The Battle of the Nile

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The Battle of the Nile

  • A Warning from Admiral Brueys
    “…vous voyez que les jours s'ecoulent rapidement, que nous touchons au terme fixe pour le depart et que nous sommes bien eloignes d'etre prets a faire voile…”


    Admiral Brueys, letter signed, warning about the condition of the French fleet in the Mediterranean prior to its departure for Egypt, 3 pages, 17 April 1798
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  • Battle Charts
    Two drawings of the positions of the British and French fleets at the Battle of the Nile
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  • Log Book of the HMS Swiftsure
    “… at 15 Minutes past 3 discovered the French Fleet of 13 Sail of the Line and four frigates Laying in a line in the bay of Aboukir ... at 7 minutes past 6 saw the Van of the Enemies Fleet had begun their fire on the Van of our Fleet the Goliath ... at 7 Oclock saw 7 of our Ships in very hot Action ... saw the Culloden aground about 1 Mile from Aboukir Island ... at 5 minutes past 8 began our fire upon a two decked Ship Called the Franklin on our Starboard Quarter and a Three Decked Ship Called the L'Orient on our Starboard Bow and a two Decked Ship Called the Soverign [sic] on our beam[;] at 3 minutes past 9 the L'Orient Caught fire[;] at 30 minutes past 9 blew up... saw 8 Sail of the Enemys Ships had struck there [sic] Colours the most of them totally dismasted ...”

    Logbook of a sailor on HMS Swiftsure, 9 February to 27 December 1798, including an eyewitness account of the Battle of the Nile, 70 pages, marbled paper wrappers
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  • Sir Horatio...out of danger
    “…Sir Horatio, I believe to be out of danger — tho his wound is in the head…”

    Captain Edward Berry, autograph letter signed, to Captain Miller, in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of the Nile, 1 page, HMS Vanguard, 2 August 1798
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  • Nelson on His Victory
    “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 the Court in Italy for my head is so Indifferent that I can scarcely scrawl this letter…”

    Horatio Nelson, autograph letter signed, to Sir William Hamilton, reporting his victory at the Battle of the Nile, 2 pages, HMS Vanguard, Mouth of the Nile, 8 August 1798
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  • An Early Letter to Emma
    “My Dear Madam, I may now be able to show your Ladyship the remains of Horatio Nelson and I trust my limitations will not cause me to be less welcome, they are the marks of honour…”

    Horatio Nelson, autograph letter signed, to Emma Hamilton, on his plan to sail to Naples to refit after the battle, 2 pages, 11 August 1798
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  • Provisions from Emma
    “My dear little boy, I send you some cakes port etc. I am sorry they are not better but when you come back I will get you something for you more useful…”

    Emma Hamilton, autograph letter signed to midshipman William Faddy of HMS Vanguard, whose father had been a captain of marines killed at the Battle of the Nile, 1 page, [1798]
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