwood, in the
Royal Sovereign, commanding the lee-line; Nelson, in the Victory,
leading the weather division. One order Nelson had given, which breathes
the inflexible spirit of the man. "His admirals and captains, knowing
his object to be that of a close and decisive action, would supply any
deficiency of signals, and act accordingly. In case signals cannot be
seen or clearly understood, no captain can do wrong if he places his
ship alongside that of an enemy."
Nelson wore that day his admiral's frock-coat, bearing on the breast
four stars, the emblems of the orders with which he had been invested.
His officers beheld these ornaments with apprehension. There were
riflemen on the French ships. He was offering himself as a mark for
their aim. Yet none dare suggest that he should remove or cover the
stars. "In honor I gained them, and in honor I will die with them," he
had said on a previous occasion.
The long swell set in to the bay of Cadiz. The English ships moved with
it, all sail set, a light southwest wind filling their canvas. Before
them lay the French ships, with the morning sun on their sails,
presenting a stately and beautiful appearance.
On came the English fleet, like a flock of giant birds swooping low
across the ocean. Like a white flock at rest awaited the French
three-deckers. Collingwood's line was the first to come into action,
Nelson steering more to the north, that the flight of the enemy to
Cadiz, in case of their defeat, should be prevented. Straight for the
centre of the foeman's line steered the Royal Sovereign, taking her
station side by side with the Santa Anna, which she engaged at the
muzzle of her guns.
"What would Nelson give to be here!" exclaimed Collingwood, in delight.
"See how that noble fellow, Collingwood, carries his ship into action!"
responded Nelson from the deck of the Victory.
It was not long before the two fleets were in hot action, the British
ships following Collingwood's lead in coming to close quarters with the
enemy. As the Victory approached, the French ships opened with
broadsides upon her, in hopes of disabling her before she could close
with them. Not a shot was returned, though men were falling on her decks
until fifty lay dead or wounded, and her main-top-mast, with all her
studding-sails and booms, had been shot away.
"This is too warm work, Hardy, to last," said Nelson, with a smile, as a
splinter tore the buckle from the captain's shoe.
Twelve o'clock came and passed. The Victory was now well in. Firing from
both sides as she advanced, she ran in side by side with the
Redoubtable, of the French fleet, both ships pouring broadsides into
each other. On the opposite side of the Redoubtable came up the English
ship Temeraire, while another ship of the enemy lay on the opposite side
of the latter.
The four ships lay head to head and side to side, as close as if they
had been moored together, the muzzles of their guns almost touching. So
close were they that the middle-and lower-deck guns of the Victory had
to be depressed and fired with light charges, lest their balls should
pierce through the foe and injure the Temeraire. And lest the
Redoubtable should take fire from the lower-deck guns, whose muzzles
touched her side when they were run out, the fireman of each gun stood
ready with a bucket of water to dash into the hole made by the shot.
While the starboard guns of the Victory were thus employed, her larboard
guns were in full play upon the Bucentaure and the huge Santissima
Trinidad. This warm work was repeated through the entire fleet. Never
had been closer and hotter action.
The fight had reached its hottest when there came a tragical event that
rendered the victory at Trafalgar, glorious as it was, a loss to
England. The Redoubtable, after her first broadside, had closed her
lower-deck ports, lest the English should board her through them. She
did not fire another great gun during the action. But her tops, like
those of her consorts, were filled with riflemen, whose balls swept the
decks of the assailing ships. One of these, fired from the mizzen-top of
the Redoubtable, not fifteen yards from where Nelson stood, struck him
on the left shoulder, piercing the epaulette. It was about quarter after
one, in the heat of the action. He fell upon his face.
"They have done for me, at last, Hardy," he said, as his captain ran to
his assistance.
"I hope not!" cried Hardy.
"Yes," he replied, "my backbone is shot through."
A thorough sailor to the last, he saw, as they were carrying him below,
that the tiller ropes which had been shot away were not replaced, and
ordered that this should be immediately attended to. Then, that he might
not be seen by the crew, he spread his handkerchief over his face and
his stars. But for his needless risk in revealing them before, he might
have lived.
