The Life of the Right Honourable Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson Volume II Part 18

"The coasting trade carried on by Denmark along all such parts of her coast as are included in the operation of this armistice, shall be unmolested by any British s.h.i.+ps or vessels whatever, and instructions given accordingly by Admiral Sir Hyde Parker.

"ARTICLE VII.

"This armistice is to continue, uninterrupted by the contracting parties, for the s.p.a.ce of fourteen weeks from the signature hereof; at the expiration of which time, it shall be in the power of either of the said parties to declare a cessation of the same, and to recommence hostilities, upon giving fourteen days previous notice.

"The conditions of this armistice are, upon all occasions, to be explained in the most liberal and loyal manner, so as to remove all ground for farther dispute, and facilitate the means of bringing about the restoration of harmony and good understanding between the two kingdoms.

"In faith whereof, we, the undersigned commissioners, in virtue of our full powers, have signed the present armistice, and have affixed to it the seal of our arms.

"Done on board his Britannic Majesty's s.h.i.+p the London, in Copenhagen Roads, April 9, 1801.

"Nelson and Bronte.

"William Stewart.

"Ernest Frederic Walterstorff.

"Hans Lindholm.

"In pursuance of my abovementioned authority, I ratify this doc.u.ment with my hand--

"Frederic.

"Ratified by me--

"Hyde Parker, Admiral and Commander in Chief of his Britannic Majesty's Fleet."

The Danes had great reason to be satisfied with the liberality of this armistice; the conditions of which certainly were, on our part, most strictly performed. It will appear that, on the part of Denmark, this was not precisely the case. Lord Nelson's conduct, however, at once firm and conciliating, procured justice to his country without again resorting to arms. The first blow had been struck by Denmark, and she had suffered for her rashness and temerity. Even in pa.s.sing the Sound, her guns evinced the disposition, but happily possessed not the power, to injure the British fleet. A very heavy fire was kept up by the Danes, but none of our s.h.i.+ps received a shot. In the mean time, we had several bomb-s.h.i.+ps firing on the town of Elsineur, the sh.e.l.ls from which killed upwards of a hundred and fifty people on sh.o.r.e. At Copenhagen, still more confident in their strength, they had made every arrangement for the destruction of our fleet, but no preparation for the defeat of their own. s.h.i.+elded by nature with dangerous shoals, and fortified by art with powerful batteries, they seemed rather to invite, than to dread, any hostile attack. They reflected not, that the hero coming against them was no less expert as a navigator than as a warrior, and scarcely more a seaman than a soldier. Happily his heroic heart was replete with humanity, and his dreadful ability to shed human blood only surpa.s.sed by his ardent desire to spare it's unnecessary effusion. The Danes, trusting to the strength of their grand line of defence, composed of eighteen s.h.i.+ps, block-s.h.i.+ps, floating-batteries, &c. which were all, in a few hours, sunk, burnt, or taken, had neglected to engage surgeons for their wounded defenders; who were found bleeding to death, on boarding the different captured vessels, in prodigious numbers, and afforded a shocking spectacle of horror to our brave but humane seamen. To preserve his fellow creatures from wanton destruction, the hero's flag of truce unfurled; a pause was thus obtained; reason had time to operate; and the basis was immediately laid for a renewal of that amity which had happily prevailed, for a long series of years, between the two nations, though anciently the fiercest foes.

The news of this victory was received in England with the utmost rejoicing; nor did the temper of the people fail to partic.i.p.ate in their favourite hero's generous sentiments towards the brave but vanquished Danes. They considered Denmark as having been unwillingly dragged into the confederacy; they admired the patriotic courage of her misdirected sons; and generously lamented the cruel necessity of thus compelling them to relinquish a league, which had for it's object, beneath the artful veil of a generous love of liberty, that has sufficiently deluged the earth with blood, the unjust and absurd view of destroying the maritime power of Great Britain, by which the freedom of the, seas is alone preserved to the honourable commerce of all civilized nations.

