POLITICAL REGISTER.-Naval Victory. who, in the late conflict with the enemy, fell in the hour of victory, leaves to me the duty of informing my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that on the 19th instant, it was communicated to the commander in chief, from the ships watching the motions of the enemy in Cadiz, that the combined fcet had put to sea; as they sailed with light winds westerly, his lordship concluded their destination was the Mediterranean, and . immediately made all sail for the Streight's entrance, with the British squadron, consisting of 27 ships, 3 of them 64's, where his lordship was informed by Capt. Blackwood (whose vigilance in watching, and giving notice of the enemy's movements, has been highly meritorious), that they had not yet passed the Streights.-On Monday, the 21st inst. at day-light, when Cape Trafalgar bore E. by S. about 7 leagues, the enemy was discovered 6 or 7 miles to the eastward, the wind about west, and very light; the commander in chief immediately made the signal for the fleet to bear up in two columns, as they are formed in order of sailing, a mode of attack his lordship had previously directed, to avoid the inconvenience and delay, in forming a line of battle in the usual manner. The enemy's line consisted of 33 ships (of which 18 were French and 15 Spanish), commanded in chief by Admiral Villeneuve; the Spaniards, under the direction of Gravina, wore, with their heads to the northward, and formed their line of battle with great closeness and correctness; but as the mode of attack was unusual, so the structure of their line was new; it formed a crescent, convexing to leeward; so that, in leading down to their centre, I had both their van, and rear, abaft the beam; before the fire opened, every alternate ship was about a cable's length to windward of her second a-head, and a-stern, forming a kind of double line, and appeared, when on their beam, to leave a very little interval between them; and this without crowding their ships. Admiral Villeneuve was in the Bucentaure in the centre, and the Prince of Asturias bore Gravina's flag in the rear; but the French and Spanish ships were mixed, without any apparent regard to order of national squadron-As the mode of our attack had been previously determined on, and communicated to the flag officers and captains, few signals were necessary, and none were made, except to direct close order as the lines bore down.-The commander in chief, in the Victory, led the weather column, and the Royal Sovereign; which bore my flag, the lee.The action began at 12 o'clock, by the leading ships of the columns breaking through the enemy's line, the commander in [732 chief, about the tenth ship from the van, the second in command, about the twelfth from unoccupied; the succeeding ships breaking the rear, leaving the van of the enemy and engaging the enemy at the muzzles of through, in all parts, astern of their leaders, their guns; the conflict was severe; the highly honourable to their oficers, but the enemy's ships were fought with a gallantry pleased the Almighty Disposer of all events, attack on them was irresistible; and it to grant his Majesty's arms a complete and glorious victory; about three, p. m. many of the enemy's ships having struck their colours, their line gave way; Admiral Gravina, with 10 ships, joining their frigates to leeward, stood towards Cadiz. The 5 headmost ships in their van tacked, and standing to the southward, to windward of the British line, were engaged, and the sternmost of them taken; the others went off, leaving to (of which 2 are first rates, the Santissima his Majesty's squadron 19 ships of the line Trinidad and the Santa Anna), with 3 flag officers, viz. Admiral Villeneuve (the commander in chief), Don Ignatio Maria D'Aliva, Vice Admiral, and the Spanish Rear Adl. Don Baltazar Hidalgo Cisneros. -After such a victory, it may appear unparticular parts taken by the several comnecessary to enter into encomiums on the manders; the conclusion says more on the subject than I have language to express; the spirit which animated all was the same; country's service, all deserve that their high when all exert themselves zealously in their high merit more conspicuous than in the merits should stand recorded; and never was battle I have described. The Achille (a French 74), after having surrendered, by some mismanagement of the Frenchmen, took fire, and blew up; 200 of her men were saved by the tenders.-A circumstance occurred during the action, which so strongly marks the invincible spirit of British scamen, when engaging the enemies of their country, that I cannot resist the pleasure. I have in making it known to their lordships; the sign, by a French ship, on one side, and a Temeraire was boarded by accident, or deSpaniard on the other; the contest was vigorous, but, in the end, the combined ensigns were torn from the poop, and the British hoisted in their places-Such a battle could not be fought without sustaining a great loss of men. I have not only to lament, in common with the British navy, and the British nation, in the fall of the whose name will be inmortal, and his me commander in chief, the loss of a hero, mory ever dear to his country; but my heart is rent with the most poignant grief : for the death of a fr. al, to whom, by many year's intimacy, a. a crfect knowledge of the virtues of sand, which inspired ideas superior to 12 ramon race of men, I was bound by the strongest ties of affection; a grief to which even the glorious occasion in which he fell does not bring the consolation which perhaps it ought; his lordship receiv ed a musket bail in his left breast, about the middle of the action, and, sent an officer to ric immediately, with his last farewell; aud soon after expired.