Bodies of Brits From 1798 Battle Found in Egypt (Nelson vs. Napoleon)

CAIRO (Reuters) - An Italian archaeologist has discovered the remains of 30 British troops dating as far back as a decisive naval battle in 1798 between France and Britain off Egypt's north coast, the British Embassy said on Wednesday.

Archaeologist Paolo Gallo discovered the bodies on an island in Abu Qir bay, east of Alexandria, where British Admiral Horatio Nelson defeated Napoleon Bonaparte's French fleet in the Battle of the Nile.

Gallo had been excavating the island for Greek-Roman artefacts when he discovered the remains of the 30 British sailors and soldiers, some dating to the 1798 battle and others to 1801, when Britain landed an expeditionary force in the area.

The body of British navy Commander James Russell was identified by his uniform with the help of British archaeologist and naval historian Nick Slope, an embassy official said.

Russell, the only one to be buried in full uniform, and the other unidentified bodies will be reburied in a ceremony at a British Commonwealth military cemetery in Alexandria on Monday.

A descendant of Russell and the commanding officer of visiting British warship Chatham will attend, the embassy said.

The British, who later became a colonial power in Egypt, had been seeking to prevent Napoleon's forces from taking control of Egypt and threatening Britain's Indian empire.

Nelson hunted for Napoleon's fleet across the Mediterranean and took the French by surprise on August 1, 1798, off the Egyptian coast at Abu Qir.

Britain lost 218 men but no vessels during the battle, which lasted until August 2. The French lost 1,400 men and most of their fleet was destroyed or captured.

After the Battle of the Nile, French forces in Egypt were cut off and surrendered to the British in 1801.

Lord Nelson's Battle of the Nile heroes rise again after 207 years

CRAIG BROWN

Key points
• Bodies of 30 British sailors excavated off Egyptian coast
• Sailors died in 19th century naval battles with Napoleon’s French fleet
• 'Battle of the Nile' described as pivotal moment in British naval history

Key quote
"It is well within the realm of possibility that the DNA could be used to trace back the descendants and relatives of these people and perhaps give them a proper burial back home. It may not have the same emotional impact that it might otherwise have, given the time that’s passed, but it would still be a nice gesture" - Dr Adrian Linacre, forensic pathology lecturer, Strathclyde University

Story in full THE remains of sailors and soldiers who fought alongside Admiral Horatio Nelson in one of his most decisive naval victories over the French have been discovered off the north coast of Egypt.

The bodies were found on an island in Abu Qir bay, east of Alexandria, where Nelson inflicted a catastrophic defeat on Napoleon’s French fleet during the Battle of the Nile.

Paulo Gallo, an archaeologist, had been excavating the island for Greek and Roman artefacts when he discovered the remains of the 30 British sailors and soldiers, some dating to the 1798 battle and others to 1801, when Britain landed an expeditionary force in the area.

Among the remains was the body of James Russell, a commander in the navy who served with Nelson and was identified by his uniform with the help of Nick Slope, a British archaeologist and naval historian.

Russell - the only one to be buried in full uniform - and the other unidentified bodies will be reburied on Monday in a ceremony at a British Commonwealth military cemetery in Alexandria.

A descendant of Russell and the commanding officer of the visiting British warship Chatham will attend.

Nelson hunted for Napoleon’s fleet across the Mediterranean and took the French by surprise on 1 August, 1798, off the Egyptian coast at Abu Qir.

According to Dr Pieter Van Der Merwe, a historian at the National Maritime Museum, the battle represents a pivotal moment in British naval history.

"Nelson had been sent down there purely on a scouting expedition, just to see what Napoleon was doing, because the British navy had already been thrown out of the Mediterranean.

"When they found out what had been happening, with Malta being taken, the squadron was boosted and they found the French landed off the Egyptian coast at Abu Qir.

"They had set themselves in what they thought was an impregnable line, but Nelson’s ships managed to work around the line and attacked them from the coastal side, effectively blind-siding them.

"It was total annihilation. The French didn’t expect to be attacked from that side. Nelson’s men just picked them off like bottles balanced on a wall.

"Essentially, it marooned the French army in Egypt and ended Napoleon’s campaign, scuppered his plans to take India and sent him back to France."

But the battle was bloody and Britain lost 218 men, but no vessels, during the fight, which lasted until the next day.

