1801.

SIR HYDE PARKER.

349

boats, and every other known vessel of war, together with several floating batteries, were ranged in front of the harbour and arsenal, in a line extending four miles. Immediately in advance of the line, was a sand-bank called the Middle Ground. On the western flank, and in the rear of the Danish fleet, were formidable works erected on two artificial islands, guarding the mouth of the harbour, and called the Crown batteries. Another tremendous battery, called the Trekroner, had been put in repair, and fully mounted, while the English fleet was lying at anchor off Cronenburg.

Council of war.

An anxious council of war was held on board the Admiral's ship. Besides the formidable enterprise which lay before them, it was urged that the Swedish and Russian fleets remained to be encountered. To all these representations, Nelson impatiently observed, 'The more numerous the better; I wish they were twice as many; the easier the victory, depend on it.' He understood and contemned the tactics of the Swedes and Russians; and had no doubt that the plan of attack which he had formed, in the event of his meeting the fleet of either of these nations, would be successful. Close with a Frenchman,' he said, but outmanœuvre a Russian.' He offered to attack the Danish fleet with ten sail of the line and small craft. Sir Hyde Parker, reassured or overborne by the energy of his viceadmiral, accepted the offer, and gave him twelve ships of the line. The next two days were occupied in taking soundings and laying down buoys in the place of those which the Danes had removed. The wind being southerly, it was resolved to make the attack from the south, instead of from the east, as had been at first proposed. While Nelson was thus employed, it was arranged that Sir Hyde Parker should menace the Crown batteries, and the ships which lay at the entrance of the harbour.

350

PLAN OF ATTACK ON COPENHAGEN.

CH. XLI.

At one o'clock in the morning of the 2nd of April, the signal to weigh was thrown out from Nelson's ship, and was hailed with reiterated shouts of joy through the division.

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The night was passed in making detailed arrangements for the action on the following morning. Soon after nine o'clock, the leading ship weighed anchor. This was the 'Edgar,' Captain Murray. The next ship, the 'Agamemnon,' grounded in the attempt to weather the shoal. The Edgar' was thus for some time exposed alone to the enemy's fire. The Bellona' and the 'Russell' also went on shore at the entrance of the King's Channel. Thus two of the twelve ships were unable to take up the stations assigned to them; and one was rendered useless. Only one of the gunboats could get into the channel. Captain Riou, of the 'Amazon,' an officer of great ability, to whom Nelson had given a special discretionary command, took up his position opposite the Crown batteries, with two small frigates, two sloops, and two fire-ships. At ten o'clock, the action commenced, the British fleet having anchored in line of battle a cable's length from the Danish line. The enemy's fleet was inferior in strength and weight of metal to the British. But this inferiority was more than compensated by the addition of several floating batteries, and the cannon of the forts. After the battle had raged more than three hours with unabated violence, Sir Hyde Parker, who was prevented by the state of the wind and tide from giving any assistance to his viceadmiral, thought proper to signal an order for discontinuing the action. The Admiral was of opinion, that Nelson's squadron must be destroyed by the fire to which it was exposed. I will make the signal,' he said to his flag-captain, who remonstrated against it. If Nelson is in a condition to continue the action he will disregard it; if he is not, it will be an excuse for his retreat.' The Admiral did not consider that

1801.

NELSON'S CONDUCT AT COPENHAGEN.

