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
In the public letter to Evan Nepean, Esq. which inclosed the several
dispatches, Lord Nelson also recommends Lieutenant Parkinson, who is the
bearer, to the notice of the Lords of the Admiralty; observing, that
this officer is sent, by desire of his Sicilian Majesty, to mark that
monarch's approbation of his lordship's conduct. Then, apologising for
the brevity of his letter, when he has so much to communicate, his
lordship adds, that he is writing in a fever, and finds it barely
possible to keep out of bed; but, to the last, begs he will assure the
board, that every exertion shall be made for the honour of his king and
country.
By the surrender of St Elmo, the King of Naples had once more the
satisfaction to behold his own flag waving over the capital, and all the
forts by which it was defended. The only places now remaining in the
hands of the French and his Neapolitan Majesty's rebellious subjects,
were Capua and Gaieta. Against the former of these, on the 14th,
Captains Troubridge and Hallowell began to make preparations, by landing
a thousand men from the squadron; which, uniting with four thousand
other troops, of various denominations, marched in a few days to effect
it's reduction.
On the 17th, Lord Nelson, by the desire of his Sicilian Majesty, sent a
letter to Captain Troubridge, directing him, when he sent in a summons
to the commander of the French troops in Capua, to state that, on
condition of immediately giving up Capua and Gaieta, both being under
his command, the French garrisons, after laying down their arms, should
be permitted to go to France without any restrictions; but, if this were
not complied with, they should be considered as prisoners of war, with
as degrading terms as it was in his power to give them: in short, the
allies must dictate the terms. To this letter, there was a remarkable
postscript; which serves to shew, with what marked contempt his lordship
regarded those whom he had reason to consider as traitors--"There is a
person," says his lordship, "who has been a _notorious rebel;_ but, now,
_pretends_ to serve his king faithfully. If he should attempt to come
even into your presence, I earnestly request, that you will never
voluntarily admit him to your sight, much less speak to him; for honour
and loyalty, which you possess, never ought to be contaminated with
infamy and rebellion. His name is said to be _Roccaromara_." There can
be no doubt, that Lord Nelson had good reasons for this positive
caution: the want of which might, perhaps, have been prejudicial to the
expedition; if not fatal to this his lordship's favourite commander, for
whose honour and welfare he was to the full as solicitous as for his
own.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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