Woolward, niece of Mr. Herbert, the President of that Colony; who afterwards married the gallant Nelson. The subject of this memoir, when first seen by his future father-in-law, at that time Captain of the Boreas frigate, and senior officer on the Leeward Islands station, was only three years old: and from that time they entertained a mutual regard for each other, until Nelson became his legal guardian and instructor.
“There are three things, young gentleman,” said Nelson to one of his Midshipmen, “which you are constantly to bear in mind. First, You must always implicitly obey orders, without attempting to form any opinion of your own respecting their propriety. Secondly, You must consider every man your enemy who speaks ill of your King: and, Thirdly, You must hate a Frenchman as you do the Devil.” With these feelings he engaged in the war of 1793, Mr. Josiah Nisbet accompanying him as a Midshipman on board the Agamemnon of 64 guns.
It would be superfluous, in this place, to recount the many services performed by our matchless hero, during the period he commanded this ship; we shall therefore be content with observing that his son-in-law was present at the whole, and completed his time as a petty officer under him. In the expedition against Teneriffe. we find Mr. Nisbet accompanying Nelson as a Lieutenant, on board the Theseus of 74 guns; and the affection entertained by him for his patron is strongly exemplified by his conduct on the disastrous night of July 24th, 1797.
Perfectly aware how desperate a service the attack upon Santa Cruz was likely to prove, before Nelson left the Theseus, he called Lieutenant Nisbet, who had the watch on deck, into the cabin, that he might assist in arranging and burning his mother’s letters. Perceiving that the young man was armed, he earnestly begged him to remain behind: “Should we both fall, Josiah,” said he, “what would become of your poor mother! The care of the Theseus falls to you: stay, therefore, and take charge of her.” Lieutenant Nisbet replied, “Sir, the ship must take care of herself; I will go with you to-night, if I never go again.”
In the act of stepping out of the boat, Nelson received a
