The Battle of Cape St Vincent

You can see the names of the ships involved in the battle by using this link

Ship names are shown on bold on this page and the numbers shown after the names refer to the number of guns on each.

On 19th October as the British moved out of Bastia the French were entering the back of the town. All British personnel from Bastia, Calvi and Ajaccio were removed in safety and reached Porto Ferrajo on the Isle of Elba.

On 15th December Nelson, now in the frigate Minerve in company with Blanche, was sent to save the Elba garrison. Off Cartagena Nelson engaged two Spanish frigates, Santa Sabina and Ceres. The Santa Sabina was badly damaged and struck her colours with 194 killed and wounded.

Next morning two Spanish ships of the line and another frigate arrived and engaged Nelson. Santa Sabina was retaken, but Blanche and Minerve made good their escape. Later in the day they came up with a French privateer and captured it.

It was Christmas day when Nelson arrived at Porto Ferrajo, but it was not until 29th January that he completed his task. On his way back to join Jervis, he looked into Cartagena only to find that the Spanish fleet had sailed. At this time Jervis had taken up station to blockade Cadiz. Nelson made haste to join his Chief, calling in briefly at Gibraltar to recover Lieutenants Hardy and Culverhouse plus other members of the prize crew who were exchanged for Spanish prisoners. (Santa Sabina action).

Nelson was clearing Gibraltar Bay when two Spanish Sail of the Line together with a frigate weighed anchor and gave chase. Passing through the Straits of Gibraltar at dusk the cry "Man Overboard" was heard and Hardy took away the ships jolly boat to the rescue. However he soon signalled no sign of the missing man, and tried to get back to the Minerve but due to the strong tide could make no way. Nelson, on seeing Hardy's problem said “ I’ll not lose Hardy back the mizzen topsail", and Hardy and the jolly boat were recovered. The nearest Spanish ship Terrible also shortened sail to allow her consorts to catch up. The Spanish must have thought Minerve had shortened sail because the British fleet was in sight, and this gave Nelson time to make good his escape.

On the night 11/12 February, Nelson passed through the Spanish fleet and rejoined Jervis on the 13th, and rejoined Captain.

On the morning of 14th February 1797, the position of the fleets was some twenty five miles west of the Portugese headland of St. Vincent about one hundred and fifty miles north west of Cadiz, towards which the Spanish fleet were heading in fair wind but poor sailing order.

As the Spanish fleet closed on the British, Captain Calder was heard to say “There are eight sail of the line Sir John", "Very well sir", came the reply. Then “There are twenty sail of the line Sir John", “There are twenty five" and finally “There are twenty seven sail of the line Sir John, very near double our own!" at which Sir John said 'Enough of that Sir! If there are fifty sail, I will go through them. England badly needs a victory at present”

Captain Ben Hallowell who was walking back and forth beside the Admiral on Victory's poop, gave his Commander-in-Chief a thump on the back exclaiming "That's right Sir John, that's Right! and by God we shall give them a damned good licking".

Jervis took the decision to go through the Spanish fleet. Nine of the Spanish ships had passed to eastward, the rest turned to the north. Having split the Spanish fleet, Jervis's next signal was to tack in succession, intending to engage the bulk of the enemy ships to windward before the nine ships to leeward could assist them.

The British ships proceeded, one by one, to turn towards the north, but the possibility remained that the larger Spanish detatchment by bearing up to pass astern of the British fleet might rejoin the small division, and perhaps escape to Cadiz. Nelson on Captain the third ship from the rear of the British line wore round to the west across the bows of the Spanish ships. By this action Captain could be attacked by seven Spanish ships including the Santissima Trinidad, the largest fighting ship in the world. The first British ship sent by Jervis to help Nelson was Excellent commanded by Captain Collingwood.

Other ships arrived; Culloden (Troubridge) and Blenheim (Frederick), and engaged the enemy as their guns came to bear. Blenheim was followed by Prince George (Rear Admiral W. Parker) and Orion (Sir James Saumerez). By this time Culloden was so damaged that Blenheim had passed ahead of her. Excellent had followed Captain round and was in close action with San Nicolas and gave her a most tremendous fire. The three-decker San Josef was on the receiving end of Prince George's fire. Excellent and Prince George passed on to do battle with other Spanish ships. Captain had taken heavy damage, having lost her foretopmast, her wheel had been shot away, not a sail, shroud or rope was left. Nelson ordered the helm to be put down (turned to starboard) and called for a boarding party. The first man to board the San Nicolas was Commander Berry, Captain Miller having been told by Nelson to remain in charge of the crippled Captain, and Nelson undertook the boarding himself, with three midshipmen, soldiers of the 69th Regiment, and sailors from the crew. They boarded from the port fore-chains, through the San Nicolas starboard quarter gallery, where the butt of a marine's musket smashed an entry through an upper window. Enemy officers had locked the cabin doors but these were quickly forced by the marines. On the quarterdeck Nelson found Berry in possession with the Spanish ensign being lowered in surrender. Also on the quarterdeck was the Spanish Commodore Geraldino who surrendered his sword to Nelson.