The cockpit was crowded with the wounded and dying men. Over their
bodies he was carried, and laid upon a pallet in the midshipmen's berth.
The wound was mortal. A brief examination showed this. He had known it
from the first, and said to the surgeon,--
"Leave me, and give your services to those for whom there is some hope.
You can do nothing for me."
Such was the fact. All that could be done was to fan him, and relieve
his intense thirst with lemonade. On deck the fight continued with
undiminished fury. The English star was in the ascendant. Ship after
ship of the enemy struck, the cheers of the crew of the Victory
heralding each surrender, while every cheer brought a smile of joy to
the face of the dying veteran.
"Will no one bring Hardy to me?" he repeatedly cried. "He must be
killed! He is surely dead!"
In truth, the captain dared not leave the deck. More than an hour
elapsed before he was able to come down. He grasped in silence the hand
of the dying admiral.
"Well, Hardy, how goes the day with us?" asked Nelson, eagerly.
"Very well," was the answer. "Ten ships have struck; but five of the van
have tacked, and show an intention to bear down upon the Victory. I have
called two or three of our fresh ships around, and have no doubt of
giving them a drubbing."
"I hope none of our ships have struck," said Nelson.
"There is no fear of that," answered Hardy.
Then came a moment's silence, and then Nelson spoke of himself.
"I am a dead man, Hardy," he said. "I am going fast; it will be all
over with me soon. Come nearer to me. Let my dear Lady Hamilton have my
hair and all other things belonging to me."
"I hope it is not so bad as that," said Hardy, with much emotion. "Dr.
Beatty must yet hold out some hope of life."
"Oh, no, that is impossible," said Nelson. "My back is shot through:
Beatty will tell you so."
Captain Hardy grasped his hand again, the tears standing in his eyes,
and then hurried on deck to hide the emotion he could scarcely repress.
Life slowly left the frame of the dying hero: every minute he was nearer
death. Sensation vanished below his breast. He made the surgeon test and
acknowledge this.
"You know I am gone," he said. "I know it. I feel something rising in my
breast which tells me so."
"Is your pain great?" asked Beatty.
"So great, that I wish I were dead. Yet," he continued, in lower tones,
"one would like to live a little longer, too."
A few moments of silence passed; then he said in the same low tone,--
"What would become of my poor Lady Hamilton if she knew my situation?"
Fifteen minutes elapsed before Captain Hardy returned. On doing so, he
warmly grasped Nelson's hand, and in tones of joy congratulated him on
the victory which he had come to announce.
"How many of the enemy are taken, I cannot say," he remarked; "the
smoke hides them; but we have not less than fourteen or fifteen."
"That's well," cried Nelson, "but I bargained for twenty. Anchor, Hardy,
anchor!" he commanded, in a stronger voice.
"Will not Admiral Collingwood take charge of the fleet?" hinted Hardy.
"Not while I live, Hardy," answered Nelson, with an effort to lift
himself in his bed. "Do you anchor."
Hardy started to obey this last order of his beloved commander. In a low
tone Nelson called him back.
"Don't throw me overboard, Hardy," he pleaded. "Take me home that I may
be buried by my parents, unless the king shall order otherwise. And take
care of my dear Lady Hamilton, Hardy; take care of poor Lady Hamilton.
Kiss me, Hardy."
The weeping captain knelt and kissed him.
"Now I am satisfied," said the dying hero. "Thank God, I have done my
duty."
Hardy stood and looked down, in sad silence upon him, then again knelt
and kissed him on the forehead.
"Who is that?" asked Nelson.
"It is I, Hardy," was the reply.
"God bless you, Hardy," came in tones just above a whisper.
Hardy turned and left. He could bear no more. He had looked his last on
his old commander.
"I wish I had not left the deck," said Nelson; "for I see I shall soon
be gone."
It was true; life was fast ebbing.
"Doctor," he said to the chaplain, "I have not been a great sinner."
He was silent a moment, and then continued, "Remember that I leave Lady
Hamilton and my daughter Horatia as a legacy to my country."
Words now came with difficulty.
