12 - 1797: Nelson's ‘Year of Destiny’

Summary

On 1 January 1797, Nelson entered on what was arguably the most iimportant year of his life – his Year of Destiny. It brought him victory, and the popular adulation he craved, at the Battle of Cape St Vincent against the Spanish in February and disaster, and a crippling wound, when his attack on Tenerife in July was bloodily repulsed. Above all, however, his actions in 1797 established his reputation as one of the leading lights of his profession and led directly to the appointment that was to raise him to the status of national hero in 1798.

Nelson's career in 1797 is already well-documented. However the discovery of the extensive collection of unpublished letters to the Duke of Clarence, enables us to add personal reflections on the events in his own words. Other new material includes important new evidence relating to Nelson's wounds and rare private letters – for example, to his patroness, Lady Parker (233), and to one of his closest associates, Captain Ralph Miller (229).

Nelson began 1797 in Porto Ferraio, Elba, flying his commodore's pendant on board Captain George Cockburn's frigate HMS La Minerve. He had been sent to oversee the evacuation of the island, following the British abandonment of the Mediterranean, and the first two letters (224 and 225), taken from Cockburn's letter-books located in the Library of Congress, relate to the special victualling requirements of the operation. In passing, it is interesting to note that 225 provides more material to add to the growing body of evidence concerning the presence of women on board the ships of Nelson's Navy.

Having rejoined the main fleet under Sir John Jervis, Nelson then played a major role in the remarkable victory over the Spanish fleet on 14 February 1797 at the Battle of Cape St Vincent. First, he prevented the escape of a body of Spanish ships by placing his battleship,HMS Captain in their path. He then led a boarding party to capture one of them, using it as a bridge to capture a second. For this unprecedented achievement, he was rewarded with a knighthood and a gold medal.