Journal of the United States Artillery

The Life of Nelson, the embodiment of the Sea Power of Great Britain, by Captain A. T. Mahan, D. C. L., LL. D., United States Navy. Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1897. Two volumes; 8vo Cloth, gilt top. Price: $8.00. The life of Nelson naturally and appropriately rounds off and concludes Captain Mahan's series of articles on sea power, for in that greatest of naval captains is embodied the highest that that term comprehends. The sea power of Great Britain it was that drew the magic circle which limited Napoleon's sphere of action and finally crushed him, and Nelson was the man above all others who wielded that power and was the great soldier's great antagonist. Bonaparte's dreams of eastern empire, opened so splendidly with the campaign in Egypt, were cruelly dissipated at Aboukir, his efforts to weaken the power of Great Britain, through the destruction of her commerce, by causing the renewal of the Armed Neutrality, were signally defeated at Copenhagen, and finally his designs on England herself by direct invasion were hopelessly crushed at Trafalgar.

But, while illustrating the importance of sea power on so grand a scale, the charm of the work lies in the life it portrays so faithfully. It adds another to that delightful class of literary works designated as memoirs, and takes high rank among them. It makes us intimately acquainted with a remarkable man, the world's greatest sea-fighter. When we close the book we feel that we know this man. There is no doubt about his weaknesses, his irritability, his insubordination, and yet we admire and love him. The portrait is true to the life, his faults and his virtues are presented with equal fidelity, but there is no mistaking the lesson to be learned from either, and in the manner in which this is accomplished is reflected the author's own character.

The thought that above all others forces itself upon the mind in the perusal of this work is this, that genius, however great, avails nothing unless brought into action by persevering effort.

Born in 1758, Nelson began his life at sea at the age of twelve, when he was taken on board his uncle's ship, the Raissonable. He made several voyages, on merchantmen and naval ships, doing the duties of a sailor aloft, to the West Indies, the East Indies and on the North Pole expedition, and in 1776 he served for six months as acting lieutenant on the Worcester, engaged in convoy duty between the Channel and Gibralter. In 1777 he received his commission and entered service on the Lowestoffe in the West Indies, where he remained until 1780, having been meanwhile promoted to captain, at the age of 21. He returned to England on account of ill health, but the following year finds him again on convoy duty, first in the channel and later at Quebec. In 1782 he was transferred to Lord Hood's fleet, and returned with it at the close of the war in 1783.

He was now twenty-five, and although he had accomplished little in direct achievement, his reputation as a capable officer was established. Hood said of him that he "knew as much about naval tactics as any officer in the fleet." In 1784 he was appointed to command the Boreas and in his service in the West Indies his two great qualities, strict attention to duty and fearlessness in assuming responsibility, came prominently into evidence. During this cruise

he met at Nevis the lady who, in 1787, became his wife, and three months later he sailed for England, where he lived in retirement till 1793.

His career in history begins with 1793 when he took command of the Aga memnon, and joined the Mediterranean squadron. His active and restless spirit, as well as his recognized ability, caused him to be selected for delicate detached service over many of his seniors. It was largely through his personal efforts that Corsica was reduced by the British, and there in the land attack on Calvi, Nelson lost the use of one of his eyes from the sand driven into it by a ricochet shot. "Corsica has cost me £300, an eye, and a cut across my back," he said in summing up, after the island fell.

The action with the Ca Ira (1795) illustrates well some elements of his character. Hotham's fleet had sighted the French and gave chase. The Agamemnon, well to the westward from the start, soon saw an opportunity to attack the Ca Ira, an eighty-gun ship, "absolutely large enough to take Agamemnon in her hold," Nelson said, and disabled her so as to cause the next day's battle, because the French either had to fight for her or abandon her. "In this affair, what is mainly to be noted in Nelson is not the personal courage, nor yet even the professional daring, or the skill which justified the daring. * What is rather striking, account for it how we will, is that Nelson, here as always, was on hand when opportunity offered; that after three days of chase he, and he only, was so far to the front as to be able to snatch the fleeting moment."