351

the signal was known to every ship engaged, as well as to the flag-ship; and that fatal confusion might be caused by the order of the Commander-in-Chief being partially obeyed. When the signal was reported to Nelson, he was pacing the deck in the full excitement of battle. 'This is warm work,' he said to one of his officers. 'And this day may be last of any of us in a moment; but, mark you! I would not be elsewhere for thousands.' His answer to the Admiral's signal was a simple acknowledgment, and an order to keep his own signal for close action flying. Fortunately, Admiral Graves misunderstood the signal of the Commander-in-Chief; and the other captains looked only to Nelson's ship. The order, however, saved Captain Riou's flotilla from destruction, although that brave Commander himself lost his life. About an hour after the Admiral's well-meant, but ill-judged signal had been thrown out, the fire slackened along the greater part of the Danish line; but, as the ships were continuously reinforced from the shore, every ship which was not disabled, continued to fight. It was said, that some ships which had struck, recommenced firing, after having been supplied with fresh crews. But there seems to be no ground for imputing an intentional violation of the usages of war to the brave Danes. Some of the English boats, however, which had been sent to take possession of the prizes, were fired upon. Nelson, when informed of this fact, determined to take a step very unusual in such circumstances, and one which has been attributed, by unfriendly critics, to motives very different from those which actuated him. He sent a flag of truce to the Crown Prince, with a letter, in the following terms :- Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson has been commanded to spare Denmark, when she no longer resists. The line of defence which covered her shores has struck to the British flag; but, if the firing is continued on the part of Denmark, he must

352

AGREEMENT TO AN ARMISTICE.

CH. XLI.

set on fire all the prizes that he has taken, without having the power of saving the men who have so nobly defended them. The brave Danes are the brothers, and should never be the enemies of the English.' The Prince naturally desired to know the precise object of a communication, which, on the face of it, was not very intelligible. Nelson replied, that his object was humanity, and that he consented to a truce while the prisoners and the wounded were taken out of the prizes. He added, in highly conciliatory terms, his hope, that the truce might be the forerunner of peace and amity between the two Crowns. Sir Hyde Parker, to whom the Danish envoy was referred, agreed to a suspension of hostilities for twenty-four hours; during which all the prizes should be given up, and the wounded Danes who were unprovided with surgical aid in their ships, should be removed to the shore. Nelson took advantage of the truce, thus hastily concluded, to remove his shattered fleet from the channel, and to effect a junction with Parker; an operation, which was not accomplished without great difficulty.

Nelson goes

on shore.

Nelson himself, accompanied by two of his captains, went on shore, to negotiate an armistice with the Crown Prince. Neither party being in a condition to renew the conflict immediately, there was no question about the prolongation of the truce. The only difference was, as to the term of its duration. The Danes, under the apprehension of the displeasure of the Czar, proposed a short term; but Nelson, with the avowed object of attacking the Russian fleet, insisted on fourteen weeks. The conferences had nearly broken off upon this point; but Nelson, declaring that he would bombard the city that very night, if his terms were not assented to, the negotiation was soon brought to a close. It was agreed that the armistice should continue for fourteen weeks, with fourteen days' notice of resumption of

1801.

CONDITION OF THE FLEET.

353

hostilities, and that during the armistice, the treaty of Armed Neutrality, so far as Denmark was concerned, should be suspended.

Prince.

Nelson's flag of truce had been dictated not less by sound policy than humanity. This Nelson's letter great seaman, whose enthusiasm in action to the Crown was always tempered by the prudence of a wise commander, was satisfied with an incomplete victory, if the object of the war could be gained without further risk and bloodshed. At the time when he sent his celebrated letter to the Crown Prince, that part of the Danish fleet which lay astern of Nelson's ship, the Elephant,' and consisting of one-third of their line, with the formidable Crown batteries in the rear, had not been materially injured. Most of Nelson's ships were crippled, and, though Sir Hyde Parker was working up to his assistance, the Danes might still have hoped to turn the fortune of the day. Had a French fleet been before him, this consideration would not have influenced the English Vice-Admiral for a moment. In that case, he would have been satisfied with nothing short of the destruction of his antagonist-the implacable enemy of England, and the disturber of Europe. But the destruction of the Danish power was, as he truly said, no part of his orders. Denmark was in no sense an implacable foe. She was under duress of a power which was itself the tool and dupe of the universal military dictator. The Dane might have thought with reason that England asserted her maritime rights somewhat too broadly; but the particular question at issue between the two powers had already been referred to negotiation; and with friendly dispositions on either side, there could have been no difficulty in settling such a question as that of the immunity of Convoy by convention,* if it could not

* Nelson himself suggested, as a compromise, that no convoys VOL. IV.

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should be granted to vessels bound to ports at war with this