--I have also to Isment the loss of those excellent officers, Captains Duff of the Mars, and Cooke of the Eclerophon; I have yet heard of none others.I fear the numbers that have fallen will be found very great, when the returns come to me; but it having blowed a gale of wind ever since the action, I have not yet had it in my power to collect any reports from the ships.-The Royal Sovereign having lost her masts, except the tottering foremast, I called the Euryalus to me, while the action continued, which ship lying within hail, made my signals: a service Capt. Blackwood performed with great attention. After the action, I shifted my flag to her, that I might more easily communicate my orders to, and collect the ships, and towed the Royal Sovereign out to seaward. The whole fleet were now in a very perilous situation, many dismasted, all shattered, in thirteen fathom water, off the shoals of Trafalgar; and when I made the signal to prepare to anchor, few of the ships had an anchor to let go, their cables being shot; but the same good Providence which aided us through such a day, preserved us in the night, by the wind shifting a few points, and drifting the ships off the land, except four of the captured dismasted ships, which are now at anchor off Trafalgar, and I hope will ride safe until those gales are over. Having thus detailed the proceedings of the fleet on this occasion, I beg to congratulate their lordships on a victory, which, I hope, will add a ray to the glory of his Majesty's crown, and be attended with public benefit to our country. I am, &c. (Signed) C. COLLINGWOOD. TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ. The Order in which the Ships of the British Squadron attacked the Combined Fleets on the 21st of October, 1805: VAN, Victory REAR. Royal Sovereign. Mars. Bellisle. Tonnant. Temeraire Bellerophon. Colossus. Pickle Schooner. Entreprenante Catter. (Signed) C. COLLINGWOOD. General Ordes-Euryalus, Oct. 22, 1805. The ever-to-be-lamented death of Lord Vi-count Nelson, Duke of Bronté, the Commander in Chief, who fell in the action of the 21st. in the arms of victory, covered with glory, whose meinory will be ever dear to the British Navy, and the British Nation, whose zeal for the honour of his King, and for the interests of his country, will be ever held up as a shining example for a British seaman, leaves to me a duty to return my thanks to the right hon. Rear-Admiral, the Captains, Officers, Seamen, and detachments of Royal Marines, serving on board his Majesty's squadron, now under my command, for their conduct on that day, but where can I find language to express my sentiments of the valour and skill which were displayed by the Officers, the Seamen, and Marings, in the battle with the enemy, where every individual appeared an hero, on whom the glory of his country depended; the attack was irresistible, and the issue of it adds to the page of our naval annais, a brilliant instance of what Britons can do, when their King and their Country need their service. To the right hon. RearAdmiral the Earl of Northesk, to the Captains, Officers, and Seamen, and to the Officers, Non-commistioned Officers, Privates of the Royal Marines, I beg to give my sincere and hearty thanks for their highly meritorious conduct, both in the action, and in their zeal and activity in bringing the captured ships cut from the perilous situation in which they were, after their surrender, among the shoals of Trafalgar, in boisterous weather. And I desire that the respective Captains will be pleased to communicate to the Officers, Seamen, and Royal Marines, this public testimony of my high apprebation of their conduct, and my thanks for it. (Signed) C. COLLINGWOOD. To the right. hon. Rear-Admiral the Earl of Northesk, and the respective Captains and Commanders. General Onder. and The Almighty God, whose arm is strength, having of his great mercy been pleased to crown the exertion of his Majesty's fleet; with success, in giving them a, complete 735] POLITICAL REGISTER.-Naval Victory. victory over their enemies, on the 21st of this month; and that all praise and thanksgiving may be offered up to the throne of Grace for the great benefits to our country and to mankind, I have thought proper, that a day should be appointed, of general humiliation before God, and thanksgiving for this his merciful goodness, imploring forgiveness of sins, a continuation of his divine mercy, and his constant aid to us, in the defence of our country's liberties and laws, without which the utmost efforts of man are nought; and direct therefore that be appointed for this holy purpose.-Given on board the Euryalus, off Cape Trafalgar, 22d October, 1805. (Signed) C. COLLINGWOOD. To the respective Captains and Commanders. -N. B. The fleet having been dispersed by a gale of wind, no day as yet has been able to be appointed for the above purpose. Euryalus, off Cadiz, 24 Oct. 1805. SIR,-In my letter of the 22d, I detailed to you, for the information of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, the proceedings of his Majesty's squadron on the day of action, and that preceding it, since which, I have had a continued series of misfortunes; but they are of a kind that human prudence could not possibly provide against, or my skill prevent.