By this time the Spanish 112 gun San Josef had become inextricably entangled aloft with the San Nicolas (now on fire), and her men were firing on the British boarding party. Nelson ordered his marines to return fire, and also stationed sentinels at the hatchways on the San Nicolas to keep the rest of the enemy crew below, and called to Captain Miller to send more men. Then to the cry of "Westminster Abbey", or "Glorious Victory". Nelson with Berry boarded the San Josef through the main chains, and another headlong scramble from ship to ship was achieved. The appearance of resistance from the San Josef was deceptive. As the depleted boarding party came into view, a Spanish officer looking over the quarterdeck rail hailed to say that she surrendered. Nelson treated this with caution until he reached the quarterdeck where her Flag Captain, on bended knee, surrendered his sword and explained that his Admiral Winthuysen was dying of his wounds below.

The three ships, Captain, San Nicolas and San Josef remained locked together and as Victory passed them her ships company gave three cheers as did all the following ships.

It was Nelson's boarding of the 84 gun San Nicolas and thence on to the 112 gun San Josef that led to the quote 'Nelson's patent bridge for boarding first rates ". Four other Spanish ships, the San Ysidro, Salvador del Mundo, Santissima Trinidad and the Soberano, surrendered but the Santissima Trinidad and the Soberano having struck their colours re-hoisted them later.

During the battle Nelson received a superficial wound from a shell splinter and was bruised; the entry on the casualty list read "Bruised but not obliged to quit the deck".

The Spanish ships made for Cadiz and the British fleet sailed for Lagos. The frigate Lively bought news of the battle to England and reached London on 3rd March 1797.

On 1st April, Nelson received a letter telling him that he had been promoted to Rear Admiral of the Blue by process of seniority on 2nd February 1797. For his part in the Battle of St. Vincent he received the Order of the Bath, and also was given the freedom of the cities of London, Bath, Bristol and Norwich.

On 12th April 1797 Troubridge dined with Nelson and brought news from the fleet. Jervis had sent two frigates to look out for the Spanish treasure ships from Mexico due to call at Santa Cruz in Tenerife. Jervis had told Trubridge that he was interested in hearing Nelson's opinion on the possibility of an attack on Santa Cruz. At this time Nelson was on detatched duty, and it was not until 24th May that he rejoined Jervis and resumed command of the inshore squadron.

He moved from Captain to Theseus with the officers and men (ex Agamemnon) who wished to go with him. Theseus had been at the Spithead mutiny and when she arrived off Cadiz had no stores on board. Captain Miller had to obtain these from other ships or from Gibraltar.

Nelson and Miller soon got Theseus into good shape, and within a fortnight a letter was found on the quarterdeck, it said "Success attend Admiral Nelson! God Bless Captain Miller! We thank them for the officers they have placed over us. We are happy and comfortable, and will shed every drop of blood in our veins and the name of Theseus shall be immortalised as high as the Captain's. " It was signed in large block capitals “SHIPS COMPANY"

Nelson with the inshore squadron attacked Cadiz on the night of 3rd July. For this attack the bombketch Thunderer and gunboat Urchin had been added to Nelson's ships, plus all the launches from the fleet with their cannonades and ammunition. During the action Nelson's launch was attacked by a Spanish launch rowed by twenty six men with four officers and Commander Don Miguel Tyrason. Nelson had a normal crew of ten men and a coxswain. They were joined by Captain Fremantle. In the hand to hand fighting Fremantle was slightly wounded, and the coxswain John Sykes twice saved Nelson's life by interposing between his admiral and an enemy, and on the second occasion fell with severe head injuries. By the end of the engagement the much superior launch had been captured, every survivor had been wounded, and her commander had been taken prisoner.

On the night of 5th July the second action took place. Nelson now had the mortar boats Terror and Stromboli to add strength to his attack.

Some of the ships which had recently joined Jervis's fleet had been involved in the Spithead and Nore Mutinies, and had mutineers on board. Thus it was that on Sunday 9th July, four mutineers on board St George were hung, resulting in Vice Admiral Thompson complaining that men should not be hung on the Sabbath. Nelson retorted "Had it been Christmas day instead of Sunday I would have, executed them!"