"Thank God, I have done my duty," he said, repeating these words again
and again. They were his last words. He died at half-past four, three
and a quarter hours after he had been wounded.
Meanwhile, Nelson's prediction had been realized: twenty French ships
had struck their flags. The victory of Trafalgar was complete;
Napoleon's hope of invading England was at an end. Nelson, dying, had
saved his country by destroying the fleet of her foes. Never had a sun
set in greater glory than did the life of this hero of the navy of Great
Britain, the ruler of the waves.
More
-
The Story Of Arabella Stuart
Of royal blood was the lady here named, near to the English throne. Too near, as it proved, for her own comfort and happiness, for her life was distracted by the fears of those that filled it. Her story, in consequence, became one of the romances ... The Story Of Lucretia
We have next to tell how Tarquin the Proud lost his throne, through his own tyranny and the criminal action of his son. Once upon a time, when this king was at the height of his power, he, as was usual, offered sacrifices to the gods on the altar in... The Story Of Queen Exilona
When Roderic overthrew the ancient dynasty of Spain and made himself king, he had the defences of the cities thrown down that they might not give shelter to his enemies. Only the walls of the frontier cities were left, and among these was the anci... The Story Of The Regicides
The years 1675 and 1676 were years of terrible experience for New England. The most dreadful of all the Indian outbreaks of that region--that known as King Philip's War--was raging, and hundreds of the inhabitants fell victims to the ruthless rag... The Story Of The Sainte Ampoule
Sad years were they for kings and potentates in France--now a century ago--when the cup of civilization was turned upside-down and the dregs rose to the top. For once in the history of mankind the anarchist was lord--and a frightful use he made of h... The Strange Adventures Of Sir Bors
When Sir Bors parted from his companions, on the quest of the Sangreal, not far had he gone when he met a religious man riding on an ass, whom he courteously saluted. "Who are you?" asked the good man. "I am one of those knights who have set ... The Stratagem Of Theodomir
The defeat of the Guadalete seemed for the time to have robbed the Goths of all their ancient courage. East and west, north and south, rode the Arab horsemen, and stronghold after stronghold fell almost without resistance into their hands, until n... The Suitors Of Agariste
Sicyon, the smallest country of the Peloponnesus, lay on the Gulf of Corinth, adjoining the isthmus which connects the peninsula with the rest of Greece. In this small country--as in many larger ones--the nobles held rule, the people were subjects... The Swiss At Morgarten
On a sunny autumn morning, in the far-off year 1315, a gallant band of horsemen wound slowly up the Swiss mountains, their forest of spears and lances glittering in the ruddy beams of the new-risen sun, and extending down the hill-side as far as t... The Table Of Solomon
We have told how King Roderic, when he invaded the enchanted palace of Toledo, found in its empty chambers a single treasure,--the famous table of Solomon. But this was a treasure worth a king's ransom, a marvellous talisman, so splendid, so beaut... The Taking Of Pontefract Castle
On the top of a lofty hill, with a broad outlook over the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire, stood Pontefract Castle, a strong work belonging to the English crown, but now in the hands of Cromwell's men, and garrisoned by so... The Tartar Invasion Of Japan
In all its history only one serious effort has been made to conquer the empire of Japan. It ended in such dire disaster to the invaders that no nation has ever repeated it. During the thirteenth century Asia was thrown into turmoil by the dreadful o... The Tartars And Genghis Khan
In the northern section of the vast Mongolian plateau, that immense outreach of pasture-lands which forms the great abiding-place of the shepherd tribes of the earth, there long dwelt a warlike race which was destined to play an extraordinary part i... The Temptation Of Sir Percivale
Many adventures had the other knights that set out in search of the Sangreal, and much reproof did many of them receive for the evil lives they had led; but all this we cannot stop to tell, but must confine ourselves to the deeds of a few only. As... The Thrilling Adventure Of Captain John Smith
For those who love stories of the Indians, and the strange and perilous adventures of white men in dealing with the forest tribes, we cannot do better than give a remarkable anecdote of life in the Virginia woodlands three centuries ago. On a day... The Tournament At Lonazep
