Part 14

Lord Nelson appears to have been of opinion, about this time, that the French fleet, which had effected a junction with the Spanish, making together forty-three sail of the line, and were reported to have sailed from Carthagena on the 29th of June, had hostile designs against the kingdom of Portugal. This he mentions to Sir Sidney Smith, in a congratulatory epistle on the first successes of that able officer in Egypt. "Yesterday," his lordship says, writing on the 24th of July, "brought me letters from your worthy brother; and we had the great pleasure of hearing that your truly meritorious and wonderful exertions were in a fair train for the extirpation of that horde of thieves, who went to Egypt with that arch-thief Bonaparte. I beg you will express, to Captain Miller, and to all the brave officers and men who have fought so nobly under your orders, the sense I entertain of your and their great merit." To Sir Sidney's brother, his lordship writes with still stronger praise of that spirited and enterprising officer--"I thank you, truly," says his lordship, "for your letter of June 9th, containing an extract of one from your brother, who has done so much at Acre. It is like his former conduct; and, I can assure you, no one admires his gallantry and judgment more than myself. But, if I know myself, as I never have encroached on the command of others, so I will not suffer even my friend Sir Sidney to encroach upon mine. I dare say, he thought he was to have a separate command in the Levant; I find, upon enquiry, it never was intended to have any one in the Levant separate from me." This candid explanation may be considered as a manly acknowledgment of his lordship's, that he had pushed his severity against his friend Sir Sidney sufficiently far.

Lord Nelson also received, from Constantinople, among other dispatches, the approbation of the Grand Signior for his conduct at Tripoli and Tunis: to whom he had constantly sent copies of his correspondence with the bashaw and the bey; and now, in a letter to his Excellency the Grand Vizir, observed that he had no other object in view, than to fulfil the orders of the great king, his master, by proving him a most faithful ally.

On the 28th, the garrison of Capua surrendered to Captain Troubridge, and the commanders of the other allied troops; of which event he informed Lord Nelson, next day, in the following public letter.

"Culloden, Naples Bay, 29th July 1799.

"MY LORD,

"Agreeable to your lordship's orders, I marched on the 20th inst. with the English and Portuguese troops from Naples, and arrived at Caserta the following morning. After resting the people, we marched and encamped near Capua. The Swiss, under Colonel Tschudy, the cavalry under General Acton, and the different corps of infantry under General Boucard and Colonel Gams, took up their appointed situations: the former, to the left of the camp; and the latter, to the right of the river.

"On the 22d, a bridge of pontoons was thrown over the river, to establish a communication. Batteries of guns and mortars were instantly began, within five hundred yards of the enemy's works: and, on the 25th, the gun-battery of four twenty-four pounders, another with two howitzers, and two mortar-batteries, were opened, and kept up a constant and heavy fire; which was returned, by the enemy, from eleven pieces of cannon. On the 26th, trenches were opened, and new batteries began, within a few yards of the glacis.

"The enemy, on finding our approach so rapid, sent out terms, which I rejected in toto; and offered, in return, the inclosed terms of capitulation, which the French general agreed to, and signed the following morning at six o'clock. The French garrison marched out this morning, at three; and, grounding their arms, proceeded to Naples, under the escort of four hundred English marines, and two squadrons of General Acton's cavalry.

"In performing this service, I feel much indebted to Captains Hallowell and Oswald; to whose abilities and exertions, I attribute the reduction of the place in so short a time; as they staid night and day in the field, to forward the erecting of the batteries. I also beg leave to recommend Lieutenant-Colonel Strickland and Major Cresswell, the officers and marines, for their constant and unremitted attention; as well as the officers and men of her most faithful majesty, the Queen of Portugal. The Russian forces, under Captain Builie, rendered every assistance. Generals Acton and De Boucard, and Colonel Gams, merit much for their zeal in chearfully performing all the different services that arose. Colonel Tschudy's zeal merits great attention, for his constant readiness to send working parties to the batteries, as well as pushing his men forward on all occasions.

"To M. Monfrere, a volunteer gentleman from the Seahorse, whom I had the honour to recommend to your lordship's notice at St. Elmo, I feel indebted for his great ability and assistance as an engineer, which forwarded our operations much.

