The Life of the Right Honourable Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson, Volume 2Harrison, James
History
The Life of the Right Honourable Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson, Volume 2
Harrison, James
Admirals -- Great Britain -- Biography; Great Britain. Royal Navy -- Biography; Nelson, Horatio Nelson, Viscount, 1758-1805
After a correspondence between Vice-Admiral Cronstadt, Adjutant-General
for the Swedish Fleet and Commander in Chief at Carlscrona, with Sir
Hyde Parker, which terminated in assurances of a pacific tendency,
Russia remained the only object now worthy of any serious regard. The
Baltic fleet wintering in two divisions, at the two great naval arsenals
of Revel and Cronstadt, and the ships in the former station being locked
in by the ice several weeks longer than at the latter, it was then
about the time when it might be possible to get into Revel. For that
port, therefore, the British fleet immediately steered: but was met by a
dispatch-boat, on the 22d of April, from the Russian Ambassador at
Copenhagen, announcing the death of the Emperor Paul; and bearing
conciliatory propositions from Alexander the First, who had succeeded to
the imperial dignities of all the Russian empire. Sir Hyde Parker, on
receiving this intelligence, immediately returned into anchorage near
Copenhagen: a measure which by no means met the approbation of Lord
Nelson; who well knew that, in order to negociate with effect, at
critical periods, force should always be at hand, and in a situation to
act. The British fleets, he conceived, ought to have held a position
between the two Russian squadrons; so as to have prevented the
possibility of their effecting a junction, should their pacific
dispositions prove otherwise than sincere.
On the 5th of May, Sir Hyde Parker having been recalled, Lord Nelson was
appointed to be commander in chief; but his health was now so greatly
impaired, and his spirits were so much depressed, that he received it
with little hope of being able long to enjoy it's advantages. However,
not another moment was lost: for, after requiring an explicit
declaration that the British trade should not be molested by Sweden, in
his absence, nine sail of the line immediately weighed anchor; and
proceeded, with his lordship, towards Revel. He wished for farther
satisfaction respecting the friendly disposition of the Russians; and
thought the best method of putting it to proof, was that of trying how
he should be received in one of their ports. On the passage, every
possible opportunity was embraced for arranging, with the different
commanders, plans of conduct to be adopted in the event of either
finding the Russians friendly or hostile. There was a sincere desire for
peace, but not the smallest dread of war. His lordship, however, no
sooner approached the port of Revel, which he had determined to enter,
than he learned, to his extreme mortification, that the state of the ice
had permitted the escape of the Russian fleet to Cronstadt, on the 10th
of May, being three days prior to his arrival. Lord Nelson was
disappointed, but not disconcerted. An amicable correspondence was
commenced; the governor and forts were saluted; he was permitted to
anchor in the outer port; and, an invitation from shore being readily
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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