eemed invidious to mention the individual cases
of English ships which fired on each other in this action; but that
this did actually happen, and that many of our brave men fell by our
own shot is a fact too notorious to be disputed. Moreover, had the
four sternmost ships of the enemy's line done their duty as they
ought, by slipping their cables soon after the action commenced, and
making sail to windward, they would have made an easy capture of the
Culloden as she lay aground; and afterwards, by doubling on the
Vanguard, they would probably have given a different turn to the
affair. The enemy's ships being moored 160 yards apart, left space
enough for the British ships to pass between them, and rake the ship
on each side, as the Theseus did; whereas, by anchoring outside, our
squadron had equally to suffer the raking fire of the enemy as they
approached, without being able to retaliate in the same way, thereby
losing the important effect of two double-shotted broadsides, besides
the advantage of being anchored in shore, to prevent the possibility
of the enemy _doubling_ on a disabled ship, or of their running on
shore and destroying those that were vanquished.

It has been insisted on that Nelson, in omitting to mention the name
of his second in command, only followed the example of Earl St.
Vincent; and this may have been the case; but it cannot justify his
evident reluctance to acknowledge the position in which Sir James
really stood. Every officer in the service must know that, if Nelson
had lost his life, the command would have devolved on Sir James
Saumarez: yet, in his public letter, he not only avoids mentioning
him, but he endeavours to represent the captain of the Vanguard as his
successor in that responsible situation. His great friendship for Sir
Thomas Troubridge was, no doubt, the motive that occasioned the
substitution, and led to this injustice, which he carried so far as to
remonstrate, in his private letters to Earl St. Vincent and Earl
Spencer, against any honours being conferred on Sir James Saumarez
which were not equally bestowed on Sir Thomas Troubridge.[15] When
Nelson's great popularity, at this period, is considered, it may
appear less extraordinary that this request should have had weight.
Yet it cannot but surprise an impartial reader, in after-ages, that no
honours or distinctions, except on the commander-in-chief, should have
followed a victory, which Mr. Pitt in the House of Commons prono