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Updated: May 21, 2025
"He told me, my lord, that the Victory after passing under the Bucentaure's stern, and so raking her that she was put out of action, or almost, fell alongside the Redoutable. There was a long swell running, with next to no wind, and the two ships could hardly have cleared had they tried. At any rate, they hooked, and it was then a question which could hammer the harder.
Strange to say, that from this ship at a quarter past one was fired a shot which struck him in the left shoulder, and proved fatal. Within twenty minutes after the fatal shot had been fired from The Redoutable that ship was captured, the man who killed Nelson having himself been shot by a midshipman on board The Victory.
Right ahead o' us lay the 'Santissima Trinidado' a great four-decker, young sir astarn o' her was the 'Beaucenture, and astarn o' her again, the 'Redoutable, wi' eight or nine others. On we went wi' the Admiral's favorite signal flying, 'Engage the enemy more closely. Ah, young sir, there weren't no stand-offishness about our Nelson, God bless him!
Shortly after Nelson fell, the "Téméraire" had run on board the "Redoutable" on the other side, and the French "Fougueux" upon the "Téméraire," so that for a few minutes the four ships were fast together, in the heat of the fight. About quarter past two, the "Victory" was shoved clear, and lay with her head to the northward, though scarcely with steerage way.
Receiving the fire of an 80-gun ship, the Neptune, the Victory's helm being put hard a-port, she ran on board the Redoutable, into which she poured a heavy fire, while with her aftermost starboard guns she engaged the Santissima Trinidad.
Nelson then engaged the Redoutable, dashing against it with a shock so violent that both vessels were thrown out of the line; the Bucentaure and the Santissima-Trinidad were also surrounded by the English. The struggle continued between Nelson and his courageous adversary; the flames were breaking out every moment upon the French vessel.
Leaving the further care of the enemy's flagship to her followers, secure that they would give due heed to the admiral's order, that "every effort must be made to capture the hostile commander-in-chief," the "Victory" put her helm up, inclining to the right, and ran on board a French seventy-four, the "Redoutable," whose guns, as well as those of the French "Neptune," had been busily playing upon her hitherto.
Gravina, upon the Prince- des-Asturies, was surrounded by English vessels. The Fougueux, the Pluton, the Algesiras, commanded by Rear-Admiral Magon, heroically resisted overwhelming attacks. The Redoutable, the Santissima- Trinidad, and the French flag-ship the Bucentaure, crowded in upon each other, waited for the assault of the second column, which Nelson brought against them.
Nelson, who, during the ship-to-ship engagement which followed his penetration of the enemy's line, was mortally wounded by a sharp-shooter from the mizzen-top of the Redoutable, died before the battle was over, though he was spared to hear that a complete victory was secure.
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