The French lost 1,400 men and most of their fleet was destroyed or captured.

After the Battle of the Nile, French forces in Egypt were cut off and surrendered to the British in 1801.

"I’m not surprised that bodies have been found in this sort of location," added Dr Van Der Merwe. "There were a lot of deaths during the battle and given that it happened so close to the coast, they would have almost certainly been buried on land rather than at sea."

Very little in the way of first-hand accounts survives from the battle, as the ship carrying the dispatches on the engagement back to Britain was caught by a French battleship and all mail and documents confiscated.

Dr Adrian Linacre, a lecturer in forensic pathology with Strathclyde University, said that the conditions around Abu Qir would be perfect for preserving the remains of the men.

"Obviously, after more than 200 years, we’re going to be talking about skeletal remains, but the conditions down there will mean that there is likely to be plenty of DNA to work with.

"The sandy, dry environment, coupled with the cool temperatures underground mean that bacteria cannot flourish. It is this bacteria that destroys DNA. Also, given the fact that these men all came from within a closed community, there will be records of who they were.

"Therefore, it is well within the realm of possibility that the DNA could be used to trace back the descendants and relatives of these people and perhaps give them a proper burial back home.

"It may not have the same emotional impact that it might otherwise have, given the time that’s passed, but it would still be a nice gesture."

Dr Linacre also expressed surprise that the commander’s uniform survived the burial: "Invariably, uniforms are made of natural fibres, especially wool and cotton, and so are very vulnerable to the effects of bacteria. It really surprises me that the uniform has lasted so long. I can only imagine that the desiccation in the area resulted in its survival."

Battle of the Nile
The Chase

The Battle of the Nile was fought in Aboukir bay near Alexandria, Egypt, on the 1st and 2nd of August 1798. The British fleet was under the command of Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson and the French fleet under Admiral Paul D'Brueys.

In 1798 the French Revolutionary general Napoleon Bonaparte planned an invasion of Egypt, in order to constrict Britain's trade routes and threaten its possession of India. The British government heard that a large French naval expedition was to sail from a French Mediterranean port under the command of Napoleon, and in response it ordered the Earl of St. Vincent, the commander in chief of the British Mediterranean fleet, to detach ships under Rear Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson to reconnoitre off Toulon and to watch French naval movements there. But Nelson's own ship was dismasted in a storm, and his group of frigates, now dispersed, returned to the British base at Gibraltar. Meanwhile, St. Vincent sent Nelson more ships, which joined Nelson on June 7, bringing his strength up to 14 ships of the line.
The French expedition eluded the British warships and sailed first for Malta, where the French seized control early in June. After spending a week at Malta, Napoleon sailed with his fleet for his main objective, Egypt. Meanwhile, Nelson had found Toulon empty and had correctly guessed the French objective, (which he outlines in a letter(opens in a new window) to George Baldwin the British Consul in Alexandria), but because he lacked frigates for reconnaissance, he missed the French fleet, reached Egypt first, found the port of Alexandria empty, except for Turkish ships and returned to Sicily, where his ships were resupplied. Nelsons letters and dispatches give a good idea of his frustration at cruising the Mediterranean in search of the French fleet. Letters and Dispatches of Horatio Nelson.(opens in a new window)
Determined to find the French fleet, he sailed to Egypt once more, and on August 1 the main French fleet of 13 ships of the line and 4 frigates, under Admiral François-Paul Brueys d'Aigailliers, was sighted at anchor in Abu Qir Bay.

The Battle

No. Ship Guns Men Fate

1. Le Guerrier 74 700 Taken

2. Le Conquérant 74 700 Taken

3. Le Spartiate 74 700 Taken

4. L'Aquilon 74 700 Taken

5. Le Souverain Peuple 74 700 Taken

6. Le Franklin,
Blanquet, First Contre Amiral 80 800 Taken

7. L'Orient,
Brueys, Commander-in-Chief 120 1010 Burnt

8. Le Tonnant 80 800 Taken

9. L'Heureux 74 700 Taken

10. Le Mercure 74 700 Taken

11. Le Guillaume Tell,
Villeneuve, Second Contre Amiral 80 800 Escaped

12. Le Généreux 74 700 Escaped

13. Le Timoleon 74 700 Burnt

Although there were only a few hours left until nightfall and Brueys' ships were in a strong defensive position, being anchored in line in a sandy bay, flanked on one side by a shore battery on Abu Qir Island, Nelson ordered an immediate attack . Several of the British warships lead by Captain Thomas Foley in Goliath, were able to manoeuver around the head of the French line of battle, and behind their position, although the Culloden ran aground. The Audacious sailed between the Guerrier and Conquerant.