"Lieutenants Lowcay and Davis, who served as aides-du-camp to me, have also great merit; as well as Mr. Greig, an officer in the Russian service, serving in his majesty's ship under my command, whom I beg your lordship to recommend to the court of Petersburgh as a promising officer. Count di Lucci, chief of the etat-major, was unremitting in his attention. I have the honour to inclose your lordship a return of the ordnance, stores, and provisions, found in Capua, as well as a return of the garrison, not including Jacobins, which were serving with the French.

"I have the honour to be, &c.

"T. Troubridge."

"The Right Honourable Lord Nelson, K.B."

The capitulation contained nine articles, like that of St. Elmo, which it in all other respects resembled. The ordnance was one hundred and eighteen pieces of cannon; and there were twelve thousand muskets, four hundred and fourteen thousand musket-cartridges filled, and sixty-seven thousand eight hundred and forty-eight pounds of powder. The French garrison consisted of a hundred and ninety-nine officers, and two thousand six hundred and eighteen non-commissioned officers and privates.

The town and garrison of Gaieta, being under the same commander in chief as Capua, Monsieur Girardon, General of Brigade, was immediately after agreed to be surrendered without a siege, and an order to that effect was sent, on the 30th, to the Governor: on which account, the place having only been blockaded, all the French troops, consisting of eighty-three officers, and fourteen hundred and fifteen privates, were allowed to march out with their firelocks, bayonets, swords, and cartouch-boxes, without being deemed prisoners of war on their arrival in France. In other respects, the articles of the capitulation, which was signed by General Acton, Lord Nelson, and Monsieur Girardon, on board the Foudroyant, were very similar to those of Capua. There were sixty pieces of brass cannon, twelve iron, and thirteen mortars, with an immense quantity of powder and other garrison stores.

On the 1st day of August 1799, the first anniversary of Lord Nelson's glorious victory off the Nile, his lordship had the inexpressible happiness of announcing to his king and country, the entire liberation of the kingdom of Naples from French anarchy; the restoration of it's worthy sovereign to his hereditary throne; and of his numerous oppressed subjects, to the felicity of that benign and paternal protection which they had ever experienced under his Sicilian Majesty's mild and gentle sway.

This agreeable intelligence was communicated in the two following letters: one, to the commander in chief, Lord Keith; the other, to Evan Nepean, Esq. Secretary to the Admiralty.

"Foudroyant, Bay of Naples, 1st August 1799.

"MY LORD,

"I have the honour to transmit you a copy of Captain Troubridge's letter to me, and the capitulation of Capua and Gaieta, &c. Too much praise cannot be given to Captain Troubridge, for his wonderful exertion in bringing about these happy events, and in so short a space of time. Captain Hallowell has also the greatest merit. Captain Oswald, whom I send to England with a copy of my letter, is an officer most highly deserving promotion. I have put Lieutenant Henry Compton, who has served as a lieutenant with me from January 1796, in the Perseus bomb, in his room, and whom I recommend to your lordship.

"I sincerely congratulate your lordship, on the entire liberation of the kingdom of Naples from a band of robbers; and am, with the greatest respect, my lord, your, &c.

"Nelson."

"Right Honourable Lord Keith, K. B."

"Foudroyant, Naples Bay, 1st August 1799.

"SIR,

"I have the honour to transmit you copies of my letter to the commander in chief, with it's several enclosures: and most sincerely congratulate their lordships on the entire liberation of the kingdom of Naples from the French robbers; for by no other name can they be called, for their conduct in this kingdom. This happy event will not, I am sure, be the less acceptable, from being principally brought about by part of the crews of his majesty's ships under my orders, under the command of Captain Troubridge. His merits speak for themselves. His own modesty, makes it my duty to state that, to him alone, is the chief merit due. The recommendation bestowed on the brave and excellent Captain Hallowell, will not escape their lordship's notice, any more than the exceeding good conduct of Captain Oswald, Colonel Strickland, and Captain Cresswell, to whom I ordered the temporary rank of major; and all the officers and men of the marine corps: also, the party of artillery, and the officers and men landed from the Portuguese squadron.

"I must not omit to state, that Captain Hood, with a garrison of seamen, in Castle Nuovo, has for these five weeks very much contributed to the peace of the capital; and Naples, I am told, was never more quiet than under his directions.