A few days after the action, the subject of this sketch had the satisfaction of receiving the following handsome communication from Nelson’s brave and worthy successor:
“My dear Sir. I congratulate you most sincerely on the victory his Majesty’s fleet has obtained over the enemy, and on the noble and distinguished part the Temeraire took in the battle; nothing could be finer; I have not words in which I can sufficiently express my admiration of it. I hope to hear you are unhurt; and pray send me your report of killed and wounded, with the officers’ names who fell in the action, and the state of your own ship, whether you can get her in a state to meet Gravina, should he again attempt anything.
“Your faithful humble servant,
(Signed)“Cuthbert Collingwood.
“Captain E. Harvey, Temeraire.”
At the general promotion that took place on the 9th of the following month, in honour of the above mentioned victory, Captain Harvey was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral; and on the change of administration in the ensuing spring, he hoisted his flag on board the Tonnant, of 80 guns, in the Channel fleet, under the orders of Earl St. Vincent. Previous to his sailing he attended the funeral of his late heroic chief, and appears to have been one of the supporters of the pall on that melancholy occasion.
On the retirement of Earl St. Vincent from the command of the grand fleet, his Lordship addressed the following letter to the Rear-Admiral:
“Sir.– I cannot retire from the command of the Channel fleet, without expressing the high sense I entertain of the
that the Temeraire had been boarded by a French ship on one side, and a Spaniard on the other. This was not the case. The error probably arose from the circumstance of one of the Spanish prizes, with her colours over the quarter, bearing up, on the approach of Rear-Admiral Dumanoir’s division, and mixing with the Redoubtable and Fougueux, which ships had been lashed to the Temeraire during the conflict. The enemies’ three ships were all boomed off at the same time. When the despatch alluded to was written, no communication had taken place between the Vice-Admiral and Captain Harvey.
