since, much
respected.

H.M.S. Defence,
At anchor off Cadiz, 28 Oct. 1805.

My dear Betty [the writer's sister],

I have now the pleasure of writing you, after a noble victory over the
French and Spanish fleets, on the 21st October, off Cape Spartel. We
have taken, burnt and sunk, gone on shore, &c., twenty-one sail of the
line. The names I will let [you] know after. On the 19[th] our frigates
made the signal; the Combined Fleets were coming out; so as we were
stationed between the frigate and our fleet, we repeated ditto to Lord
Nelson. It being calm we could not make much way, but in the course of
the night we got a strong breeze, and next morning our frigate made the
signal for them, being all at sea. So on the afternoon of the 20[th] we
saw them to leeward; but it was blowing fresh and very hazy, so Lord
Nelson made our signal for a captain; so our captain went on board, and
Lord Nelson told Captain Hope he expected he would keep sight of them
all night. So on the morning of the 21st we observed them to leeward
about two miles, so we made the signal to Lord Nelson how many the
bearings, and everything; so brave Nelson bore down immediately; and at
twelve o'clock Lord Nelson broke the south^d line, and brave Admiral
Collin[g]wood the north; and at two o'clock we were all in action. We
were the last station'd ship; so when we went down we had two Frenchmen
and one Spaniard on us at one time. We engag'd them forty-six minutes,
when the "Achille" and "Polyphemus" came up to our assistance. The
Spaniard ran away; we gave him chase, and fought him {298} one hour and
forty-six minutes, when he struck, and we boarded him, and have him
safe at anchor, as we have not had a good wind. I am sorry to say poor
Lord Nelson was wounded the second broadside. He went down and got his
wounds dress'd, and he was wound'd a second time, and he just lived to
hear of the victory. The ship we took, her name is the "San Ildifonzo,"
eighty-two guns, and a very fine ship, new. I don't think we will save
more than twelve sail of them: but we have sunk, burnt, drove on shore,
twenty-one sail of the line in all; and if we had not had a gale of
wind next day we would have taken every one of them. We were riding
close in shore with two anchors a-head, three cables on each bower, and
all our sails were sho