British Line of Battle.

Culloden, T.Troubridge, Captain
74 Guns 590 Men

Theseus, R.W. Miller, Captain
74 Guns 590 Men

Alexander, Alex. John Ball, Captain
74 Guns 590 Men

Vanguard, Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson
74 Guns 696 Men

Minotaur, Thomas Louis, Captain
74 Guns 640 Men

Leander, Thomas B. Thompson, Captain
50 Guns 343 Men

Swiftsure, B. Hallowell, Captain
74 Guns 590 Men

Audacious, Davidge Gould, Captain
74 Guns 590 Men

Defence, John Peyton, Captain
74 Guns 590 Men

Zealous, Samuel Hood, Captain
74 Guns 590 Men

Orion, Sir James Saumarez, Captain
74 Guns 590 Men

Goliath, Thomas Foley, Captain
74 Guns 590 Men

Majestic, George B. Westcott, Captain
74 Guns 590 Men

Bellerophon, Henry D'E. Darby, Captain
74 Guns 590 Men

.
The British ships anchored as they came alongside the French. With the wind behind them they could pick their positions, and the French ships at the rear of the line could do nothing to help. The French frigate Serieuse made the mistake of firing at the Goliath, a broadside from the Orion left her shattered and sinking. Captain Miller of the Theseus took advantage of the French gunners firing high and moved his ship closer, rightly guessing that in the heat of the battle they would fail to lower the elevations of their guns. On the seaward side of the French line Nelson took Vanguard and anchored alongside Spartiate. The five leading French ships were between the fires of five British ships to larboard and three to starboard.
.
As night was falling Bellerophon positioned herself alongside the massive French flagship, the three decker, 120 gun Orient. Bellerophon got the worst of the exchange, was dismasted and drifted out of the action, it was about 8 pm. As the last British ships came into action some managed to exploit gaps opening in the French line and anchor between the French ships, protecting themselves from enemy broadsides and at the same time allowing them to rake the French. The 50 gun ship Leander saved herslf in this way .

The Orient then came under fire from the Alexander and the Swiftsure. At about 9 pm Captain Hallowell of the Swiftsure noticed that fire had broken out on the French flagship, and he ordered his guns to concentrate on the area round the fire. At about 10 pm the fire reached the magazines. Admiral Brueys was already dead at this point, as was his flag captain de Casa Bianca, whose young son was on board and refused to leave his father. As the fire reached the rigging, the ships around the Orient began to move away, sails were wetted and hatches closed. The sound of the explosion and the blast stunned everybody.The 15 ton rudder was hurled 1000 meters away from the ship. Blazing bits of the ship fell all around, and Alexander and Franklin were both set on fire, although they managed to put the fires out. A chunk of mast landed on the Swifture, it was big enough for Captain Hallowell to have made into a coffin (which he later presented to Nelson). Only one hundred men survived from the Orient, most of these had swum away from the ship as she burnt. One survivor was Captain Ganteaume, who swam to a French ship and was later in command of the French fleet at Brest.
Temporarily the firing ceased. But slowly, as the crews recovered, firing began again, although at a lesser rate after six hours of continuous battle. As the night wore on those ships still in French hands had made their way downwind, to the eastern end of the bay. As dawn broke these ships engaged the nearest British ships, the Alexander and the Majestic. The Theseus and the Goliath came to their aid. The Artemise crew surrundered their ship and then set fire to it, escaping to the shore in the ships boats. She blew up later in the day. The Heureux and the Mercure ran aground and, after a brief exchange of fire with Goliath, Theseus, Alexander and Leander they surrendered.
At about 6 am the remaining French ships were not being engaged, the Tonnant was a shattered hulk and the Timoleon ran aground whilst trying to tack. Rear Admiral Villeneuve was left with the Genereux and his own Guillaume Tell, plus the frigates Diane and Justice. There was a clear passage to the sea and Villeneuve took it. They were pursued by the Zealous, but she was recalled by Nelson, as none of the other British ships were in a position to support her.