When Palamides learned that Tristram was not at Lonazep, he tarried not there, but crossed the Humber, and sought him at Joyous Gard. Here he found lodgings in the town, and word was quickly brought to Tristram that a knight-errant had come. "W... The Trapping Of The Lion
In May, when every lusty heart flourisheth and bourgeoneth,--for as winter, with its rough winds and blasts, causes man and woman to cover and sit fast by the fire, this fresh and joyous season brings them forth to gladden in the coming of the flo... The Treachery Of King Mark
The story of Tristram's valorous deeds, and of the high honor in which he was held at Camelot, in good time came to Cornwall, where it filled King Mark's soul with revengeful fury, and stirred the heart of La Belle Isolde to the warmest love. The ... The Tribunal Of The Holy Vehm
The ideas of law and order in mediaeval Germany were by no means what we now understand by those terms. The injustice of the strong and the suffering of the weak were the rule; and men of noble lineage did not hesitate to turn their castles into d... The Tyrants Of Corinth
We have already told what the word "tyrant" meant in Greece,--a despot who set aside the law and ruled at his own pleasure, but who might be mild and gentle in his rule. Such were the tyrants of Sicyon, spoken of in our last tale. The tyrants of C... The Vengeance Of Queen Olga
The death of Oleg brought Igor his ward, then nearly forty years of age, to the throne of Rurik his father. And the same old story of bloodshed and barbarity went on. In those days a king was king in name only. He was really but the chief of a ban... The Victory Of The Don
The history of Russia during the century after the Mongol conquest is one of shame and anarchy. The shame was that of slavish submission to the Tartar khan. Each prince, in succession, fell on his knees before this high dignitary of the barbarians... The Voyage Of The Argonauts
We are forced to approach the historical period of Greece through a cloud-land of legend, in which atones of the gods are mingled with those of men, and the most marvellous of incidents are introduced as if they were everyday occurrences. The Argo... The West Gothland Insurrection
Sweden never had a wiser or more judicious ruler than King Gustavus Vasa, but in that land of turbulent lords and ambitious mischief-makers the noblest and most generous of kings could not reign without secret plotting and rebellious sentiments. So ... The White Rose Of England
The wars of the White and the Red Roses were at an end, Lancaster had triumphed over York, Richard III., the last of the Plantagenets, had died on Bosworth field, and the Red Rose candidate, Henry VII., was on the throne. It seemed fitting, indeed... The Woes Of Two Lovers
Early on the third morning of the tournament the knights of Tristram's party were up and armed, they now being all arrayed in red, as was also Isolde and her maidens. And rare was the show they made as they rode gayly to the priory, where they lef... The Wonderful March Of The Freebooters
The March of the Ten Thousand, from Babylon to the Black Sea, is one of the famous events of history. The march of the three hundred, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, which we have here to tell, is scarcely known to history at all, yet it was mar... The Wooden Walls Of Athens
The slaughter of the defenders of Thermopylae exposed Athens to the onslaught of the vast Persian army, which would soon be on the soil of Attica. A few days' march would bring the invaders to its capital city, which they would overwhelm as a flig... The Wooing Of Clotilde
A beautiful, wise, and well-learned maiden was Clotilde, princess of Burgundy, the noblest and most charming of the daughters of the Franks. Such was the story that the voice of fame whispered into the ear of Clovis, the first of the long line of Fr... The Wooing Of Elfrida
Of all the many fair maidens of the Saxon realm none bore such fame for beauty as the charming Elfrida, daughter of the earl of Devonshire, and the rose of southern England. She had been educated in the country and had never been seen in London, b... The World's Greatest Orator
During the days of the decline of Athens, the centre of thought to Greece, there roamed about the streets of that city a delicate, sickly lad, so feeble in frame that, at his mother's wish, he kept away from the gymnasium, lest the severe exercise... The Yoke Of The Tartars
In Asia, the greatest continent of the earth, lies its most extensive plain, the vast plateau of Mongolia, whose true boundaries are the mountains of Siberia and the Himalayan highlands, the Pacific Ocean and the hills of Eastern Europe, and of wh... Theseus And Ariadne
