Let's analyze some primary resources on the rise and impact of Napoleon. Choose two of these primary documents we have not yet analyzed.
Analyze and compare the two documents by focusing on these questions: Who authored the document? Did they support or oppose Napoleon? When was it written before, after, or during Napoleon's reign and the Napoleonic Wars? What is the argument in the document? Does it support or oppose Napoleon? Where do you see Enlightenment ideology? What is the document's significance in helping to develop a detailed understanding of Napoleon and his legacy?
TO THE CAPTAINS OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIPS OFF THE NILE
Vanguard, August 3rd, 1798.
Gentlemen,
I feel most sensibly the very distinguished honour you have conferred upon me by your Address of this day. My prompt decision was the natural consequence of having such Captains under my command, and I thank God I can say, that in the Battle the conduct of every Officer was equal. I accept, as a particular mark of your esteem, the Sword you have done me the honour to offer, and will direct my Picture to be painted the first opportunity, for the purpose you mention.
I have the honour to [be], Gentlemen,
With the highest respect, your most obliged,
HORATIO NELSON.
TO THE CAPTAINS OF ANY FRIGATES CAPTAIN BERRY MAY FLEET WITH.
Vanguard, off the Mouth of the Nile, 5th August, 1798.
I expect to sail from this place the 19th instant, and shall steer for Candia, keep in shore on the south side of it, and proceed towards Cape Passaro, and down the Mediterranean. Sicily and Naples will be the most likely places to hear of me after my leaving Candia. I am, and have been, very much distressed for Frigates, and hope the Captains of them under my command will use their utmost endeavours to join me, according to the above-mentioned expectations to find me.
HORATIO NELSON.
TO EVAN NEPEAN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY.
Vanguard, Mouth of the Nile, August 7, 1798.
Sir,
Herewith, I have the honour to transmit you a Copy of my Letter to the Earl of St. Vincent, together with a Line-of-Battle of the English and French Squadrons, also a List of Killed and Wounded. I have the honour to inform you that eight of our Ships have already Top-gallant yards across, and ready for any service; the others, with the Prizes, will soon be ready for sea. In an event of this importance, I have thought it right to send Captain Capel; with a Copy of my Letter (to the Commander-in-Chief) overland, which I hope their Lordships will approve; and beg leave to refer them to Captain Capel, who is a most excellent Officer, and fully able to give every information; and I beg; leave to recommend him to their Lordships' notice.
I have the honour to be, &c.,
HORATIO NELSON.
P.S. The Island [Bequier Island] I have taken possession of, and brought off the two thirteen-inch mortars, all the brass guns, and destroyed the iron ones.
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR WILLIAM HAMILTON, K.B.
Vanguard, Month of the Nile, 8th August, 1798.
My dear Sir,
Almighty God has made me the happy instrument in destroying the Enemy's Fleet, which I hope will be a blessing to Europe. You will have the goodness to communicate this happy event to all the Courts in Italy, for my head is so indifferent that I can scarcely scrawl this letter. Captain Capel, who is charged with my Dispatches for England, will give you every information. Pray put him in the quickest mode of getting home. You will not send by post any particulars of this Action, as I should be sorry to have any accounts get home before my Dispatches. I hope there will be no difficulty in our getting refitted at Naples. Culloden must be instantly hove down, and Vanguard all new masts and bowsprit. Not more than four or five Sail of the Line will probably come to Naples; the rest will go with the Prizes to Gibraltar. As this Army never will return, I hope to hear the Emperor has regained the whole of Italy. With every good wish, believe me, dear Sir,
Your most obliged and affectionate,
HORATIO NELSON
9th August. - I have intercepted all Buonaparte's Dispatches, going to France. This Army is in a scrape, and will not get out of it.
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORD MAYOR OF LONDON.
Vanguard, Month of the Nile, 8th August, 1798.
My Lord,
Having the honour of being a Freeman of the City of London, I take the liberty of sending to your Lordship, the Sword of the Commanding, French Admiral, Monsieur Blanquet, who survived after the Battle of the first, off the Nile; and request, that the City of London will honour me by the acceptance of it, as a remembrance, that Britannia still rules the Waves, which, that She may for ever do, is the fervent prayer of your Lordship's most obedient Servant,
HORATIO NELSON.
TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR OF BOMBAY.
Vanguard, Mouth of the Nile, 9th August, 1798.
Sir,
Although I hope the Consuls who are, or ought to be resident in Egypt, have sent you an express of the situation of affairs here, yet, as I know Mr. Baldwin has some months left Alexandria, it is possible you may not be regularly informed. I shall, therefore, relate to you, briefly, that a French Army of 40,000 men in 300 Transports, with 13 Sail of the Line, 11 Frigates, Bomb Vessels, Gun-boats, &c. arrived at Alexandria on the 1st of July: on the 7th, they left it for Cairo, where they arrived on the 22nd. During their march they had some actions with the Mamelukes, which the French call great victories. As I have Buonaparte's dispatches before me, (which I took yesterday,) I speak positively: he says, 'I am now going to send off to take Suez and Damietta;' he does not speak very favourably of either the Country or people: but there is so much bombast in his letters, that it is difficult to get near the truth; but he does not mention India in these dispatches. He is what is called organizing the Country, but you may be assured is master only of what his Army covers.