Aftermath
In this battle of annihilation the British suffered 213 killed and 677 wounded , the French lost 1400 killed and 600 wounded (figures from Lewis 'A Social History of the Navy'). The French figures are not certain, and various sources have estimated at between 2000 and 5000 killed and wounded. It was a decisive victory. One British seaman reported ' An awful sight it was, the whole bay was covered with dead bodies, mangled, wounded, and scorched, not a bit of clothes on them but their trousers.'
Of the four French ships that escaped the battle, all were eventually captured. The Genereux did however capture the 50 gun Leander, as she was taking the dispatches reporting the battle, back to Britain. The French ships that were taken during the battle were in a poor state, and only the Spartiate, Tonnant and Franklin (renamed Canopus) were refitted for service at sea.
As a final point on the command of the British fleet, it may be noted that Nelson had barely recovered from the loss of his right arm, sustained during the unsuccesful attack on Tenerife the previous year. And he had just been involved in a dishonourable campaign against the Neapolitan rebels. The victory at the Nile helped to raise Nelsons popularity further at home, and to cement his reputation in the navy, as one of the most able commanders of his generation. He was wounded again during this battle, a bullet or splinter gashed opened his forehead, blinding him with blood and at first feared he would die. He was later helped back on deck to watch the latter stages of the battle.
So why was the battle lost by the French?
D'brueys had not ensured that the line of French ships was close enough to shallow water to prevent the British from getting inside his line. He had forseen circumstances where the van or middle of the line could give support to the rear, but he had not placed any orders for the rear to come to the aid of the van, a manouevre he knew to be impossible with the wind blowing down the line. This allowed the British ships to roll up the line, concentrating fire on individual ships with no chance of support from their comrades. He had probably thought the British would not attack as night fell, so his ships were not well prepared, the decks were still covered with crates of supplies, hampering the gun crews. In the end all these factors meant annhilation for the French fleet.
Historians debate the consequences of Nelsons victory at the Nile to this day. Although the French fleet was destroyed, Bonaparts army was still loose in Egypt, although cut off from further supplies. So the aim of preventing any threat to India did not succeed. However all events in history have consequences, like ripples spreading in a pond. The third in command of the French fleet was Admiral Villeneuve, who was later to meet Nelson again at the Battle of Trafalgar. In 1805 Villeneuves' prime mission had been to secure French naval supremacy in the English Channel, if only for a few days. Perhaps the thought of the total defeat of the fleet he was with in 1798 at the Nile made him more cautious than he might have been. Instead of sailing for the Channel he sailed to Cadiz and ultimately defeat at the Battle of Trafalgar.

For a comprehensive look at the Battle of The Nile visit,

Interactive Great Battles.
This site is run by the US Naval Institute and they have produced an interactive Battle of the Nile CD.