-On the 22d, in the morning, a strong southerly wind blew, with squally weather, which, however, did not prevent the activity of the Officers and Seamen of such Ships as were manageable from getting hold of many of the prizes (13 or 14) and towing them off to the westward, when I ordered them to rendezvous round the Royal Sovereign, in tow by the Neptune bat, on the 23d, the gale increased, and the sea ran so high, that many of them broke the tow-rope, and drifted far to leeward, before they were got hold of again, and some of them, taking advantage in the dark and boistrous night, got before the wind, and have perhaps drifted upon the shore and sunk; on the afternoon of that day, the remnant of the Combined Fleet, ten sail of ships, who had not been much engaged, stood up to leeward of my shattered and straggled charge, as if meaning to attack them, which obliged me to collect a force out of the least injured ships, and form to leeward for their defence; all this retarded the progress of the hulks, and the bad weather continuing, determined me to destroy all the leewardmost that could be cleared of the men, considering, that keep 736 in possession of the ships was a matter of of their falling again into the hands of the little consequence, compared with the chance enemy; but this was an ardous task, in the high sea which was running. I hope, however, it has been accomplished to a considerable extent; I entrusted it to skilful officers, who would spare no pains to execute what was possible. The Captains of the Prince and Neptune cleared the Trinidad, and sunk her. Captains Hope, Bayntun, and Malcolm, who joined the fleet this moment from Gibraltar, had the charge of destroying four others. The Redoubtable sunk astern of the Swiftsure, while in tow. The Santa Auna, I have no doubt, has sunk, as her side was almost entirely beaten in; and such is the shattered condition of the whole of them, that unless the weather moderates, I doubt whether I shall be able to carry a ship of them into port. I hope their Lordships will approve of what I (having only in consideration the destruction of the enemy's necessity.-I have taken Admiral Villeneuve fleet), have thought a measure of absolute into this ship; Vice-Admiral Don Aliva is dead. Whenever the temper of the weather will permit, and I can spare a frigate (for there were only four in the action with the flect, Euryalus, Sirius, Pharbe, and Naiad: the Melpomene joined the 22d, and the Eurydice and Scout the 23d), I shall collect the other Flag-Officers, and send them to England, with their flags, if they do not all go to the bottom, to be laid at his Majesty's feet. There were 4000 troops embarked, under the command of General Contamin, who was taken with Admiral Villeneuve in the Bucentaure. I am, Six, &c. (Signed) C. COLLINGWOOD. The 5th Volume of the PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES has been some time finished, being the 3d and last volume of the Debates of last Session. The Appendixes to these three volumes contain the whole of the papers, that were laid before Parliament, relative to the war with Spain; the Eleven Reports of the Commissioners of Naval Inquiry; the Reports of the Select Committees of the House of Commons upon the Tenth and the Eleventh Naval Reports; and also all the annual accounts relating to the Finances and Commerce of Great Britain and of Ireland. The importance of the several papers, here mentioned, need not be pointed out; and, as the Editor believes, they are not to be found in any other work extant. Printed by Cox and Baylis, No.75, Great Queen Street, and published by R. Bagshaw, Bow Street, Corcit VOL. VIII. No. 20.] LONDON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1805. [PRICE 10n. "No one laments more sincerely than I do the loss of our influence upon the Continent; but, if I were "called upon to say what would have the greatest effect in restoring our influence upon the Continent, I would say, that it would be the giving back to France her colonial possessions. Let her commerce e * rerited; let her colonies flourisia, and our interests will proportionally increase."—Lord CastleRRAGH'S Speech, 13th of May, 1902, 7371 -1738 "doubt, in the same spirit of candour, al- SUMMARY OF POLITICS. NAVAL VICTORIES.-The very brilliant action and success of SIR RICH. STRACHAN, the official account of which will be found in another part of this sheet, has made a considerable addition to the advantage and the glory, acquired by the hero, whose death has filled the nation with mourning.-Upon occasions like this, it were unnatural not, at first, to give way to our feelings; and, it may safely be said, that, generally speaking, feelings more honourable to a nation never were, upon any occasion, demonstrated. Having, however, expressed our joy and our Sorrow (for, here, they have, unfortunately, been pretty equally mixed), it becomes us to listen to the voice of reason, and to inquite, whereunto these victories tend; for, here, as in most other cases, it is not the event, but the consequence, that is the object of greatest importance,With such an inquiry before us, it is mortifying to be de tained, though but for a moment, by the captiousness of the ministerial writers; yet, before we go an inch further, it is necessary to notice their conduct, their factious conduct, upon this occasion; an occasion, one might have hoped, in which all party animosities would have been suspended, at least. So far from this, however, the ministerial writers have made the victory of Trafalgar the subject of new disputes; and, so full, so overdowing, are they of the malice of their most malicious of all factions, that they have converted the eulogium due to the brave Nelson into a vehicle of an attack upon the character and the views of their political oppouents. Upon the former of these topics, I allude to a paragraph in the Suw of the 8th instant, which concludes thus: "Those whosition made him, now make him, and will are in the daily habit of abusing every "branch of the present administration, will, "of course, allow them no merit for these "exertions" [having been before speaking of the great naval