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New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXV, Issue 16, 21 October 1905, Page 4

The LANDO# GAZETTE EXJ'KJOHDINAitY. Wuxuimt, Nnv 6. 181J1 ADMIRALTY-OFFICE. N®». 6. Dispatches, of which the fullowiag are Copies, were received at the Admiralty this day, at one ° clock .4. M. from Vice-Admiral Collingwood, Commander tn Chief uf Lis Majesty's ships and vessels off Cadiz SIR, Euryaluf, off Cape Trafalgar. Oct. ??, 1805 The ever-to-be-dameuted death of Vic»-.4rhnirai Lord Viscount Nelson, who, m ths lace conflict with the enemy, fell in the hour of victory, leaves to me the duty of informing my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that on the Ipih instant, it was communicated to the Commander in Chief, from rhe ships watching the motions of the enemy in Cadiz, that the Combined fleet had put to sea ; as they sailed with light winds westerly, bis Lordship concluded their destination was the Mediterranean, and immediately made all sail for the Sireights* entrance, with the British Squadron, consisting of twenty-seven ships, three of them sixtyfours* where his Lordship was informed, by Captain Blackwood (whose vigilance m watching, and giving notice of the enemy’s movements, has been highly meritorious), that they bad not yet passed the Streights. On Monday the 21st instant, at day-light, when Cape Trafalgar bore E. by S. about seven leagues, the enemy was discovered six or seveti miles to the Eastward*, the wind about West, and very light; the Commander in Chief immediately made the signal for the fleet to bear up in two columns, as they are formed in order of sailing; a modeofattack his Lordship bad previously directed,, to avoid the inconvenience and delay in forming a line of battle in ;he usual manner. The enemy’s line consisted of thirty-three skips (of which eighteen were French, and fifteen Spanish),commanded iaCbie! by Admiral Villeneuve: the Spaniards, under the direction of Graviua, wore, with their hcaJ> to the Northward,, and formed their line of battle with great closeness and correctness ; but as the mode of attack was unusual, so the structure of their line was new ; it formed h crescent, convexing to leeward, so that, in leading down to their centre, 1 had both their van and rear abaft the beam; before the fire opened, every alternate ship was about a cable’s length co windward of her second a-bead and a-stern, forming a kind of double Line, and appeared, when on their beam, to leave a very little interval between them; and ibis without crowding their ships. Admiral Villeneuve was in the Bucentaure, in the centre, and the Prince of Asturias bore Graviua’s flag In the rear, but the French and Spanish ships were mixed without any apparent regard to order of national squadron. As the mode of our attack had been previously determined od, and communicated to the FlagOfficers, and Captains, few signals were necessary, and none were made, except to direct close order as the lines bore down. The Commander in Chief, in the Victory, led the weather column, and the Royal Sovereign, which bore my flag, the lee. The action began al twelve o’clock, by the leading ships of the columns breaking through the enemy’s line, the Commander in Chief about the tenth ship from the van, the Second in Command about the twelfth from the rear, leaving the van of the enemy unoccupied; the succeeding ships breaking through, iu all parts, astern of their leaders, and engaging the enemy at the muzzles of their guns; the conflict was severe; the enemy's ships were fought with a gallantry highly honourable to their Officers; but the attack on them was irresistible, and it pleased the Almighty Disposer of all events to grant bis Majesty’s arm* a complete and glorious victory. About three P. M. many ol the enemy's ships having struck their colours, their hue gave way; Admiral Gravina, with ten ship? joining their frigates to leeward, stood towards Cadiz. The five headmost ships in their van lacked, and standing to the Southward, to windward of the British line, were engaged, and the sternmost of them taken.; the others went off, leaving to his Majesty’s squadron nineteen ships of the line (of which two are first rales, the bantissimaTrinidad and the Santa Anna,) with line* Flag Officers, viz, Admiral Villeneuve, the Conitnaiidei in Chief, Don Ignatin Maria D'Ahva, Viet Admiral; and the Spanish RearAdmiral, D in Baltazar Hidalgo Cnweros. After such a Victory, it may appear unnecessary to enter mln encomiums oa lhe particular paria.CiK.ux by the several Commanders ; the conclusivo says more on the subject than 1 have language to express; theapani which animated'all was the saint: when all cult thetDselvjes zealously

