The Death of Lord Nelson

The Death of Lord Nelson

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Beatty
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Title: The Death of Lord Nelson
Author: William Beatty
Release Date: March 2, 2005 [eBook #15233]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DEATH
OF LORD NELSON***
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AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE OF THE DEATH OF LORD NELSON:
WITH
THE CIRCUMSTANCES PRECEDING, ATTENDING, AND
SUBSEQUENT TO, THAT EVENT;
THE PROFESSIONAL REPORT
ON HIS LORDSHIP'S WOUND,
AND
SEVERAL INTERESTING ANECDOTES.
BY WILLIAM BEATTY, M.D.
Surgeon to the Victory in the Battle of Trafalgar, and now Physician to
the Fleet under the Command of the Earl of St. Vincent, K.B. &c. &c.
&c.
London: Printed By T. Davison, White-Friars; For T. Cadell and W.

Davies, in the Strand.
1807.

TO THE PUBLIC.
The Surgeon of the late illustrious Lord NELSON feels himself called
upon, from the responsible situation which he held on the eventful day
of the 21st of October 1805, to lay before the British Nation the
following Narrative. It contains an account of the most interesting
incidents which occurred on board the Victory. (Lord NELSON's
flag-ship) from the time of her sailing from England, in the month of
September, till the day of battle inclusively; with a detail of the
particulars of HIS LORDSHIP'S Death, the mode adopted for
preserving his revered Remains during the subsequent long passage of
the Victory to England, and the condition of the Body when it was
deposited in Greenwich Hospital. This short statement of facts is
deemed a small but necessary tribute of respect to the memory of the
departed Hero, as well as a professional document which the Public had
a right to expect from the man who had the melancholy honour of
being his principal medical attendant on that occasion: and is presumed
to be not unappropriately concluded by observations on the state of HIS
LORDSHIP'S health for some time previous to his fall; with his habits
of life, and other circumstances, strongly proving that few men had a
greater prospect of attaining longevity, on which account his premature
death is the more to be deplored by his Country.
It was originally intended that this Narrative should be published in the
LIFE OF LORD NELSON, undertaken by the Rev. J.S. CLARKE and
J. M'ARTHUR, Esq. and it will still form a part of that Work; but from
the length of time which must necessarily elapse before so extensive
and magnificent a Publication can be completed, the Author has been
induced to print it in a separate form.

Narrative
Lord NELSON sailed from St. Helen's in the Victory, with the
Euryalus frigate, on the morning of the 15th of September 1805, to take
the command of the British Fleet cruizing before Cadiz. On the 18th he
appeared off Plymouth; where he was joined by his Majesty's ships

Thunderer and Ajax, with which he proceeded for his destined station.
On the 20th he communicated by private signal with the squadron
under the command of Rear-Admiral STIRLING, which passed within
a few miles of the Victory; and the same day at noon, spoke his
Majesty's ship Le Decade, having on board Rear-Admiral Sir
RICHARD BICKERTON, who, was on his return to England for the
recovery of his health.
Some bad weather and adverse winds were experienced by the Victory
in crossing the Bay of Biscay, and on the 27th Cape St. Vincent was
seen. Lord NELSON had dispatched the Euryalus ahead on the
preceding day, to acquaint Admiral COLLINGWOOD with his
approach; and to direct that no salute should take place, nor any public
compliments be paid to his flag, on his assuming the command, as he
wished the Enemy to be kept ignorant of a reinforcement being
received by the British Fleet. In the evening of the 28th, the Victory
joined the Fleet; now consisting of twenty-seven ships of the line,
including the Victory, Ajax, and Thunderer: the city of Cadiz was seen
distant about fifteen miles, with the Combined Fleets at anchor; and
Admiral LOUIS, with five or six ships under his command, close in
shore, watching the motions of the Enemy.
On the 29th, prompt and decisive measures were adopted to prevent the
Enemy from receiving any supplies of provisions by sea, which His
LORDSHIP was informed they were very much distressed for: cruizers
were stationed off the Capes St. Vincent, St. Mary's, and Trafalgar; and
the frigates Euryalus and Hydra were