The action of the following day was only partial, although Nelson went on board Admiral Hotham and tried to persuade him to pursue. His comment on the admiral's reply that "we have done very well" is characteristic: "Now, had we taken ten sail, and had allowed the eleventh to escape, when it had been possible to have got at her, I could never have called it well done."

In July, 1795, Nelson was despatched to command a detached squadron on the Riviera in cooperation with the Austrians, and on that station he did excellent service in intercepting contraband trade. Nelson's active mind, however, would not permit him to rest in the simple discharge of his duty: he was continually planning operations to assist the Austrians and their allies on shore, but he was not encouraged by the admiral. Although the campaign ended ignominiously for the British, "Nelson's own reputation issued from it not only unscathed, but heightened." He remained in service on that station until the end of 1796, when the British abandoned the Mediterranean, having meanwhile been promoted to Commodore. Upon reaching Gibralter Nelson was sent back to effect the evacuation of Elba, and on his way had a night combat with two Spanish ships.

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Upon joining the fleet again west of Cape St. Vincent, the Spanish fleet was sighted running for Cadiz and a battle ensued in which Nelson, by disobeying the admiral's (Jervis') orders, brought about a great victory. In the evening, while talking over the events of the day, Calder spoke of Nelson's wearing out of the line as an unauthorized departure from the method of attack prescribed by the admiral. It certainly was so,' replied Jervis, and if ever you commit such a breach of orders, I will forgive you also.'" His energy in fighting his ship for all she was capable of is shown by the fact that her loss in killed was double that of any other ship and in killed and wounded nearly one-third that of the whole fleet. She had lost her foretopmast, not a sail, shroud, or rope was left, her wheel shot away, and she was incapable of further service in the line, when he put her helm a-starboard and called for the boarders. He was made a Knight of the Bath for his distinguished conduct

in this brilliant victory, and by a flag-promotion soon after became a RearAdmiral of the Blue at the age of thirty-eight.

Nelson's active mind again suggested an expedition: this time against Teneriffe, where it was feared the enemy's treasure-ship from Mexico, warned of their danger from the British fleet, might take refuge. Nelson, of course, led the land attack in person, and came near losing his life. He was struck by a grapeshot in the right elbow, so that the arm had to be amputated, and he was invalided home.

In April, 1798, he again joined the fleet off Cadiz, and was at once sent to the Mediterranean to watch the French fleet at Toulon. His long chase which ended in the battle of the Nile is but another illustration of his endurance, patience, perseverence and sound judgment in difficult situations. In the battle itself Nelson's preparedness of mind as well as of purpose, his fertility of resource and quick perception, his full grasp of the situation, all combined to bring about his first great victory. All the vessels of the French fleet except two were either taken or destroyed.

His next service was at Naples and Palermo, where he combined much diplomatic work with his ordinary duties. It was at Naples that he first fell under the influence of Lady Hamilton, the story of whose relations with him is told with wonderful delicacy.

In 1800 he returned to England on leave, and in 1801 hoisted his flag in the channel fleet, under Lord St. Vincent. War breaking out with the Triple Alliance he was sent to Denmark with the fleet of Sir Hyde Parker. His impatience at Parker's slowness, his tact and discretion in his dealings with him, the accuracy of his judgment of the conditions and the adoption of his plans of attack on Copenhagen all serve to illustrate his character and genius. Parker gave Nelson twelve ships-of-the-line with which to conduct the attack. In the midst of the fight, while Nelson's ships were all engaged under heavy fire, Parker, whose fleet was about four miles off, made the signal to leave off action. Nelson ackowledged it but kept up his own signal for close action. The result was a complete victory and the destruction of the defenses of Copenhagen.