From all the inquiries which I have been able to make, I cannot learn that any French Vessels are at Suez, to carry any part of this Army to India. Bombay, if they can get there, I know is their first object; but, I trust, Almighty God will in Egypt overthrow these pests of the human race. It has been in my power to prevent 12,000 men from leaving Genoa, and also to take eleven Sail of the Line, and two Frigates; in short, only two Sail of the Line and two Frigates have escaped me. This glorious Battle was fought at the Mouth of the Nile, at anchor: it began at sunset, August the 1st, and was not finished at three the next morning; it has been severe, but God blessed our endeavours with a great victory. I am now at anchor between Alexandria and Rosetta, to prevent their communication by water, and nothing under a Regiment can pass by land. But I should have informed you, that the French have 4000 men posted at Rosetta to keep open the Mouth of the Nile. Alexandria, both Town and Shipping, are so distressed for provisions, which they can only get from the Nile by water, that I cannot guess the good success which may attend my holding our present position, for Buonaparte writes his distress for stores, artillery, things for their hospital, &c. All useful communication is at an end between Alexandria and Cairo: you may be assured I shall remain here as long as possible. Buonaparte had never yet to contend with an English Officer; and I shall endeavour to make him respect us. This is all I have to communicate. I am confident every precaution will be taken to prevent, in future, any Vessels going to, Suez, which may be able to carry troops to India. If my letter is not so correct as might be expected, I trust for Your excuse, when I tell you that my brain is so shook with the wounds in my head, that I am sensible I am not always so clear as could be wished; but whilst a ray of reason remains, my heart and my head shall ever be exerted for the benefit of our King and Country.
I have the honour to be, &c.
HORATIO NELSON.
The Officer, Lieutenant Duval, who carries this Dispatch voluntarily to you, will, I trust, be immediately sent to England, with such recommendations as his conduct will deserve.
TO LIEUTENANT DUVAL.
Vanguard, in the Road of Bequier, at the Mouth of the Nile, 9th August, 1798.
Sir,
You are hereby required, and directed to proceed with the Dispatches you will herewith receive, in the Vessel that will be appointed for you, to Alexandretta, in the Gulf of Scandaroon, and having furnished yourself with every information from the Consul, Vice-Consul, or, in their absence, any British Merchants at that place, you will lose no time in proceeding to Bombay by the shortest and most expeditious route, that may be pointed out by the before-mentioned gentlemen, delivering the said Dispatches to His Excellency the Governor of Bombay, on your arrival there. You will, on your arrival at Alexandretta, direct Mr. ---- to proceed with the Vessel under his command, with all possible expedition to Syracuse, but should you think it probably the Vessel will have a difficulty in returning to that place, you will request the Consul or Vice-Consul at Alexandretta, to obtain for the Midshipmen and people a passage to Naples or Messina in any Neutral Vessel bound that way, and sell the Vessel to the best advantage.
HORATIO NELSON.
TO LIEUTENANT DUVAL.
Vanguard, in the Road of Bequier, at the Mouth of the Nile 9th August, 1798.
Sir,
You are hereby authorized to draw such Bills as you may find necessary from time to time, to provide you with money sufficient to defray all your expenses, in your route, &c., to Bombay, on the East India Company, to whom, I shall write by the earliest opportunity and acquaint them of these my instructions to you, that the Bills may be duly honoured.
HORATIO NELSON.
TO HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S CONSULS, VICE-CONSULS - AND MERCHANTS IN THEIR ABSENCE. - AT ALEXANDRETTA, AND ONE OF THE ABOVE AT ALEPPO.
Vanguard, in the Road of Bequier, at the Mouth of the Nile, 9th August, 1798.
Sir,
Having occasion to forward with the utmost haste to India, Lieutenant Duval of the Navy, who will deliver you this, he being charged with Dispatches of the greatest consequence to our Possessions in that Country, I am to request you will be pleased to furnish him with everything that may be necessary to forward him as fast as possible, particularly with money of the Country, and letters of recommendation on the route; also, a proper person to go with him as is customary in cases of Officers and others going overland to India, and he will give you Bills on the East India Company. In doing this, you will not only be of infinite service to our Country, particularly the East India Company, but greatly oblige, Sir, &c.
HORATIO NELSON.
TO EARL SPENCER.
My Lord, Mouth of the Nile, 9th August, 1798.
Was I to die this moment, 'Want of Frigates' would be found stamped on my heart. No words of mine can express what I have, and am suffering for want of them. Having only the Mutine Brig, I cannot yet send off Captain Capel, which I am very anxious to do; for as an accident may happen to Captain Berry, it is of some importance, I think, for your Lordship to be informed of our success as speedily as possible. If the King of Naples had joined us, nothing at this moment could prevent the destruction of the Store Ships, and all the Transports, in the Port of Alexandria; four Bomb-vessels would burn the whole in a few hours; but, as I have not means, I can only regret the circumstance.
I send you a pacquet of intercepted Letters, some of them of great importance; in particular, one from Buonaparte to his brother. He writes such a scrawl, no one not used to it can read; but luckily, we have got a man who has wrote in his Office, to decipher it. Buonaparte has differed with his Generals here; and he did want - and if I understand his meaning, does want, and will strive to be, the Washington of France. " Ma mère" is evidently meant " my Country'., But I beg pardon: all this is, I have no doubt, well known to Administration. I believe our victory will, in its consequence, destroy this Army; at least, my endeavours shall not be wanting. I shall remain here for some time. I have thought it right to send an Officer (by Alexandretta, Aleppo, and Bussarah) over-land to India, with an account of what I have gathered from these Dispatches; which I hope will be approved. I have sent a copy of my Letter to the Board of Control, that they may give the necessary directions for paying the Officer's bills. If it should have gone to the East India Company, I hope that Board will forward it. Ever believe me,
Your Lordship's most obliged, and obedient Servant,
HORATIO NELSON.