On the 16th of April, the Earl of St. Vincent, then First Lord of the Admiralty, made a motion in the House of Peers--and Mr. Addington, now Lord Sidmouth, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the House of Commons--of thanks to Sir Hyde Parker, Lord Nelson, Rear Admiral Graves, and the rest of the officers, seamen, and marines, for their very exemplary bravery displayed in the great and glorious victory atchieved at Copenhagen; which were carried, in both houses, with acclamations of unanimous applause. The Duke of Clarence observed, of his old friend, Lord Nelson, whom he ever loved and revered, that fortune seemed to back his courage and intrepidity, in every enterprise he engaged; and acknowledged his own obligations, as a prince of the blood, to the gallant commanders, and to the whole fleet, for the accomplishment of a victory which, probably, in it's effects, would restore the possessions on the continent to his family, together with the peace and security of the British empire, and of Europe. About a month afterwards, Lord Nelson was elevated to the rank of Viscount of the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, by the name, stile, and t.i.tle, of Viscount Nelson of the Nile, and of Burnham-Thorpe in the county of Norfolk; an additional honour which was generally and justly considered, at the time, and must ever be regarded by posterity, as by no means equal to his high deserts.

In the mean time, immediately after signing the convention with Denmark, Russia and Sweden remaining still unattacked, Sir Hyde Parker had proceeded to the eastward, with such s.h.i.+ps as were in a condition for service: leaving Lord Nelson at Copenhagen, with orders to repair his damaged s.h.i.+ps, and dispose of the prizes; after which, he was to follow the commander in chief, and a.s.sist in accomplis.h.i.+ng the other designs of this very important expedition. The repairs were not long compleating, and the prizes were soon disposed of; of the latter, all but one--the Holstein of sixty-four guns--were found entirely unfit for service, and immediately destroyed. Even this solitary remain of the Danish formidable line of defence, was only judged worthy of being commissioned as an hospital-s.h.i.+p in the British fleet; yet villainy and weakness united to wrest from our hero the honour of a compleat victory, even on the spot where it had been felt as well as witnessed.

Lord Nelson, after the battle of the 2d of April, had returned with his flag to the St. George; and, on the 16th, was ready to proceed after the commander in chief, who had entered the Baltic, and greatly alarmed the Russians, Prussians, and Swedes. Most of the squadron of his lords.h.i.+p, however, touched the ground, in their pa.s.sage through the narrow and shallow channel which divides the islands of Amak and Saltholm, and two or three of them actually sticking fast for a short time, he was detained, even after they did pa.s.s, to have the St. George lightened, which drew still more water than the rest, by taking out the guns, and putting them on board an American s.h.i.+p. While this was effecting, the report of the Swedish fleet being out, with an intention to join that of Russia, then lying at Revel, reached his lords.h.i.+p. The instant he received this intelligence, though it was then a very cold evening of that climate, he descended into his gig, or smallest boat; and, after being so exposed on the water several hours, got again on board the Elephant, the former bearer of his flag and triumph. Lord Nelson, in his extreme haste to quit the St. George, had neglected to take his boat-cloak; but he would not lose a moment in returning for it, notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather and the great distance he had necessarily to go. A master of one of the s.h.i.+ps, who was ordered to attend, earnestly pressed his lords.h.i.+p's acceptance of a great coat which he had brought for himself. This, however, was as kindly refused, as it had been affectionately tendered--"I thank you," said the hero, "very much; but, to tell you the truth, my anxiety, at present, keeps me sufficiently warm." Soon afterwards, his lords.h.i.+p asked--"Think you, that the British fleet has quitted Bornholm? If it has," continued he, without waiting for a reply, "we must follow it to Carlscrona." His lords.h.i.+p had arrived about midnight; and, the next day, saw the Swedish armament safely sheltered under the numerous forts and batteries erected on the island at the entrance of Carlscrona; where, as he suspected, it had taken timely refuge from the British fleet. Sir Hyde Parker, while on his voyage to Revel, having gained intelligence of the intended junction of the Swedish fleet with that of the Russians against which he was proceeding, had immediately steered his course for the Island of Bornholm, with the hope of intercepting the Swedes; but the commander, warned by the Danish disaster, wisely retreated from the danger of a similar encounter, by returning into port with the utmost precipitation.