The third attack on Cadiz took place on 10th July. The Spanish did not put up much resistance and on the 11th red flags were hoisted on seven Spanish ships including that of an Admiral. (The Spanish fleet was "A la Nore").

On the 14th July Nelson closed the main British fleet to receive his orders from Jervis for the attack on Santa Cruz on the Island of Tenerife in the Canaries.

On the 15th July Nelson sailed with his squadron. Theseus (74), Rear Admiral Nelson's flagship commanded by Captain Miller, Culloden (74) Captain Troubridge, Zealous (74) Captain Hood, Leander (50) Captain Thompson, Terpsichore (32) Captain Bowen, Seahorse (38) Captain Fremantle, Emerald (36) Captain Waller, Fox (12)(cutter) Lieutenant Gibson, Cacafuego (Mortar Boat).

During the passage Nelson was told that the Mexican treasure fleet had decided not to sail after hearing the news of the battle at Cape St. Vincent, but that two Register ships belonging to the Philippine Company from Manila were at Santa Cruz on route to Spain. Both ships had rich cargoes. Nelson was also informed that troops for the attack on Santa Cruz would not be available, and Jervis asked if the operation could be carried out by the Navy on its own. Nelson replied “With two hundred extra Marines, General Troubridge ashore, and me afloat I am confident of success "

The last conference for the attack was held on board Theseus on Friday 21st July. The surprise attack on the night of 21/22 July was frustrated by the elements, and the enemy were now well aware of the presence of a British squadron. The second attack also failed.

The third attack Nelson decided to lead himself, and was planned for late Monday 24th July. At 2230 between six and seven hundred Marines and seamen began boarding ships boats. There were a further one hundred and eighty men in Fox and eighty more in a captured Spanish vessel. By 2230 the last boat had put off for the shore, but with the pitch black night and a heavy sea running it took one and a half hours for most of the boats to reach their objectives. A number of boats turned back and some were wrecked on the inhospitable rocks of Santa Cruz Bay.

Some Marines and seamen under the command of Troubridge landed safely as did Waller with a few more men. All managed to reach the central square taking some prisoners on the way. At the rendezvous they waited for others to join them, but gradually and unmistakably the scene took on the aspect of a night operation which had gone very wrong.

Nelson and his gunboats got within half gunshot of the mole at Santa Cruz when all hell was let loose. Rockets climbed into the sky, blue lights threw an ugly glare on the scene, alarm bells jangled and grape and canister shot began to tear at the water. Only parties led by Thompson, Fremantle and Bowen landed at various points on the mole which they quickly carried even though it was defended by four or five hundred men.

The British spiked six twenty for pounders, but due to the heavy fire from the Spanish most of the attackers were killed or wounded. Nelson was hit by grapeshot, which shattered his right elbow as he was drawing his dress sword (a gift from Captain Suckling). The sword dropped from his useless right hand but he snatched it up with his left. Lieutenant Nisbet, Nelson's stepson, who was with him applied an improvised tourniquet with a handkerchief which he took off his own neck. Nelson later said that he owed his life to his stepson's action.

Lovell, a bargeman, took off his shirt to form a sling for Nelson's arm. Nelson was rowed first to Seahorse but refused to go on board lest he alarm Betsy Fremantle, and was instead rowed further to Theseus where he was attended by two surgeons, Thomas Eshelby and Louis Remonier.

Admiralty records confirm that Eshelby was the ship's surgeon and as such he undertook the operation, but in one of Nelson's letters to Lord Keith he mentioned that Remonier assisted in the amputation. The operation was carried out using cold instruments, and this resulted later in Nelson issuing orders that hot water be supplied for warming the surgeon's instruments. From Eshelby's journal the injuries were stated as compound fracture of the right arm by a musket ball passing through a little above the elbow, an artery divided. The arm was immediately amputated and opium was given afterwards. This wound caused phantom pains for the rest of Nelson's life.

On 25th July the British realized that they had failed to take Santa Cruz, and at about 0900 a flag of truce was sent to the Spanish Governor who gave very handsome terms. All officers, Marines, and seamen were returned to their ships, and in addition the British squadron was provisioned from the town. The British ships were becalmed for a further two days before they were able to sail to rejoin Jervis.

It was the afternoon of Wednesday 16th August when Nelson and his squadron rejoined the fleet. He reported to Jervis on the attacks on Santa Cruz, and was then ordered to return to England to give time for his wounds to heal.

Nelson sailed home in the frigate Seahorse arriving at Spithead on 1st September 1797, came ashore at Portsmouth and went immediately on to Bath to be with his wife and his father.

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