Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1797)

Admiral Sir John Jervis

After the signing of the Treaty of San Ildefonso in 1796 allying Spanish and French forces against Great Britain, the Royal Navy blockaded Spain in 1797, impairing communications with its empire. The Spanish declaration of war on Britain and Portugal in October 1796 made the British position in the Mediterranean untenable. The combined Franco-Spanish fleet of 38 ships of the line heavily outnumbered the British Mediterranean Fleet of fifteen ships of the line, forcing the British to evacuate their positions in first Corsica and then Elba. Early in 1797, the Spanish fleet of 27 ships of the line lay at Cartagena on the Mediterranean Sea. The Spanish planned to join the French fleet at Brest and escort a large merchant convoy, carrying mainly mercury for gold and silver production, from Cádiz. The convoy entered Cádiz harbour along with warships Neptuno, Terrible and Bahama, prior to running into the British force.

Don José de Córdoba and the Spanish fleet left Cartagena on 1 February and might have reached Cádiz safely but for a fierce Levanter, the easterly wind, blowing between Gibraltar and Cádiz, which pushed the Spanish fleet further out into the Atlantic than intended. As the winds died down, the fleet began working its way back to Cádiz. In the meantime, the British Mediterranean Fleet, under Admiral Sir John Jervis, had sailed from the Tagus with ten ships of the line to try to intercept the Spanish fleet. On 6 February, Jervis was joined off Cape St. Vincent by a reinforcement of five ships of the line from the Channel Fleet under Rear-Admiral William Parker. On 11 February, the British frigate HMS Minerve, under the command of Commodore Horatio Nelson, passed through the Spanish fleet unseen thanks to heavy fog. Nelson reached the British fleet of fifteen ships off Spain on 13 February, and told the location of the Spanish fleet to Jervis, commanding the fleet from his flagship Victory. In the fog, Nelson had not been able to count the Spanish ships, but Jervis's squadron immediately sailed to intercept them as they continued toward Cádiz. Early on the 14th, Jervis learnt that the Spanish fleet was 35 miles to windward.

Plan of the fleet deployment during the Battle of Cape St. Vincent, 14 February 1797
by Alfred Thayer Mahan

Though Admiral Jervis still had no idea of the size of the fleet he was up against, during the night came the sounds for which he had been waiting: Spanish signal guns in the fog. At 2:50 a.m. came the report that the Spanish fleet was some fifteen miles distant. By 5:30 a.m., Niger reported them closer still, as a cold and foggy February dawn rose on the British fleet, formed in two lines of battle. Jervis turned to his officers on the quarter-deck of Victory and said, "A victory to England is very essential at this moment." Jervis put Captain Thomas Troubridge in Culloden in the lead. At 6:30 a.m., Culloden signalled that she could see five enemy sail to the south east, and along with Blenheim and Prince George turned toward the Spanish ships. As they loomed up out of the fog, a signal lieutenant in Barfleur described them as "thumpers, looming like Beachy Head in a fog." On the quarter-deck of Victory, Jervis, Captain Robert Calder and Captain Benjamin Hallowell counted the enemy ships: the British were outnumbered nearly two-to-one.

José de Córdoba

It would be difficult to disengage, and the situation would only get worse were the Spanish fleet to join up with the French: Jervis decided to continue. Hearing this, the Canadian Captain Hallowell became so excited he thumped the Admiral on the back, "That's right Sir John, and, by God, we'll give them a damn good licking!"[1][2] The Spanish were formed in two loose columns, one of about 18 ships to windward and the other, of about nine ships, somewhat closer to the British. At about 10:30 a.m., the Spanish ships in the weather column were seen to wear ship and turn to port. This gave the impression that they might form a line and pass along the weather column of the British fleet, exposing the smaller British column to the fire of the larger Spanish division. At 11:00 a.m., Jervis ordered: "Form in a line of battle ahead and astern of Victory as most convenient." When this was completed the British fleet had formed a single line of battle, sailing south to pass between the two Spanish columns. At 11:12 a.m., Jervis made his next signal: "Engage the enemy" and then at 11:30 a.m.: "Admiral intends to pass through enemy lines". The Battle of Cape St. Vincent had begun.

The Battle of Cape St. Vincent fleet deployment at about 12:30 p.m.