Scarcely had Lord Nelson quitted Copenhagen, where he could not but have endeared himself to every virtuous heart, by his amiable liberality of disposition--bountifully rewarding youth of promise in the national military schools of the Danes, as if he had been dealing honours among the deserving of his own country, and every way displaying the superior cast of his dignified soul--when he learned that Olfert Fischer, the Danish commander in chief, had officially published the following shamefully partial account of this indisputably great and glorious victory, as transmitted to his Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

DANISH OFFICIAL ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF COPENHAGEN.

"On the 1st of April, at half past three in the afternoon, two divisions of the English fleet, under the command of Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson, and a rear-admiral, weighed anchor, and stood eastward, and by the south of the middle pa.s.sage of the road, where they anch.o.r.ed. This force consisted of twelve s.h.i.+ps of the line; and several large frigates, gun-boats, and other smaller vessels; in all, thirty-one sail.

"On the 2d of April, at three-quarters past nine in the morning, the wind south-east, both the vessels to the south and the vessels to the north of the middle road, weighed anchor. The s.h.i.+ps of the line, and heavy frigates, under Lord Nelson, steered for the Konigstiefe, to take their stations, in order, along the line of defence confided to me. The gunboats, and small vessels, took their stations near the town; and the division of Admiral Parker, consisting of eight s.h.i.+ps of the line, and some small vessels, steered with a press of sail southwards, to the right wing of defence.

"At half past ten, the foremost s.h.i.+p of Admiral Nelson's division pa.s.sed the southernmost s.h.i.+p of the line of defence. I gave those s.h.i.+ps that were within shot the signal for battle. The block-s.h.i.+ps, Provesteen, and Wagner, and immediately after these the Jutland, between which and the block-s.h.i.+p Dannebrog, the leading English s.h.i.+p of seventy-four guns fixed her station, by throwing out one of her rear-anchors, obeyed the signal, by a well directed and well supported fire. By degrees, the rest of the s.h.i.+ps came up; and, as they sailed past, on both sides of the s.h.i.+ps already at anchor, they formed a thick line: which, as it stretched northward to the s.h.i.+p of the line the Zealand, engaged not more than two-thirds of the line of defence committed to me; while the Trekroner--or Three Crowns Battery--and the block-s.h.i.+ps Elephanten and Mars, with the frigate Hielperen, did not come at all into the action.

"In half an hour, the battle was general. Ten s.h.i.+ps of the line, among which was one of eighty guns, the rest chiefly seventy-fours, and from six to eight frigates, on the one side: on the other, seven block-s.h.i.+ps; of which, only one of seventy-four, the rest of sixty-four and under; two frigates; and six smaller vessels. _This was the respective strength of the two parties_. The enemy had, on the whole, _two s.h.i.+ps to one_: and the block-s.h.i.+p Provesteen had, besides a s.h.i.+p of the line and the rear-admiral, two frigates against her; by which she was raked the whole time, without being able to return a shot.

"If I only recapitulate, _historically_, what your highness, and along with you a great portion of the citizens of Denmark and Europe, have seen, I may venture to call that an unequal combat, which was maintained, and supported, for four hours and a half, with unexampled courage and effect--in which the fire of the superior force was so much weakened, for an hour before the end of the battle, that several of the English s.h.i.+ps, and particularly Lord Nelson's, were obliged to fire only single shots--that this hero, himself, in the middle and very heat of the battle, sent a flag of truce on sh.o.r.e to propose a cessation of hostilities--if I also add, that _it was announced to me, that two English s.h.i.+ps of the line had struck_; but, being supported by fresh s.h.i.+ps, again hoisted their flags--I may, in such circ.u.mstances, be permitted to say, and I believe _I may appeal to the enemy's own confession_, that in this engagement Denmark's ancient naval reputation blazed forth with such incredible splendor, that I thank Heaven all Europe are the witnesses of it!

