1805 - Battle of Trafalgar


 
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Naval history of Great Britain - Vol. IV
by
William James
1805 Battle of Trafalgar 61

Fougueux. After quitting the Belleisle, the Fougueux stood slowly across the wide space between the Santa-Ana and Redoutable, steering a course directly for the starboard beam of the T�m�raire, then with her head nearly east. The object of the Fougueux was probably to pass to windward of the T�m�raire and rake her ; or it might have been (and the French crew were actually assembled on the forecastle in apparent readiness) to board the British three-decker, the appearance of the latter indicating that she was much disabled, and her colours being at this time down, owing to the fall of her gaff : indeed, as the number of men with which the T�m�raire had begun the action was only about 660, and as, of the number at this time fit for duty, not perhaps exceeding 550, nearly the whole were below, whither they had been sent by Captain Harvey, that they might not be injured by the hand-grenades constantly thrown from the Redoutable's tops, the Fougueux, with her 700, or, allowing for a slight loss, 680 men, might have made a serious impression upon the T�m�raire's decks.

While Captain Harvey devoted his attention to the Redoutable on the larboard side, the first lieutenant, Thomas Fortescue Kennedy, assembled a portion of the crew on the opposite side, to receive the Fougueux. Not having yet discharged her starboard broadside, the T�m�raire was in perfect readiness there, but delayed firing until the Fougueux arrived so close that she could not well escape. At length the latter got within 100 yards. Instantly the T�m�raire's broadside opened, and a terrible crash was heard on board the Fougueux. Crippled and confused, the French ship, at about 2 h. P.M., ran foul of the T�m�raire, and was immediately lashed, by her fore rigging, to the latter ship's spare anchor. Lieutenant Kennedy, accompanied by Mr. James Arscott, master's mate, and Mr. Robert Holgate, midshipman, and 20 seamen and six marines, then boarded the Fougueux in her larboard main rigging. On the French ship's quarterdeck lay Captain Beaudoin, mortally wounded ; and the second captain and other officers were encouraging the men to repel the boarders. In the onset, however, the second captain became severely wounded; whereupon the French crew suffered themselves to be driven off the quarterdeck by the British, few as they were ; and, in 10 minutes from the time of her being boarded by Lieutenant Kennedy and his 28 followers, the Fougueux was completely in the possession of the T�m�raire.

This occurrence took place at about 2 h. 10 m. P.M.; and it was within five minutes afterwards, or at 2 h. 15 m. P.M. that the Victory, by fire booms and the slight assistance which her helm and sails could afford, disengaged herself from the Redoutable. While the Victory gradually got her head to the northward, the three fast-locked ships from which she had just parted, the

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