Minos, king of Crete in the age of legend, made war against Athens in revenge for the death of his son. This son, Androgeos by name, had shown such strength and skill in the Panathenaic festival that AEgeus, the Athenian king, sent him to fight wi... Three Notable Women
In the year 503 began a long war between the princes of Wei and the emperors of China, which continued for nearly half a century. Of this protracted contest we have only three incidents to relate, in which, within a few years, three heroines rose to... Timoleon The Favorite Of Fortune
In the city of Corinth dwelt two brothers; one of whom, named Timoleon, was distinguished alike for his courage, gentleness, patriotism, lack of ambition, and hatred of despots and traitors; the other, named Timophanes, was noted for bravery and e... Toussaint L'ouverture And The Revolution In Hayti
The people of Europe have not stood alone in settling and ruling America, for the blacks of Africa, brought to the New World as slaves, have made themselves masters of one of the largest and most fertile islands of the West Indies, that attractive... Trafalgar And The Death Of Nelson
From the main peak of the flag-ship Victory hung out Admiral Nelson's famous signal, "England expects every man to do his duty!" an inspiring appeal, which has been the motto of English warriors since that day. The fleet under the command of the g... Vineland And The Vikings
The year 1000 A.D. was one of strange history. Its advent threw the people of Europe into a state of mortal terror. Ten centuries had passed since the birth of Christ. The world was about to come to an end. Such was the general belief. How it was... Vladimir The Great
Vladimir, Grand Prince of Russia before and after the year 1000, won the name not only of Vladimir the Great but of St. Vladimir, though he was as great a reprobate as he was a soldier and monarch, and as unregenerate a sinner as ever sat on a thr... Voltaire's Last Visit To Paris
Never had excitable Paris been more excited. Only one man was talked of, only one subject thought of; there was no longer interest in rumors of war, in political quarrels, in the doings at the king's court; all admiration and all sympathy were turne... Walker The Filibuster And The Invasion Of Nicaragua
On the 15th of October, 1853, a small and daring band of reckless adventurers sailed from San Francisco, on an enterprise seemingly madder and wilder than that which Cortez had undertaken more than three centuries before. The purpose of this handf... Wallace The Hero Of Scotland
On a summer's day, many centuries ago, a young gentleman of Scotland was fishing in the river Irvine, near Ayr, attended by a boy who carried his fishing-basket. The young man was handsome of face, tall of figure, and strongly built, while his ski... Wat Tyler And The Men Of Kent
In that year of woe and dread, 1348, the Black Death fell upon England. Never before had so frightful a calamity been known; never since has it been equalled. Men died by millions. All Europe had been swept by the plague, as by a besom of destruct... William Tell And The Swiss Patriots
"In the year of our Lord 1307," writes an ancient chronicler, "there dwelt a pious countryman in Unterwald beyond the Kernwald, whose name was Henry of Melchthal, a wise, prudent, honest man, well to do and in good esteem among his country-folk, m... Wittekind The Saxon Patriot
As Germany, in its wars with the Romans, found its hero in the great Arminius, or Hermann; and as England, in its contest with the Normans, found a heroic defender in the valiant Hereward; so Saxony, in its struggle with Charlemagne, gave origin t... Xerxes And His Army
The defeat of the Persian army at Marathon redoubled the wrath of King Darius against the Athenians. He resolved in his autocratic mind to sweep that pestilent city and all whom it contained from the face of the earth. And he perhaps would have do... Yamato-dake A Hero Of Romance
We have now to deal with the principal hero of Japanese legend, Yamato-Dake, the conqueror. His story is full of myth and fable, but there is history in it, too, and it is well worth the telling. Every ancient nation has its legendary hero, who perf... Zenobia And Longinus
Among the most famous of the women of ancient days must be named Zenobia, the celebrated queen of Palmyra and the East, and who claimed to be descended from the kings whom the conquests of Alexander left over Egypt, the Ptolemies, among whose desc... Ziska The Blind Warrior
Sigismund, Emperor of Germany, had sworn to put an end to the Hussite rebellion in Bohemia, and to punish the rebels in a way that would make all future rebels tremble. But Sigismund was pursuing the old policy of cooking the hare before it was ca...