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Authors: David Donachie
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correspondence with Lord Keith was not going well. Though careful to be diplomatic, the despatches between the two admirals became increasingly terse as Keith sought to impose his authority and Nelson fought to maintain his independence of action. Nelson wrote often to the First Lord in London, well aware that his commander was doing the same, no doubt insisting to Lord Spencer that Nelson be either brought to heel or replaced.
The inferior officers, the captains of the men o’ war, divided too, and for the first time Nelson sensed a hint of fragmentation in their loyalty. Knowing broadly what orders were coming from Keith at Cadiz and how Nelson was responding, they were conscious of the impact on their own careers. Some thought that his refusal to obey Keith had more to do with his relationship with Emma, and a number of captains, much as they liked her, saw her presence as pernicious. Set against them were officers who observed only the benign effect she had on their over-burdened commander.
Nelson alternately worried about it and dismissed it as none of their concern. Yet his stepson Josiah nagged at his conscience. Even though he was mostly at sea, his stepfather always knew where he was and that what had been disapproval in Naples was turning to something worse. It was a forlorn hope that Josh had not alerted his mother to the state of affairs in Palermo. The most painful moment came when Thomas Troubridge, fresh from the capture of Rome, felt that he had to tell his friend the error of his ways.
The interview started badly and what followed made it worse. By his own standards Troubridge was being circumspect, but he was such a direct fellow that what he saw as subtle could be, when spoken, damned rude. He had questioned Nelson’s response to Keith’s latest orders, pointing out that as a subordinate admiral he had little choice but to obey.
‘Even if I disagree?’ asked Nelson. He spoke without rancour, still with that well known half-smile, for it was one of the tenets of his method of command that no subordinate should fear to tell a superior what he thought. Nelson reckoned any number of battles that should have been victories had been lost by the silence of inferiors.
He was fond of telling his midshipmen the tale of the wondrous Admiral Sir Cloudesly Shovell, who had hanged a flagship master who had dared to tell him that the course he was steering was wrong and, worse, that he was not in the chart position he thought. The man was still swinging from the yardarm when Shovell ran his whole fleet into the Scilly Isles, losing dozens of ships, thousands of men, and drowning in his own intransigence.
‘Perhaps, sir, it is a case you could put to him in person. Go and see Lord Keith.’
‘I would waste my time by sailing for the Straits, and I would also leave matters here in a state of flux. A party around the King is urging him to sue for peace with France. The only thing that keeps him true to his alliance with Britain is our presence and protection. Take that away and …’ Nelson left the rest hanging in the air. ‘Believe me, Tom, I have it on the very best authority. My information comes from the Queen herself.’
‘Brought to you by Lady Hamilton?’
‘Yes.’
There was an awkward silence. Nelson knew that, much as he liked her personally, Troubridge did not approve of his liaison with Emma. Tom had always been upright to the point of obsession and, having just lost a wife of whom he had been deeply fond, was scandalised by what Nelson and Emma were engaged in.
‘Are you sure, sir, that you are not being manipulated?’
‘How so?’
‘Are you being fed what the Queen wants you to hear, being advised of conspiracies that do not in truth exist?’
‘To keep me here?’
‘Yes,’ snapped Troubridge, who had allowed the idea to raise the level of his ire. ‘It gives me no pleasure, sir, to tell you that among a goodly number of your officers you are perceived to be unduly
The inferior officers, the captains of the men o’ war, divided too, and for the first time Nelson sensed a hint of fragmentation in their loyalty. Knowing broadly what orders were coming from Keith at Cadiz and how Nelson was responding, they were conscious of the impact on their own careers. Some thought that his refusal to obey Keith had more to do with his relationship with Emma, and a number of captains, much as they liked her, saw her presence as pernicious. Set against them were officers who observed only the benign effect she had on their over-burdened commander.
Nelson alternately worried about it and dismissed it as none of their concern. Yet his stepson Josiah nagged at his conscience. Even though he was mostly at sea, his stepfather always knew where he was and that what had been disapproval in Naples was turning to something worse. It was a forlorn hope that Josh had not alerted his mother to the state of affairs in Palermo. The most painful moment came when Thomas Troubridge, fresh from the capture of Rome, felt that he had to tell his friend the error of his ways.
The interview started badly and what followed made it worse. By his own standards Troubridge was being circumspect, but he was such a direct fellow that what he saw as subtle could be, when spoken, damned rude. He had questioned Nelson’s response to Keith’s latest orders, pointing out that as a subordinate admiral he had little choice but to obey.
‘Even if I disagree?’ asked Nelson. He spoke without rancour, still with that well known half-smile, for it was one of the tenets of his method of command that no subordinate should fear to tell a superior what he thought. Nelson reckoned any number of battles that should have been victories had been lost by the silence of inferiors.
He was fond of telling his midshipmen the tale of the wondrous Admiral Sir Cloudesly Shovell, who had hanged a flagship master who had dared to tell him that the course he was steering was wrong and, worse, that he was not in the chart position he thought. The man was still swinging from the yardarm when Shovell ran his whole fleet into the Scilly Isles, losing dozens of ships, thousands of men, and drowning in his own intransigence.
‘Perhaps, sir, it is a case you could put to him in person. Go and see Lord Keith.’
‘I would waste my time by sailing for the Straits, and I would also leave matters here in a state of flux. A party around the King is urging him to sue for peace with France. The only thing that keeps him true to his alliance with Britain is our presence and protection. Take that away and …’ Nelson left the rest hanging in the air. ‘Believe me, Tom, I have it on the very best authority. My information comes from the Queen herself.’
‘Brought to you by Lady Hamilton?’
‘Yes.’
There was an awkward silence. Nelson knew that, much as he liked her personally, Troubridge did not approve of his liaison with Emma. Tom had always been upright to the point of obsession and, having just lost a wife of whom he had been deeply fond, was scandalised by what Nelson and Emma were engaged in.
‘Are you sure, sir, that you are not being manipulated?’
‘How so?’
‘Are you being fed what the Queen wants you to hear, being advised of conspiracies that do not in truth exist?’
‘To keep me here?’
‘Yes,’ snapped Troubridge, who had allowed the idea to raise the level of his ire. ‘It gives me no pleasure, sir, to tell you that among a goodly number of your officers you are perceived to be unduly
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