"Yet the scale, if not equal, did not decline far to the disadvantage of Denmark. The s.h.i.+ps that were first and most obstinately attacked, even surrounded by the enemy, the incomparable Provesteen, Wagner, and Jutland, fought till almost all their guns were dismounted; but these vessels were obliged to give way to superior force, _and the Danish fire ceased along the whole line from north to south_.

"At half past eleven, the Dannebrog s.h.i.+p of the line, which, lay along-side Admiral Nelson, was set on fire. I repaired, with my flag, on board the Holstein, of the line, belonging to the north wing; _but the Dannebrog long kept her flag flying, in spite of this disaster_. At the end of the battle, she had two hundred and seventy men killed and wounded.

"At half past two, the Holstein was so shattered, and had so many killed and wounded, and so many guns dismounted, that I _then carried the pendant to be hoisted instead of my flag, and went on sh.o.r.e, to the battery of the Three Crowns_, from whence I commanded the north wing; _which was slightly engaged with the division of Admiral Parker_, till about four o'clock, when I received orders from your royal highness to put an end to the engagement.

"Thus, the quarter of the line of defence, from the Three Crowns to the frigate Hielperen, was in the power of the enemy; and the Hielperen, finding herself alone, slipped her cables, and steered to Stirbfeir. The s.h.i.+p Elven, after she had received many shots in the hull, and had her masts and rigging shot away, and a great number killed and wounded, retreated within the Crowns. The gunboats, Nyebrog and Aggershuus--which last towed the former away, when near sinking--ran ash.o.r.e, and the Gurnarshe floating-battery, which had suffered much, together with the block-s.h.i.+p Dannebrog, shortly after the battle, blew up.

"Besides the visible loss the enemy have suffered, I am convinced, their loss in killed and wounded is considerable. The advantage the enemy have gained by their victory, too, _consists merely in s.h.i.+ps which are not fit for use, in spiked cannon, and gunpowder damaged by sea-water_.

"The number killed and wounded cannot yet be exactly ascertained; but I calculate it, from sixteen to eighteen hundred men. Among the former, it is with grief that I mention the captains of the block-s.h.i.+p Infoedstratten and the frigate Kronbrog, Captain Thura and First-Lieutenant Hauch, with several other brave officers: among the wounded, the commander of the Dannebrog; who, besides other wounds, has lost his right hand.

"I want expression, to do justice to the unexampled courage of the officers and crews. The battle itself can only enable you to form an idea of it.

"Olfert Fischer."

The honourable mind of Lord Nelson indignantly revolted at the meanness conspicuous in this account; and he was resolved to chastise the pusillanimous malignity which it was so clumsily adapted to cover, by addressing the following letter, through General-Adjutant Lindholm, to the Crown Prince of Denmark, that his royal highness might see his lords.h.i.+p's sense of such a wretched attempt to deprive our hero of the honour of a victory, and screen the Danish commander in chief, himself, from the dreaded shame of a defeat not in itself by any means disgraceful.

"St. George, at Sea, 22d April 1801.