victories). Those who "make Mr. Pitt responsible for the errors "and failures of the Austrian generals, and "who censure him for measures over which "be had no controul, will, we have no hereafter make him, responsible, and, it is to be hoped, perfectly and in the true and useful sense of the word, responsible for having, by his measures of subsidy and others, precipitated Austria into the war, contrary to the advice, the clearly expressed advice and remonstrance of "the Opposition," by whom he was fully, and in open parliament, warned of the fatal consequences; consX quences which have already come to pass to nearly the extent, in which they were anticipated. For this it is that the Opposition" make him responsible; and not for the appointment of general Mack.But, returning to the ministerial merits" of Lord Nelson's victory, what" controul" had Mr. Pitt and Lord Melville over the measures that produced it; unless, indeed, their claim of merit be founded upon their having forced Spain into the war by a seizure of her plate 'ships previous to a declaration, and having thereby created a combined fleet to fight with and to kill Lord Nelson: unless this should be urged as the foundation of their claim, it would be amusing enough to hear what sort of "controul" they had; what share they had, as to the event of the 21st of October. Did they order out the combined fleet? Did they give the orders for battle? No but they appointed Lord Nelson! This is insinuated; but even a hireling writer dares not say it out. Lord Nelson, when Mr. Pitt and Lord Melville came into power, was in the chief command of the Mediterranean and the coast of Spain, to which he had been appointed by Lord St. Vincent; and, it is hardly possible for the nation to have forgotten, that one of the first of their acts was, to send out Sir John Orde (Lord Nelson's senior) to take the chief command. That Sir John Orde came away from that very station, which has recently witnessed the glorious fall of the hero, whom he was appointed to supercede, we all re member well; and that circumstance it was, and no appointment by Mr. Pitt and Lord Melville, that once more restored Lord Nelson to the chief command in that that let him loose from his inferior station, quarter; and that enabled him to fly to the rescue of our most valuable colonies, then exposed to the insults and the inroads of an enemy, whom there was not a fifth part of the force sufficient to check. Whether, if Sir John Orde had remained in his command, and if Lord Nelson had continued shut up as his inferior, or had, in disgust, demanded his recall; whether, in such case, the victory of the 21st of October would have been gained, there may, perhaps, be found persons of different opinions; but, as to the merit of first appointing and then restoring Lord Nelson to the command which enabled him to gain the battle of Trafalgar, no one can deny, that the former belongs to Mr. Addington and Lord St. Vincent, and that to the latter the exclusive claim remains with Sir John Orde, in the appointment of whom Mr. Pitt and Lord Melville have certainly a right to all the merit.After all, however, how After all, however, how 740 diseraceful it is to provoke discussions of this see, that their deeds or bravery, that their sort! How discouraging to commanders, to thought little of, except as they can be made toils and their blood, are, by some men, conducive to the selfsh politics! What a pang would the gallant purposes of party Nelson have felt. if it had come athwart Lis it, dying, not for England, but for the Pitts, mind, that he was, as these writers would have the Melvilles, the Roses, and the Canning! How dangerons must the promulgation of people at home, as well as to our fleets and such notions always be, with respect to the armies! What would be the consequence, the inevitable consequence, if it became a generally-adopted notion, that our soldiers and sailors were fighting to uphold the repu tation and preserve the power, not of the country, but of the minister? No answer to this question is necessary. That the discussion should have been provoked by the ministerial prints every true friend of the it could not, without a desertion from the country must regret: having been provoked, without hopes, that the effect of it may be to cause of justice, be declined; and, I am not evident it is, that they directly tend to the prevent similar provocations in future; for, the commanders of our fleets and armies. introduction of the spirit of party amongst luded, as converting the eulogium, due to The other passage, to which I have alLord Nelson, into a vehicle of au atrack upon the character and views of all those who oppose the ministry, is to be found in follows: the COURIER of the 9th instant, and is as "The mind feels a melancholy pleasure in returning often to the contemplation of the characters of those whom it "has loved, honoured, and respected. Lard "Nelson was incontestibly the greatest 66. blessing that ever was conferred upon this country; there was no alloy in his cha"racter; it was not narrowed nor deformed "by party principles or prejudices; it was "all pure sterling loyalty: he never made use of his great name TO EMBARRASS "THE OPERATIONS OF THE GO"VERNMENT;" the hackneyed phrase, this last is, which these writers always make use of to express an opposition to the minister of the day; and, it is not altogether umecessary to observe, that this same CovRIER was most furiously opposed to Mr. Pitt, till it was converted about eighteen months ago. But, do these writers pretend, that al embarrassing the government? Ought the opposition to ministers ought to be styled reign of Charles II. to be regarded as peropponents of the infamous Cabal, in the |