HORATIO NELSON - Vanguard, off the Mouth of the Nile, 3rd August, 1798
A RETURN OF THE KILLED AND WOUNDED IN HIS MAJESTY'S SHIPS, UNDER THE COMMAND OF SIR HORATIO NELSON, K.B., REAR-ADMIRAL OF THE BLUE, ETC. IN ACTION WITH THE FRENCH, AT ANCHOR, ON THE 1ST OF AUGUST, 1798, OFF THE MOUTH OF THE NILE.
Theseus.—5 Seamen killed; 1 Officer, 24 Seamen, 5 Marines wounded. —Total 35.
Alexander.—1 Officer, 13 Seamen killed; 5 Officers, 48 Seamen, 5 Marines , wounded.—Total 72.
Vanguard.—3 Officers, 20 Seamen, 7 Marines, killed; 7 Officers, 60 Seamen, 8 Marines, wounded.—Total 105.
Minotaur.—2 Officers, 18 Seamen, 3 Marines, killed, 4 Officers, 54 Seamen, 6 Marines, wounded.—Total 87.
Swiftsure.—7 Seamen killed; 1 Officer, 1 9 Seamen, 2 Marines, wounded.—Total 29.
Audacious.—1 Seaman killed; 2 Officers, 31 Seamen, 2 Marines, wounded.—Total 36.
Defence.—3 Seamen, 1 Marine, killed; 9 Seamen, 2 Marines, wounded.—Total 15.
Zealous.—1 Seaman killed; 7 Seamen wounded.—Total 8.
Orion.—1 Officer, 11 Seamen, 1 Marine killed; 5 Officers, 18 Seamen, 6 Marines, wounded.—Total 42.
Goliath.—2 Officers, 12 Seamen, 7 Marines, killed; 4 Officers, 28 Seamen, 9 Marines, wounded.—Total 62.
Majestic.—3 Officers, 33 Seamen, 14 Marines, killed; 3 Officers, 124 Seamen, 16 Marines, wounded.—Total 193.
Bellerophon.—4 Officers, 32 Seamen, 13 Marines, killed; 5 Officers, 126 Seamen, 17 Marines, wounded.—Total 197.
Leander.—14 Seamen wounded.
Total.—16 Officers, 156 Seamen, 46 Marines, killed; 37 Officers, 562 Seamen, 78 Marines wounded.—Total, 895.
OFFICERS KILLED.
Vanguard.—Captain William Faddy, Marines; Mr. Thomas Seymour, Mr. John G. Taylor, Midshipmen.
Alexander.—Mr. John Collins, Lieutenant.
Orion.—Mr. Baird, Captain's Clerk.
Goliath.—Mr. William Davies, Master's Mate; Mr. Andrew Brown, Midshipman.
Majestic.—George B. Westcott, Esq. Captain; Mr. Zebedee Ford, Midshipman; Mr. Andrew Gilmour, Boatswain.
Bellerophon.—Mr. Robert Savage Daniel, Mr. Philip Watson Launder, Mr. George Joliffe, Lieutenants; Mr. Thomas Ellison, Master's Mate.
Minotaur.—Lieutenant John S. Kirchner, Marines; Mr. Peter Walters, Master's Mate.

OFFICERS WOUNDED.
Vanguard.—Mr. Nathaniel Vassal, Mr. John M. Adye, Lieutenants; Mr. John Campbell, Admiral's Secretary; Mr. Michael Austin, Boatswain; Mr. John Weatherstone, Mr. George Antrim, Midshipmen. *(see note)
Theseus.—Lieutenant Hawkins.
Alexander.—Alexander J. Ball, Esq., Captain; Captain J. Cresswell, Marines; Mr. William Lawson, Master; Mr. George Bulley, Mr. Luke Anderson, Midshipmen.
Audacious.—Mr. John Jeans, Lieutenant; Mr. Christopher Font, Gunner.
Orion.—Sir James Saumarez, Captain; Mr. Peter Sadler, Boatswain; Mr. Philip Richardson, Mr. Charles Miell, Mr. Lanfesty, Midshipmen.
Goliath—Mr. William Wilkinson, Lieutenant; Mr. Lawrence Graves, Midshipman; Mr. Peter Strachan, Schoolmaster; Mr. James Payne, Midshipman.
Majestic.—Mr. Charles Seward, Mr. Charles Royle, Midshipmen; Mr. Robert Overton, Captain's Clerk.
Bellerophon.—H. D'E. Darby, Esq., Captain; Mr. Edward Kirby, Master; Captain John Hopkins, Marines; Mr. Chapman, Boatswain; Mr. Nicholas Bettson, Midshipman.
Minotaur.—Mr. Thomas Irwin, Lieutenant; Mr. John Jewell, Lieutenant Marines; Mr. Thomas Foxten, 2nd Master; Mr. Martin Wills, Midshipman.
Swiftsure.—Mr. William Smith, Midshipman. * Nelson has not included his name in the list of wounded, despite receiving a head wound he at first feared would be fatal.