"MY DEAR SIR,

"Commodore Fischer having, in a public letter, given an account to the world of the battle of the 2d, called upon his royal highness as a witness to the truth of it. I, therefore, think it right to address myself to you, for the information of his royal highness; as, I a.s.sure you, had this officer confined himself to his own veracity, I should have treated his official letter with the contempt it deserved, and allowed the world to appreciate the merits of the two contending officers. I shall make a few, and very few, observations on this letter. He a.s.serts the superiority of numbers on the part of the British; it will turn out, if that is of any consequence, that the Danish line of defence, to the southward of the Crown Islands, was much stronger, and more numerous, than the British. We had only five sail of seventy-fours, two sixty-fours, two fifties, and one frigate, engaged; a bomb vessel, towards the latter end, threw some sh.e.l.ls into the a.r.s.enal. Two seventy-fours, and one sixty-four, by an accident, grounded; or the Crown Islands, and the Elephanten and Mars, would have had full employment: and, by the a.s.sistance of the frigates--who went to try, alone, what I had directed the three sail of the line who grounded to a.s.sist them in--I have reason to hope, they would have been equally successful as that part of the British line engaged. I am ready to admit, that many of the Danish officers and men behaved as well as men could do, and deserved not to be abandoned by their commander. I am justified in saying this, from Commodore Fischer's own declaration. In his own letter, he states that, after he quitted the Dannebrog, she long contested the battle. If so, more shame for him to quit so many brave fellows! _Here_ was no manoeuvering, it was downright fighting; and it was his duty to have shewn an example of firmness becoming the high trust reposed in him. He went in such a hurry, if he went before she struck--which, but for his own declaration, I can hardly believe--that he forgot to take his broad pendant with him, for both pendant and ensign were struck together; and it is from this circ.u.mstance, that I claimed the commodore as a prisoner of war. He then went, as he says, on board the Holstein--the brave captain of which did not want him--where he did not hoist his pendant. From this s.h.i.+p, he went on sh.o.r.e, either before or after she struck, or he would have been again a prisoner. As to his nonsense about victory, his royal highness will not much credit him. I sunk, burnt, captured, or drove into the harbour, the whole line of defence to the southward of the Crown Islands. He says, he is told that two British s.h.i.+ps struck. Why did he not take possession of them? I took possession of his as fast as they struck. The reason is clear, that he did not believe it. He must have known the falsity of the report, and that no fresh British s.h.i.+ps did come near the s.h.i.+ps engaged. He states, that the s.h.i.+p in which I had the honour to hoist my flag fired, latterly, only single guns. It is true; for steady and cool were my brave fellows, and did not wish to throw away a single shot. He seems to exult, that I sent on sh.o.r.e a flag of truce. Men of his description, if they ever are victorious, know not the feel of humanity. You know, and his royal highness knows, that the guns fired from the sh.o.r.e could only fire through the Danish s.h.i.+ps which had surrendered; and that, if I fired at the sh.o.r.e, it could only be in the same manner. G.o.d forbid, that I should destroy an unresisting Dane! _When they became my prisoners, I became their protector_. Humanity alone, could have been my object; but Mr. Fischer's carcase was safe, and he regarded not the sacred call of humanity. His royal highness thought as I did. It has brought about an armistice; which, I pray the Almighty, may bring about a happy reconciliation between the two kingdoms. As I have not the names of all the s.h.i.+ps correct--only of the thirteen, including the seven sail of the line which struck, remained at anchor, and fell into my possession after the battle--I shall, therefore, be very much obliged to you, for a correct list of their names; and the number of men, if possible to be obtained, on board each, and the numbers sent from the sh.o.r.e during the action. My earnest wish is, to be correct; and believe me, dear Sir, with great esteem, your most obedient servant,

"Nelson and Bronte."

"General-Adjutant Lindholm."

Whatever severity may appear in this retort, it's, justice would be with difficulty refuted. The answer of General-Adjutant Lindholm apologizes, with very considerable address, for the commander in chief; but that honourable officer's reasoning is also tinctured with as much national partiality as is consistent with a due regard to truth. This is no uncommon effect of patriotic zeal in the best minds, and may be traced even in that of our hero.

"Copenhagen, 2d May 1801.

"MY LORD!

