Betrayal

The Battle of Trafalgar

Part Four - Jamaica and the Russians

The French Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, knew that a secret British expedition had put into Lisbon at the beginning of May and also knew that something was afoot, the implications of which he did not fully understand. Yet supremely confident he dismissed these events as insignificant. 

“These plans”, he wrote, “of Continental operations based on detachments of a few thousand men are the schemes of pigmies”. 

Napoleon was convinced that England’s hour was at hand and that by the end of June his Combined Fleet would have succeeded in carrying out his own plans designed to scatter the strength of the Royal Navy. 

“Nothing” he declared “was so short-sighted as parliamentary government, turning its attention to wherever there was a noise”.

But the British Admiralty and its senior naval officers were not so empty-headed. Almost as soon as Nelson had disappeared over the horizon on his way to Jamaica, Bickerton, left behind with 3 battleships to protect the troop convoy, decided on his own responsibility to reinforce the Channel Fleet. With the precise location of the Combined fleet yet to be determined he feared that Villeneuve could easily double back and attack any of the English blockading squadrons at Ferrol, Rochefort or Brest. Here Bickerton was adhering to an aged old principle, passed on by his predecessors, of concentration in danger. In June 1805 protection of the western sea approaches to the British Isles dominated the thoughts of every English sailor.

Sailing north Bickerton met Collingwood’s Flying Squadron on its way south to save the special convoy. Exchanging dispatches they agreed to continue on their original courses with Collingwood sending two of his fastest battleships to reinforce Nelson. 

“This Bonaparte has as many tricks as a monkey,” wrote Collingwood. “I believe their object to be less conquest” he observed, “than to draw our ships from home.”

In London, there was still no news of from the Mediterranean fleet and the once great reputation of Horatio Nelson had fallen to a very low ebb. Lord Radstock some weeks before had written to his son on the Victory describing the speculation taking place in the city. 

“The cry,” he wrote “is stirring up fast against him, and the loss of Jamaica would at once sink all his past services into oblivion”. 

The general belief held by most, and reported in numerous English newspapers was that Nelson had gone to Egypt in pursuit of Villeneuve “where”, a member of the nobility surmised, “he supposed that the French grew there”. This belief was also held by Napoleon who had ordered that the English press be combed for news of Nelson’s whereabouts. 

Italy, 1803. The Ligurian Republic centred around Genoa

Meanwhile, at Whitehall, the British Prime Minister, William Pitt had been deep in negotiation with the Russians seeking to cement the creation of a Third Coalition. Still suspicious of British intentions in the Mediterranean despite months of negotiations, the Tsar was demanding even further concessions before any alliance could be agreed. The Russians required the surrender of Malta and abrogation by the British of their international maritime right to blockade. But these were concessions that England could not make. With no agreement possible Pitt reluctantly ended the negotiations and informed his cabinet that Britain, not for the first or last time, would continue the war alone.

Prime Minister William Pitt

At last, on June 4 Nelson’s long-awaited dispatch from Madeira finally reached London. Written almost a month beforehand, it told of the safe arrival of Pitt’s special troop convoy, and the decision to take the Mediterranean Fleet to pursue Villeneuve to the West Indies. For weeks the uncertainty of the whereabouts of the French Fleet, and the doubtful fate of the convoy had placed an almost intolerable strain on both the Government and the Admiralty. With the collapse of the talks between England and Russia, and with an invasion fleet poised only a short distance away, events seemed to speak of the impending and inevitable doom of the English. But suddenly this dreadful fear was turned into enormous relief and Nelson’s harshest critics, who for months had been unceasingly attacking his reputation, turned into his loyalist, staunchest supporters. Everyone’s favourite Admiral had, without orders, done the one thing that would save the country, the sugar convoy’s and perhaps even the alliance. He had gone to Jamaica, where no one doubted he would track down, engage and destroy the Combined Fleet.

On the same day, Nelson’s dispatch reached London Napoleon, in clear violation of his treaty with Austria, annexed the Ligurian Republic (the region around the modern day city of Genoa). When the news reached St Petersburg the Tsar went into fits of rage. “This man” he screamed to his advisors “is insatiable…his ambition knows no bounds; he wants war and he shall have it”. Almost immediately the Russians began preparations for the renewal of the war against the French and in Vienna, the Austrians took the first steps towards mobilisation. The revival of the Third Coalition, a hope lost only a few short weeks ago, was now to be pursued in earnest.

Meanwhile, after averaging an astonishing 135 miles a day Nelson arrived in Barbados on June 4. It had taken him just over 3 weeks to cross the Atlantic and he arrived just in time to hear news of Villeneuve’s fleet being sighted sailing south, enroute for Trinidad. By ten the next morning, after spending the night embarking the local garrison, Nelson made sail in pursuit of the Combined Fleet and by June 7 was within sight of the threatened island. But of the French there was no sign. The news of the sighting had proved false.

The Combined Fleet was, in fact north at Martinique waiting for reinforcements. Despite the Fleets size and strength Villeneuve did not feel powerful enough to engage on any major operations and was reluctant to risk any of his capital ships in any endeavour that was not directly linked to the invasion of England. Additionally, 3000 of his men had already fallen sick, compromising his capability and severely limiting his options.

However, on June 4 the French Admiral Magon arrived from France with two battleships and instructions from Napoleon that Villeneuve was to act aggressively, capturing as many British Islands as possible. The fleet at Brest, he was assured, was on its way and should join him in five weeks. Meanwhile, the dispatch suggested, he would be was wise to get on with the job.

The next day Villeneuve unenthusiastically raised anchor and made for Guadeloupe, a smaller French colony to the north. Here he embarked troops and sailed for Barbuda, a tiny British slave breeding colony in the extreme north of the Leeward Islands. He hoped it would be an easy objective but he was fearful and discouraged by the state of his crews, decimated with scurvy and dysentery. On June 8, the Combined Fleet had its first success running into a small sugar convoy bound for England capturing 14 of its ships. But the news the convoy carried was far more valuable than its cargo and Villeneuve learnt that Nelson and a large battle fleet had arrived in at Barbados only 4 days before. Immediately the French Admiral ordered that the operation to capture Barbuda be cancelled and that his frigates return the embarked troops to Guadeloupe.

The British, it seemed had taken the bait, just as Napoleon said they would, and arrived far from home with a powerful fleet. 

The French Admiral believed that without Nelson and his great battleships England was as good as naked.

Now, Villeneuve decided was the time to go home, raise the blockades, make for the Channel, and rouse the dogs of war.