To the British advantage, the Spanish fleet was formed into two groups and was unprepared for battle, while the British were already in line. Jervis passed between the two Spanish groups, minimising the fire they could put into him, while letting him fire in both directions.

Culloden tacked to reverse her course and take after the Spanish column, followed by Blenheim, then Prince George. The Spanish lee division now put about to the port tack to break the British line at the point where the ships were tacking in succession. Orion came round untouched, but Colossus was going about when her foreyard and foretop yard were shot away. She was forced to wear ship instead of tack and the leading Spanish vessel came close enough to threaten her with a broadside. Saumarez in Orion saw the danger to Colossus and backed his sails to give covering fire. As Victory came to the tacking point, another attempt was made to break the British line, but Victory was too fast and Principe de Asturias received two raking broadsides as she tacked close to her.[3] "We gave them their Valentine in style," later wrote a gunner in Goliath. As the last ship in the British line passed the Spanish, the British line had formed a U shape with Culloden in the lead and on the reverse course but chasing the rear of the Spanish. At this point the Spanish lee division bore up to make an effort to join their compatriots to windward. Had they managed this, the battle would have ended indecisively with the Spanish running for Cádiz and the British harrying their sterns in the manner of the Armada in 1588.

Situation around 1:05 p.m.

At 1:05 p.m., Jervis hoisted a signal:

Take suitable stations for mutual support and engage the enemy as coming up in succession

Nelson had returned to his ship Captain (a seventy-four) and was now towards the rear of the British line, much closer to the larger group. He saw that Jervis' manoeuvre could not be completed before the Spanish escaped, relatively unharmed. Taking the battle into his own hands, Nelson ordered Captain Ralph Willett Miller to wear ship and take Captain out of line to engage the smaller group.

As soon as the seventy-four was around, Nelson directed her to pass between Diadem and Excellent and ran across the bows of the Spanish ships forming the central group of the weather division. This group included the Santísima Trinidad, the largest ship afloat at the time and mounting 130 guns; the San José, 112; Salvador del Mundo, 112; San Nicolás, 84; San Ysidro, 74; and Mexicano, 112.

As a junior commander, Nelson was acting against Admiral Jervis' order to "form line ahead and astern of Victory", and using his own wide interpretation of "take suitable stations" in the later signal. Had his action failed, Nelson would have been subject to court-martial for disobeying orders in the face of the enemy, with subsequent demotion and disgrace.

At about 1:30 p.m., Culloden was gradually overhauling the Spanish rear and began a renewed but not very close engagement of the same group of ships. Jervis signalled his rearmost ship, Excellent to come to the wind on the larboard tack and following this order, Collingwood brought his ship round to a position ahead of Culloden. After a few more minutes, Blenheim and Prince George came up behind and the group of British ships prevented the Spanish from grouping together.

The Captain was now under fire from as many as six Spanish ships, of which three were 112-gun three-deckers and a fourth Córdoba's 130-gun flagship Santísima Trinidad. At about 2:00 p.m., Culloden had stretched so far ahead as to cover the Captain from the heavy fire poured into her by the Spanish four-decker and her companions, as they hauled up and brought their broadsides to bear. Of the respite thus afforded to her, the Captain took immediate advantage, replenishing her lockers with shot and splicing and repairing her running rigging.

At about 2:30, Excellent having been directed by signal to bear up, edged away and at 2:35, arriving abreast of the disabled Spanish three-decker Salvator del Mundo, engaged the latter on her weather bow for a few minutes; then passing on to the next Spanish ship, San Ysidro, whose three topmasts had already been shot away. This ship Captain Collingwood engaged closely until 2:50 when, after a gallant defence in her crippled state, San Ysidro hauled down the Spanish flag.

Moments later, Excellent and Diadem commenced an attack on Salvator del Mundo, with Excellent stationing herself on the weather bow and Diadem on the lee quarter of the Spanish three-decker. Salvator del Mundo, more or less been disabled, saw Victory was about to pass close astern firing her bow guns, judiciously hauled down her flag.

Battle off Cape St. Vincent, 1797 by William Adolphus Knell

By about 3:00, Excellent was already in close action with San Nicolás which, with foretop mast shot away, had encountered Captain. Excellent fired broadsides into San Nicolás and then made sail to clear ahead. To avoid Excellent, San Nicolás luffed up and ran foul of San José, which had suffered the loss of mizzen mast and other damage.

