Horatio Nelson

Horatio Nelson was one of the most celebrated and influential naval heroes in British history. He rose from a humble background to become a vice admiral and a viscount, and he won several decisive battles against the French during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He was known for his inspirational leadership, his tactical genius, and his personal courage. He was also notorious for his scandalous affair with Emma Hamilton, the wife of a British ambassador. Nelson was born in a rectory in Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, on 29 September 1758. He was the sixth of eleven children of the Reverend Edmund Nelson and his wife Catherine. His mother, who died when he was nine years old, was a grandniece of Robert Walpole, the first Prime Minister of Great Britain. Nelson joined the navy at the age of 12, through the influence of his uncle, Maurice Suckling, a high-ranking naval officer. He served in various ships and stations, and saw action in the West Indies, the Baltic, and Canada. He became a captain at the age of 20, in 1778. Nelson’s naval career took off during the French Revolutionary Wars, which began in 1793. He was given command of the 64-gun HMS Agamemnon, and served in the Mediterranean. He fought in several engagements off Toulon and Corsica, where he lost sight in his right eye after being wounded by debris. He also took part in diplomatic missions with the Italian states. In 1797, he distinguished himself at the Battle of Cape St Vincent, where he boarded two Spanish ships and captured them. Later that year, he led an unsuccessful attack on Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where he lost his right arm and was forced to return to England to recover. The following year, Nelson achieved his greatest victory at the Battle of the Nile, where he destroyed most of the French fleet anchored in Aboukir Bay, Egypt. This battle secured British control of the Mediterranean and cut off Napoleon’s army in Egypt. Nelson became a national hero and was made a baron by King George III. He also began his affair with Emma Hamilton, who was married to Sir William Hamilton, the British ambassador to Naples. Nelson and Emma had a daughter, Horatia, who was born in 1801. In 1801, Nelson was promoted to vice admiral and sent to the Baltic Sea to join a coalition against Denmark, Russia, Sweden, and Prussia. He commanded the British fleet at the Battle of Copenhagen, where he ignored a signal from his superior to disengage and continued to bombard the Danish ships until they surrendered. He was made a viscount for this victory and returned to England. In 1803, war broke out again between Britain and France. Nelson was given command of the blockade of Toulon, where the French and Spanish fleets were based. In 1805, he chased them across the Atlantic and back, but failed to bring them to battle. He finally intercepted them off Cape Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. He devised an innovative plan to attack them in two columns perpendicular to their line of battle. The Battle of Trafalgar was a crushing defeat for the Franco-Spanish fleet, which lost 22 ships without losing a single British vessel. It also ensured British naval supremacy for the rest of the war. However, Nelson paid a high price for his victory. He was shot by a French sniper while pacing the quarterdeck of his flagship HMS Victory. The bullet struck him in the left shoulder and lodged in his spine, causing a fatal wound. He was carried below deck and died after three hours, having learned from his friend and flag captain Thomas Hardy that the battle was won. His last words were "Thank God I have done my duty". Nelson’s body was preserved in a cask of brandy and brought back to England. He was given a state funeral and buried in St Paul’s Cathedral, where his tomb is still visited by admirers. Nelson’s death at Trafalgar secured his position as one of Britain’s most heroic figures. His legacy is commemorated by numerous monuments, including Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, London, and the Nelson Monument in Edinburgh. His signal before the battle, "England expects that every man will do his duty", is often quoted and paraphrased. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest naval commanders in history.