Nelson: Man and Myth by Joseph F. Callo
H
oratio Nelson- the name has a special aura. But what lies behind the mythology that has been spun around the man? Was he the hero he has been made out to be-or just lu cky? Was hi s affai r with E mm a Ham ilton one of the great romances of modern times-or simply a self-ind ulgent, emotional extravagance? Are there lessons to be learned from the man who was described by one writer as " Superman with Everyman 's weaknesses"? There was nothjng of the epic in Nelson 's birth and early childhood. He was born in 1758 at Burnham Thorpe, in No1folk, close to the coast of England. The modem Nelson biographer Tom Pocock described rus childhood SUffOundings: "When northerly gales blow from the sea, the beech trees above Burnham Thorpe heel and roll like masts. When the wind drops, the munnur of surf can be heard from the Norfolk shore." In thi s setting, exploring the harbors and inlets that were so close to hi s home, elson began his yo uthful educati on as a sailor-one who acquired not only technical knowledge, but developed the instincts that elevate seamanship from ski II to rut. Nelson was the sixth of eleven children. Hi s father was the parson of Burnham Thorpe and he maintained a strong relationship with hi s son right th.rough Nelson 's adulthood. Nelson 's earl y religious environment became the foundation of a lifelong, frequently expressed belief in God 's will. Thi s was never more ev ident than when he wrote in the great cabin of hi s flagship Victory, on 2 1 October 1805, a few hours before his death in the Battle of Trafal gar: " May the Great God whom I worship grant to my Country , and fo r the benefit of Europe in general, a great and glorious Victory ; and may no mi sconduct in any one tarni sh it; and may humanity after Vi ctory be the predominant fea ture in the British Fleet. For myself, individuall y, Icommitmy li fe to Him who made me, and may Hi s blessing light upon my endeavours for serving my Country fa ithfully. To Him I res ign myself and the just cause which is entrusted to me to defend ." Nelson ' s mother had an important influence on hi s life, although she died
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gives us insight into both Nelson' s earl y years and the tough nature of hi s chosen profess ion . "What has poor Horatio done, who is so weak , that he, above all the rest, should be sent to rough it out at sea?" hi s uncle asked. He then added: "But let him come and the first time we go into action a cannonball may knock off his head and provide for him at once." Nelson went on to become an exceptionally proficient seaman and a uniquely successful naval commander. Hi s action at the Battle of St. Vincent in 1797when he departed fro m hi s orders in order to turn the tide of the conflict~ was a definin g moment in a career stud~ ded with brave and unexpected deci~ sions. Not content with taking the lead in 2 break ing the Spanish line and so forcing ~ the battl e to a successful conclusion, he UJ ;g personall y led the boarding party that ::; captured the Spanish two-decker San ~ Nicolas and crossed her deck to capture 3< the three-decker San Josef This unpre~ cedented deed was instantl y memorial~UJ ized in the fl eet as "Nelson ' s Patent ;::: Bridge for boarding First-Rates." >B eca u se he was so successfu l , "'UJfNelson's actions, particularly his tac30 tics, have been analyzed inten sively by u Portrait of Nelson by Heinrich Fuger painted naval experts. Much has been made of his aggress iveness , a key element in what not long before Nelson's death at age 47. were arg uabl y his three most famous when he was only nine years old . When victories: The Nile in 1798, Copenhagen he described his relationship with her in in 180 1 and Trafalgar in 1805. Receiving perhaps less attention was his later years, it was in tender terms. It was cleat¡ that her death left an emotional his affectio n for those who served under gap that surely contributed to his sensi- him . At a time when sailors were routive nature-and, presumably, to his later tinely beaten with the cat-o ' -nine-tail s response to the strong personality of his while lashed to a hatch grating, Nelson ' s regard fo r hi s sailors was widely noted paramour, Emma Ham ilton. At twelve, Nelson went to sea to begin by hi s brother officers and apprec iated a career in a brutal and hru¡sh profession. by his me n. Although he was by no And although he was not physically strong, means considered a lax disciplinarian , he compensated with a mental toughness those who sailed and fo ught wi th him that overcame his inherent physical weak- recogni zed that he had a genuine regard nesses, as well as the handicaps inflicted fo r them . The result was a unique relalater in battles at Calvi, where he lost the tionshi p, one that created unusual loysight of his right eye, and Tenerife, where alty and fi erce com bat performance. Both of these factors were major contri butors he lost his right at111. As with many yo ung men of hi s time, to Nelson 's victories. The poet Robert Southey noted in hi s fami ly infl uence had a lot to do with hjs opportunity for a nava l career. Nelson 's earl y b iography , The Life of Nelson: uncle, Maurice Suckling, a well-con- "Neveff was any commander more benected senior capta in in the British Navy, loved. '" He expl ained: "He governed men was asked to accept Nelson as a midship- by thei ir reason and their affections: they man aboard hi s ship. Suckling' s response knew tthat he was incapable of caprice or
Nelson's popularity during his lifetime, and his heroic status after Trafalgar, helped build public understanding of the importance of sea power in the longer term.
SEA1 HISTORY71, AUTUMN 1994