Nelson's Dispatch on the Battle of the Nile

Vanguard, off the Mouth of the Nile, 3 August 1798 My Lord, Almighty God has blessed his Majesty's Arms in the late Battle, by a great Victory over the Fleet of the Enemy, who I attacked at sunset on the 1st of August, off the Mouth of the Nile. The Enemy were moored in a strong Line of Battle for defending the entrance of the Bay, (of Shoals,) flanked by numerous Gun-boats, four Frigates, and a Battery of Guns and Mortars on an Island in their Van; but nothing could withstand the Squadron your Lordship did me the honour to place under my command. Their high state of discipline is well known to you, and with the judgment of the Captains, together with their valour, and that of the Officers and Men of every description, it was absolutely irresistible. Could anything from my pen add to the character of the Captains, I would write it with pleasure, but that is impossible. I have to regret the loss of Captain Westcott of the Majestic, who was killed early in the Action; but the Ship was continued to be so well fought by her First Lieutenant, Mr. Cuthbert, that I have given him an order to command her till your Lordship's pleasure is known. The Ships of the Enemy, all but their two rear Ships, are nearly dismasted: and those two, with two Frigates, I am sorry to say, made their escape; nor was it, I assure you, in my power to prevent them. Captain Hood most handsomely endeavoured to do it, but I had no Ship in a condition to support the Zealous, and I was obliged to call her in. The support and assistance I have received from Captain Berry cannot be sufficiently expressed. I was wounded in the head, and obliged to be carried off the deck; but the service suffered no loss by that event: Captain Berry was fully equal to the important service then going on, and to him I must beg leave to refer you for every information relative to this Victory. He will present you with the Flag of the Second in Command, that of the Commander-in-Chief being burnt in L'Orient. Herewith I transmit you Lists of the Killed and Wounded, and the Lines of Battle of ourselves and the French. I have the honour to be, my Lord, your Lordship's most obedient Servant,
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... Le Franklin (renamed Canopus) ...

Named in honor of Dr. Ben Franklin. After refitting, it was later commanded by Francis Austen, real life brother of novelist Jane Austen.
(In Austen's romance 'Persuasion', brother Frank is fictionalized as the hero 'Frederick Wentworth'.)

The 80 gun Canopus, under Captain Austen, shared some of the glory of Royal Navy as they eclipsed the French Navy.

