1797 - Nelson at Santa-Cruz


 
Contents

Next Page

Previous Page

10 Pages >>

10 Pages <<
Naval History of Great Britain - Vol II
1797 British and Spanish Fleets 60

and five missing; total, 141 killed and drowned, 105 wounded ; and five missing: a loss which did not fall very far short of in the total number, and much exceeded in officers of rank and value, that which had won the battle of Cape St.-Vincent.

In noticing the loss of Captain Richard Bowen, the rear-admiral, in his despatch, emphatically adds, " than whom a more enterprising, able, and gallant officer does not grace his majesty's naval service." This eulogy from Nelson did more to ennoble the object, than the mere act of conferring an order of knighthood ; and yet Captain Bowen had undoubtedly merited one, long before he met his death under the walls of Santa-Cruz.* Both Earl St.-Vincent and Rear-admiral Nelson strongly importuned Earl Spencer, then at the head of the admiralty, on the subject of a monument to Captain Bowen's memory. Nelson, in his usual energetic manner, writes Earl St.-Vincent thus: " Why is not a monument voted in St. Paul's, to perpetuate the memory of the gallant Bowen ? I put it strongly to Earl Spencer. If you have an opportunity, pray express my surprise, that no mention has been made of him in either house of parliament." But, on the plea, that the affair in which Captain Bowen had perished was a failure, this customary tribute of a nation's gratitude to her heroes was withheld ; a plea, however, that, in the case of Captain James' Cornwall of the Marlborough, who fell in February, 1744, was not allowed to interfere.

Not all the efforts of the British admiral off Cadiz could prevent the seeds of mutiny from spreading among his ships. The crews of two or three became extremely turbulent ; but at length, by active measures the ringleaders were seized. On their trial by court-martial, three were sentenced to suffer death, and the sentence was ordered to be executed on board the St.-George, where the disaffection had first shown itself. The crew, on the arrival of the prisoners on board, drew up a remonstrance in their favour, and begged of Captain Shuldham Peard to intercede in their behalf with the commander-in-chief. The captain assented, and laid their remonstrance before Earl St.-Vincent. The admiral's answer was, that he considered the sentence of to court-martial, convicting the prisoners, to be founded upon solid justice and imperious necessity ; and consequently, that he could not think of retracting the sanction which he had given to it.

On learning the ill-success of their remonstrance, the crew of the St.-George manifested strong symptoms of disaffection. Their conduct was not unobserved by Captain Peard, who took the precaution to watch their movements. One of the seamen, who was well acquainted with their designs, informed his captain, that the men had entered into a resolution to seize the

* See vol. i., p. 364.

^ back to top ^