After his return to England he commanded the squadron on a particular service for the defense of the coast against invasion, and when the preliminaries of peace with France were signed he retired to his new home at Merton. In May, 1803, he returned to the Mediterranean as commander-in-chief, and began his long watch of the French fleet off Toulon. The escape and pursuit of the Toulon fleet, and Nelson's return to England disappointed in his desire to overtake it are told with keen interest. In every action his one desire was to close with the enemy, his despatches to the Admiralty usually assured them he and the enemy would not part without a fight, his fear of the enemy eluding him was greater than that of a conflict with superior numbers, he was always in position to take advantage of whatever opportunity offered, and his genius and the inspiration of the moment determined the best method and the proper time for action. In his orders for the battle of Trafalgar he says: "But, in case Signals can neither be seen or perfectly understood, no Captain can do very wrong if he places his Ship alongside that of an enemy."

On October 21st, 1805, Nelson established at Trafalgar the decisive supremacy of Great Britain's sea power, and closed his career in the hour of his triumph in death.

The interest of these delightful volumes is greatly enhanced by the fact that the author's thorough acquaintance with naval strategy and tactics enables

him to present Nelson's plans of action in clear, incisive language, that brings their strong points boldly into prominence.

The handsome volumes are adorned with nineteen portraits and plates in photogravure, and illustrated with twenty-one maps and battle plans.

J. P. W. Napoléon Bonaparte et les Généraux Du Teil (1788—1794). Par le Baron Du Teil. Paris: Alphonse Picard et Fils, Editeurs. Pp. 193.

The two generals Du Teil were intimately connected with the early history of Napoleon, one commanding the artillery school of Auxonne in 1779, the other commanding the artillery of the army before Toulon in 1793.

The work of Baron Du Teil opens with an interesting account of the first artillery schools in France to the founding of that at Auxonne in 1759. The character of the Auxonne school is fully described, and from the time when Colonel Du Teil became commandant the book assumes somewhat the character of memoirs.

"On the 19th of December, 1787, the last of the regiments, which the Baron Du Teil was called upon to direct the instruction of, as commandant of the school, entered Auxonne. It was the regiment La Fère, commanded by the Chevalier de La Lance; the company of bombardiers, which came from Havre, and in which, as second lieutenant, was "Napolionne de Buonaparte," joined on the 25th of December."

Napoleon was absent, and did not personally join till June 1788. On his arrival he was lodged in one of the rooms reserved for the lieutenants, about fifteen feet square, to which was attached a servant's room, about eleven feet square. The list of the furniture of these rooms shows how simple must have been the life of the future emperor at this time.

The state of the school in 1780 and the changes introduced from 1781 to 1789, as well as the experiments carried on, in some of which Napoleon took a prominent part, are set forth. It is evident from the fragments remaining, meager as the are, that Napoleon at this time was interested in his profession, and his estimate of his commandant, General Du Teil, as “an excellent artillery officer," rather goes to prove this also.

The commandant seems to have taken an interest in Napoleon, for in September, 1789, we find them leaving Auxonne on leave together and traveling in company as far as Lyons; and the colonel of the regiment seems to have shared this interest for we find him antedating Napoleon's return to the garrison in order to cover part of his absence beyond the limits of his leave, and asking that the money stopped against him for the remainder be refunded. In the reorganization of the artillery Napoleon was transferred to the 4th regiment then at Valence. His former school commandant, Baron Du Teil, was made inspector general of artillery of the department of Grenoble, which included the school of Valence. Napoleon preserved his influence with his commandant, who seems to have recognized the military genius of his young subordinate.

In 1793 brigadier general Du Teil (brother of Baron Du Teil) was assigned to the command of the artillery of the Army of Italy.

"The commandant of the artillery of the Army of Italy soon found an active collaborator in Bonaparte, whose reputation had long been known to him as he was under his elder brother's orders from June 1st, 1788, to August 30, 1791. Napoleon, who was in Corsica since the autumn of 1792, arrived in

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