A peace treaty between France and England was signed in Amiens on 25 March 1802, but the peace had been uneasy and short-lived, and the British declared war against France and her dictator, Napoleon Bonaparte, on 16 May 1803. Napoleon had planned to invade Britain even before the peace treaty (Parkinson 91), and when he crowned himself Emperor of France in December 1804 and began massing troops in seaside towns along the Channel, the British mobilized their naval forces to prevent the Emperor's plan from succeeding. They organized companies of "sea fencibles," sort of a naval militia, and Frank Austen received command of a group protecting the coast near Ramsgate in July, 1803 (Nokes 261).
The Channel fleet and the Mediterranean fleet had the French blockaded, and a few offensive sallies by the North Sea Fleet kept the French under control (Parkinson 93). William Pitt, the Prime Minister, made alliances with Russia, Austria, and Sweden, an alliance called the Third Coalition, while Spain chose to remain neutral, though they resisted pressure to take an active stand against France. According to C. Northcote Parkinson, "Napoleon came to realize that his enemies were gathering against him. The coalition took time to organize but Napoleon recognized his danger and concluded that his invasion of Britain must take place in 1805 if it were to take place at all. He could not count on naval victory but he began to dream of elaborate plans by which the British fleet might be tricked and lured away from its position in goal." (96) Napoleon's plan was to have two squadrons escape the blockades and sail for the West Indies; the British, fearful of French disruption of their lucrative trade in the sugar islands, would naturally follow. When the French ships reached Martinique, they would rendezvous and promptly sail back to the Channel, which would now be undefended.
With this plan in mind, Rear-Admiral Villeneuve sailed from Toulon on 30 March 1805 toward the Straits of Gibraltar. "Reaching Cadiz, the French Admiral raised the blockade of Cadiz, added six Spanish and one French ship to his squadron, crossed the Atlantic and presently reported his arrival at Martinique with 18 sail of the line." (Parkinson 99) Unfortunately Villeneuve's counterpart, Rear-Admiral Ganteaume, was unable to break the blockade at Brest, having been ordered by Napoleon not to engage the British fleet (Glover 39). However, Villeneuve's action had induced Admiral Lord Nelson to take 10 sail of the line and chase the French squadron across the Atlantic, only to find when they arrived in the West Indies that the French ships had turned around and sailed back to France. One of the ships under Nelson's command was Frank Austen's ship, the Canopus, which Nelson had captured from the French at the Nile (the ship had then been named Le Franklin after Benjamin Franklin) and which carried Nelson's second-in-command, Admiral Louis. (Honan 216)
Disheartened by his failure to stop Villeneuve, Nelson took a short shore leave upon his return to England, but soon was ordered back to his command. When he reached Cadiz on 28 September 1805, Nelson found the fleet needful of supplies, and dispatched Canopus to Gibraltar for water and stores; Nelson assured Admiral Louis, who did not want to miss the now-inevitable battle, that there was plenty of time for them to go to Gibraltar and return before the combined enemy fleet took action (Nokes 293).
However, Nelson miscalculated; on 14 September, Napoleon had sent orders to Villeneuve "to break out of Cadiz, pass Gibraltar, pick up the Cartagena squadron and transport French troops to Naples." (Glover 101) While Canopus was on its way back to Cadiz on 19 October, the Combined Fleet (French and Spanish), led by Admiral Villeneuve, left Cadiz and sailed toward Cape Trafalgar with a fleet consisting of 33 sail of the line, 5 frigates, and 2 corvettes. Two days later, Nelson gave orders for the famous signal, "England expects that every man will do his duty," and the British fleet, at a slight disadvantage with 27 sail of the line, four frigates, a schooner and a cutter, sailed toward the enemy, led by Nelson's flagship Victory. By the end of the action, the Combined Fleet had only 11 sail of the line remaining. The rest were either captured by the British or destroyed, and Admiral Villeneuve had been taken prisoner. However, the British had lost Nelson, cut down by a French sniper's musket ball.
Four French sail of the line, commanded by Rear-Admiral Dumanoir, escaped south. They were unable to sail for Toulon because of the presence of Canopus and the other British ships returning from Gibraltar, so they sailed north and encountered the frigate Phoenix. They chased the frigate, which led them back to the British squadron blockading Ferrol under the command of Captain Sir Richard Strachan, which engaged and eventually captured the four French ships. The French had 730 killed or wounded in the action while the British had only 135 casualties. (Parkinson 114)
The decimation of the fleet meant that Napoleon was forced to abandon his plan of invading England for the time being, so he decided to try to disrupt British trade in the West Indies, trade that helped finance the British war effort. Two French squadrons, commanded by Rear-Admiral Willaumez and Vice-Admiral Leissegues, were able to break the blockade at Brest and sailed for the West Indies. "When news of Leissegues' operations reached Vice-Admiral Sir John Duckworth, who, with six sail of the line and two frigates, was blockading Cadiz, he sailed with six sail of the line for Madeira. He finally caught up with the French squadron off Santo Domingo in the West Indies. Here the five French ships were all captured or driven on shore, only the smaller vessels escaping. There were heavy losses again, over 1,500 men in all, over 500 of them aboard the three-decked flagship Imperial." (Parkinson 114)
Frank's official description of the action is reported by Nokes: "'Five minutes before seven,' Frank wrote in his log, 'Enemy's ships are of the line.' At a quarter past ten, he noted, 'the Superb commenced to fire on the enemy's van'. By half past ten, he was in action himself; 'opened our fire on the first ship in the enemy's line...with one broadside brought her masts by the board...ten minutes to eleven, the dismasted ship struck...Engaged with the three-decker...ten minutes to twelve, gave her a raking broadside which brought down her mizzen mast...'" (299) Frank's letter to Mary Gibson was a little more descriptive: "(H)is first broadside from the Canopus 'brought our opponent's three masts down at once, and towards the close of the business we also had the satisfaction of giving the three-decker a tickling which knocked all his sticks away.'" (Tucker 173-174)
Canopus returned to Plymouth in early May, whereupon "Lloyd's Patriotic Fund presented (Frank) with a silver vase valued at 100 pounds as a memento of St. Domingo, and he also received a gold medal as he left the Canopus. This accession of honours and prize-money evidently encouraged him to think that he could now afford to marry Mary Gibson, and so the date of 24 July was chosen." (Austen-Leigh 137) It was not uncommon for first lieutenants of ships involved in a successful action to receive promotion, and a few years later, when Jane Austen created her fictional naval officer, she drew upon her brother's experiences. Commander Frederick Wentworth, who had been promoted but had not yet received a command, made his way to Somerset to spend the summer of the Year Six and pursue a romance of his own.
Between Trafalgar, the capture of the four escaped ships by Strachan, and the Battle of Santo Domingo, the French navy was severely crippled. Only 32 ships of the line remained, although the French were busily building 21 more, and could capture or ally themselves with other countries and make use of their navies. But the lessening of French naval power meant that the fear of imminent invasion of England was past, as well as establishing the prominence of the Royal Navy; it is easy to see why Captain Francis Austen received medals and prizes as a result of his participation in the action, and why an able young lieutenant who took part in the action was promoted to commander rank.

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