Authentic Narrative of the Death of Lord NelsonBeatty, William
History
Authentic Narrative of the Death of Lord Nelson
Beatty, William
Admirals -- Great Britain -- Biography; Nelson, Horatio Nelson, Viscount, 1758-1805 -- Death and burial
His LORDSHIP was laid upon a bed, stripped of his clothes, and covered
with a sheet. While this was effecting, he said to Doctor SCOTT,
"Doctor, I told you so. Doctor, I am gone;" and after a short pause he
added in a low voice, "I have to leave Lady HAMILTON, and my adopted
daughter HORATIA, as a legacy to my Country." The Surgeon then examined
the wound, assuring His LORDSHIP that he would not put him to much pain
in endeavouring to discover the course of the ball; which he soon found
had penetrated deep into the chest, and had probably lodged in the
spine. This being explained to His LORDSHIP, he replied, "he was
confident his back was shot through." The back was then examined
externally, but without any injury being perceived; on which His
LORDSHIP was requested by the Surgeon to make him acquainted with all
his sensations. He replied, that "he felt a gush of blood every minute
within his breast: that he had no feeling in the lower part of his body:
and that his breathing was difficult, and attended with very severe pain
about that part of the spine where he was confident that the ball had
struck; for," said he, "I felt it break my back." These symptoms, but
more particularly the gush of blood which His LORDSHIP complained of,
together with the state of his pulse, indicated to the Surgeon the
hopeless situation of the case; but till after the victory was
ascertained and announced to His LORDSHIP, the true nature of his wound
was concealed by the Surgeon from all on board except only Captain
HARDY, Doctor SCOTT, Mr. BURKE, and Messrs. SMITH and WESTEMBURG the
Assistant Surgeons.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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