in their-country’s service, all deserve that their high merits should stand recorded ; md never wa» higb ment more conspicuous than in ibo battle 1 have described. The Achille (a French 74), after having «or-« rendered, by some mismanagement of the Frenchman, took fire and blew up; two hundred of her meu were saved by the Tender*. A circumstance occurred during (he action, , which so strongly marks the invincible spirit of British seamen, when engaging the enemies of their country, that I cannot resist the pleasure I have ia making it known to their Lordships; th* Temeraire was boarded by accident, or design, by a French ship on one side, aud -a aniard ou the other; the contest was vigorous, hut, in the ?q<L the Combined Ensigns were turn from the poop, and the British hoisted in their places. Such a battle could not be foOgfit without sustaining a great loss of men. I have not only to lament, in common with the British Navy, and the British Nation, in the Fall if the Cominmi'ler iu Chief, the loss of a Hero, whose name wiii be immortal, and Lis memory ever dear to his country; but my heart is rent with the most poignant grief for the death of a friend, to whom, by many years intimacy, and a perfect knowledge of the virtues Of bis mind, which inspired ideas superior to the common race of men, J was bound by the strongest ties of affect ion; a grief to which even the glorious occasion in which he fell, does not bring lhe consolation which, perhaps, it ought: his Lordship received a musket ball in his left breast, about lhe middle of the action, and sent an Officer to me immediately with his last farewell; and Boon after expired. I have also to lament the loss of those excellent Officers, Captains Duff, of the Mars, and Cooke, of the Bcllerophon ; I have yet heard oi ucme others. I fear the numbers that have fallen will be found very great, when lhe returns come to me; but it having blown a gale of wind ever since the action, I have not yet had it in my power to collect *my reports from the ships. The Royal Sovereign having lost her masts* except the tottering foremast, I called the Euryalus to me, while the action continued, which ship, lying within bail, made my signals—a service Captain Blackwood performed with great attention : after the action, I shifted my flag to her, that I might more easily.GMVrmtmicate any orders to, and collect the ships, and towed the Royal Sovereign out 10 Seaward. The whole fleet were now in a very perilous situation, many dismasted, all shattered, in thirteen fathom water, off the shoals cf Trafalgar ; and when I made the signal to prepare to anchor, few of lhe ships had an anchor to let go, their cables being shot; but the same good Providence which aided us through snch a day preserved us in the night, by the wino ahiftiug a few points, aud drifting the ships off the land, except four of the captured dismasted ships, which are now at anchor off'Trafalgar, and I hope will ride safe until those gales are over. Having thus detailed the proceedings of the fleet on this occasion, I beg to congratulate their Lordships on a victory which, I hope, will add a ray to the glory of his Majesty’s crown, and be attended with public benefit to our country. 1 anr, &c. C. COLLINWOOD. The order in which the Ships of the British Squadron attacked the Combined Heels, on the 2Ut af October, 1805. VAN. REAR. Victory, Royal Sovereign, Temeraire, Mars, Neptune, Belle jale. Conqueror. Tonnant, LeviatUaa, Belterophoa, Ajax, Colouus, Onoo, Achille. Agamemnon, Polyphemus, Minotaur, Rexeqge, SparbtUe, Swift>urc, Pntannnu Defence, Africa, Thunderer, Euryalus, Defiance. Sinns, Prince. riuebe, Dreudaoagh* 'Naiad, 'Pickte' Schooner, Eutrepenautc Cutter. (Signed) C. COLLINGWOOD GENERAL ORDER. Euryalus. October i?, 1805. The ever-to-be-Inmenled death ef Lord Vucnnnt Nelson. Duke of Bronrc, the Commander hi Chief, who fell m the acuoD of the iwenry-firrt, mthearnij of victory, covered with glory, whose meiuoly will he d- ar io the UntiUi Navy, and lhe'British Nanon ; whose acai fox the buuoHroflni Ku>g. and fur the uueresu of his Country, wril be ever Leia up as a vbnung cxarapla for a British Seaman—leaves to rue a duty >0 return PIT- Hants to the Right Honourable RearAdxuirah ibaGafUainj. lOfficcrs. Scurpcn. and detachment! of Royal Alaiiuca acxaing uu biud bu Squadrqa bow

FACSIMILE OF THE LONDON TIMES OF NOVEMBER 7, 1805, GIVING NEWS OF THE BATTEE OF TRAFALGAR.