"Your lords.h.i.+p has imposed upon me a very painful task, by desiring me to communicate to his Royal Highness the Crown Prince the contents of that letter with which your lords.h.i.+p has favoured me the 22d of April; and in which you have treated Commodore Fischer with a severity which, as a brother officer, I cannot but think too great, indeed, I conceive, that your lords.h.i.+p has felt a certain degree of displeasure at that incorrectness which you have thought to find in Commodore Fischer's official report; but your lords.h.i.+p did not fully consider, at that moment, that he himself might have received incorrect reports: a fatality to which every commander in chief is exposed. I flatter myself, from your lords.h.i.+p's well-known candour and indulgence, that you will not think it presuming in me, or contrary to the respect I feel for your lords.h.i.+p, if I take the liberty of offering you some few observations in vindication of the conduct of Commodore Fischer. But, first, let me have the honour to a.s.sure your lords.h.i.+p, that I have not communicated to that officer your letter of the 22d of April; and that, what I take the liberty of offering your lords.h.i.+p, is absolutely my private and individual opinion.

"Your lords.h.i.+p thinks, that Commodore Fischer has over-rated the forces by which he was attacked, and under-rated his own; or, that he wrongly a.s.serts the superiority of numbers on the part of the British. I must confess, that I am now, as I have always been, of opinion, that the squadron with which your lords.h.i.+p attacked our southern line of defence, say all those s.h.i.+ps and vessels lying to the southward of the Crown Battery, was stronger then than that line. I will say nothing about our not having time sufficient to man our s.h.i.+ps in the manner it was intended: they being badly manned, both as to number and as to quality of their crews, the greatest part of which were landmen; people that had been pressed, and who never before had been on board a s.h.i.+p or used to the exercise of guns. I will not mention our s.h.i.+ps being old and rotten, and not having one-third of our usual complement of officers; I will confine myself to the number of guns, and from the s.h.i.+ps named in your lords.h.i.+p's official report: and there I find, that your squadron carried one thousand and fifty-eight guns, of much greater calibre than our's; exclusive of carronnades, which did our s.h.i.+ps so much injury; also, exclusive of your gun-brigs and bomb-vessels.

"Now, I can a.s.sure your lords.h.i.+p, upon my honour, that to my certain knowledge the number of guns on board of those eighteen s.h.i.+ps and vessels of our's which were engaged (including the small s.h.i.+p the Elbe, which came into the harbour towards the end of the action) amount to six hundred and thirty-four, I have not included our eleven gun-boats, carrying each two guns, as a couple of them only had an opportunity of firing a few shot. Nor need I to mention the Crown Battery, on which sixty-six guns were mounted, as that battery did not fairly get into action, and only fired a few random shot.

"When Commodore Fischer left the Dannebrog, that s.h.i.+p was on fire, had many killed, several of it's officers wounded, and otherwise suffered much. It was, I conceive, the duty of the commander, to remove his broad pendant to another s.h.i.+p; and he went on board the Holstein, from whence he commanded the line of defence; and where he remained two hours, his broad pendant flying on board the said s.h.i.+p. When this s.h.i.+p was mostly disabled, the Commodore went to the Crown Battery, which also was under his command. He would, in my humble opinion, have been justified, from the wound he received on his head, to quit the command altogether, when he left the Dannebrog; and no blame could ever have attached, for it, to his character as a soldier. I have given myself every possible pain, to be informed whether Commodore Fischer's pendant has been removed before or after the s.h.i.+p struck; and the officers all agree, in declaring, that the broad pendant has been replaced by a captain's pendant, both on board the Dannebrog and the Holstein, previous to those s.h.i.+ps hauling down their ensign. It is even remarkable that, on board the Dannebrog, the man who had taken down the broad pendant, and hoisted the captain's pendant, was killed when coming down the shrouds, and fell upon deck with the commodore's pendant in his hand.

"I do not conceive that Commodore Fischer had the least idea of claiming as a victory what to every intent and purpose was a defeat: he has only thought, that this defeat was not an inglorious one; and, that our officers and men displayed much bravery and firmness, against force so superior in every respect. Your lords.h.i.+p's report, and your letter to me, proves it. I confess, that your lords.h.i.+p took all the vessels opposed to you; except five, carrying together eighty-six guns. I am of opinion, with your lords.h.i.+p, that three s.h.i.+ps of seventy-four guns each would have been a hard match for the Three Crowns Battery; but, they certainly would have been forced to go away.