The Life Of Admiral Lord Collingwood [Illustrated Edition] by Russell William Clark;

Author:Russell, William Clark;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wagram Press
Published: 2015-10-14T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER VIII.

Fresh Attempt—Rewards—Parliamentary Votes—Newnham Collingwood—Letters to Lady Collingwood—A Nelson Memorial—Young Sea-Officers—Codrington on Collingwood— Fresh Corn-mission—Dumanoir’s Squadron—Familiar Letters—Novelists’ Sailors—Position of Commander-in-Chief in Mediterranean—Letter from the Queen of Naples—Sir John Duckworth—Action off San Domingo—Enemy’s Force.

BUT the weather and the condition of the prizes were not Collingwood’s only anxiety. On the morning of the 23rd, the senior French officer at Cadiz weighed from that port with five line-of-battle ships, five frigates, and two brigs, with the hope of recapturing some of the prizes. The British ships—such as were capable of taking part in many manoeuvres, ten sail in all—cast off their prizes and formed in line between the hulls and the enemy. The French commander did not come within gunshot, but his frigates managed to recapture the Santa Anna and Neptuno, both which ships they conveyed into port. Writing on this day, and even at this time indeed, Blackwood says: “The remains of the French and Spanish fleet have rallied, and are at this moment but a few miles from us.... The Admiral (Collingwood) is still on board of my ship; and we are leading the fleet, which, you will believe, suits my taste. ... Lord C. appeared delighted with Euryalus, and will not, I hope, leave her if another action takes place, where he will see so much better what is to do than if engaged himself.”{153}

But, in truth, Collingwood’s own official letter to the Admiralty, dated off Cadiz, October 24th, is the most intelligible and convincing explanation that could be given of his reasons for destroying the prizes: “On the 22nd, 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 (thirteen or fourteen), and towing them off to the westward,, where I ordered them to rendezvous round the Royal Sovereign in tow by the Neptune. But, on the 23rd, 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 of the dark and boisterous 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, which had not been much engaged, stood up to leeward of my shattered and staggering charge,{154} 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 keeping possession of the ships was a matter of little consequence compared with the chance of their falling again into. the hands of the enemy; but even this was an arduous task in the high sea which was running.

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