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Nelson’s Account of the Battle of Copenhagen 04.02.1801

The Battle of Copenhagen, 2 April 1801: Vice Admiral Lord Nelson’s official report to Admiral Sir Hyde Parker. Elephant, off Copenhagen, 3rd April 1801. Sir, In obedience to your directions to report the proceedings of the Squadron which you did em the honour to place under my command, I beg leave to inform you that [...]
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Nelson’s Letters to the Crown Prince of Denmark

After three hours of intense fighting at the Battle of Copenhagen, Danish resistance began to slacken. By half past two, most of the fighting had stopped, but there was still some intermittent resistance. Unwilling to inflict unnecessary destruction on the danes, he had the following note sent to Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark with the [...]
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An In-Depth Look at the Battle of Copenhagen

The Battle of Copenhagen was the second, and hardest fought, of Nelson’s three great naval victories. It was also where part of his legend was born thanks to his literally “turning a blind eye” on the signal to break off action. While that is the event most people remember from this battle, there is much [...]
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Royal Navy Uniforms Extant Garments Album Updates

Many new images have been added to both the regular Extant Garments album and the Lord Nelson album. There were too many new items for individual posts, so I thought I’d highlight them here. Of particular interest are the surgeon’s uniform items near the bottom. I can just see Stephen making a horrible mess of [...]
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Dr. Beatty’s Account of the Death of Nelson

It was one of the greatest sea battles in British history and gave birth to a legend. Off the coast of Spain’s Cape Trafalgar Peninsula, the British Fleet, led by Lord Horatio Nelson, took on a combined French and Spanish force to determine who would be the master of the waves. England’s very existence was [...]
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A Detailed Look at Nelson’s Innovative Strategy at Trafalgar

Much is made of the innovative tactics Nelson used at the Battle of Trafalgar, but it’s surprisingly difficult to find a single article explaining just why those tactics were considered so innovative. I couldn’t find one, despite hours of searching, so I’ve done something I rarely do: I’ve edited three different articles together to highlight [...]
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Overview of the Battle of Trafalgar

Entire books have been written about the Battle of Trafalgar, and many encyclopedia entries and articles as well. Even people without a strong interest in the Age of Sail or the Napoleonic Era (or, you know, both) probably know a bit about the battle. This article by the brilliant Andrew Lambert explains the battle in [...]
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Nelson’s Trafalgar Memorandum

In this memorandum, Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson explains to his captains his plans for engaging the allied French and Spanish fleet. The memorandum contains Nelson’s fullest exposition of his conception of naval tactics and formed the basis of his tactics for the Battle of Trafalgar. (Secret.) Victory, off Cadiz, 9th October, 1805. Memorandum. Thinking it almost [...]
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French Perspective on the Battle of Trafalgar

During the great battle of Trafalgar, fought on October 21, 1805, the French 74 gun ship of the line Redoutable engaged the British 100 gun warships Victory and Temeraire, nearly capturing Nelson’s own flagship (HMS Victory) before being beaten by the combined firepower of the British ships. The Redoutable’s stout performance during the battle resulted [...]
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Denmark’s War With England (1/2): The League of Armed Neutrality

Obviously, when speaking of the Napoleonic Wars, the rivalry of England vs. France tends to receive top billing. Yet it is important to remember that Napoleon’s goal was not simply to subjugate his own country or even his own country plus Britain; he wanted nothing less than total dominance of the European continent. This means [...]
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All To Seek: Cross-Reference

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