Captain was by now almost uncontrollable with her wheel shot away. At this point, her foretop mast fell over the side leaving her unmanageable, with little option but to board the Spanish vessels. Captain opened fire with her larboard broadside, and then put the helm over and hooked her larboard cat-head with the starboard quarter of San Nicolás.

Nelson receives the surrender of the San Nicholas, portrait by Richard Westall

At 3:20, with a cry of "Westminster Abbey or Glorious Victory!", Nelson ordered his boarders to cross the first Spanish ship onto the second. He later wrote,

The soldiers of the 69th, with an alacrity which will ever do them credit, and Lieutenant Pearson of the same regiment, were almost the foremost on this service – the first man who jumped into the enemy's mizen chains was Commander Berry, late my First Lieutenant (Captain Miller was in the very act of going also, but I directed him to remain); he was supported from our sprit sail yard, which hooked in the mizen rigging. A soldier of the 69th Regiment having broken the upper quarter-gallery window, I jumped in myself, and was followed by others as fast as possible. I found the cabin doors fastened, and some Spanish officers fired their pistols: but having broke open the doors the soldiers fired, and the Spanish Brigadier fell, as retreating to the quarter-deck. I pushed immediately onwards for the quarter-deck, where I found Commander Berry in possession of the poop, and the Spanish ensign hauling down. I passed with my people, and Lieutenant Pearson, on the larboard gangway, to the forecastle, where I met two or three Spanish officers, prisoners to my seamen: they delivered me their swords. A fire of pistols, or muskets, opening from the stern gallery of the San Josef, I directed the soldiers to fire into her stern; and calling to Captain Miller, ordered him to send more men into the San Nicolas; and directed my people to board the first-rate, which was done in an instant, Commander Berry assisting me into the main chains. At this moment a Spanish officer looked over the quarter deck rail, and said they surrendered. From this most welcome intelligence, it was not long before I was on the quarter deck, where the captain, with a bow, presented me his sword, and said the admiral was dying of his wounds. I asked him on his honour if the ship was surrendered. He declared she was: on which I gave him my hand, and desired him to call on his officers and ship's company and tell them of it: which he did – and on the quarter deck of a Spanish first-rate, extravagant as the story may seem, did I receive the swords of vanquished Spaniards: which as I received, I gave to William Fearney, one of my bargemen, who put them, with the greatest sang-froid, under his arm.

Both Spanish vessels were successfully captured. This manoeuvre was so unusual and so widely admired in the Royal Navy that using one enemy ship to cross to another became known facetiously as "Nelson's patent bridge for boarding enemy vessels."[4]

Infante Don Pelayo and San Pablo, which had been dispatched from de Córdoba's group at 8.00 a.m. to investigate guns heard to the north, now sailed in and bore down on Diadem and Excellent. By this time Santísima Trinidad had struck her colours to surrender, but Infante Don Pelayo's captain Cayetano Valdés warned Santísima Trinidad to fly her flag again under threat she would be deemed an enemy ship and raked. The Spanish four-decker raised her flag and was saved from capture.

By 4:00 p.m., Santísima Trinidad was relieved by two of her escorts and made away. Admiral Moreno's squad put together the survivors of de Córdoba's group and turned to assist the harassed Spanish sails. Jervis signalled his fleet to cover the prizes and disabled vessels and at 4:15 the frigates were directed to take the prizes in tow. At 4:39 the fleet was ordered to take station in line astern of Victory. The battle was by now almost over with only some remaining skirmishing between Britannia, Orion and the departing Spanish covering Santísima Trinidad (which was to later be captured at the Battle of Trafalgar).

Nelson remained on board the captured Spanish ships while they were secured – and was cheered by the British ships as they passed. He returned to the Captain to thank Captain Miller and presented him with the sword of the captain of the San Nicolás.

At 5:00, Nelson shifted his pennant from the disabled Captain to Irresistible. Still black with smoke and with his uniform in shreds, Nelson went on board Victory where he was received on the quarter-deck by Admiral Jervis – "the Admiral embraced me, said he could not sufficiently thank me, and used every kind expression which could not fail to make me happy."

The Battle of Cape St. Vincent had cost the lives of 73 men of the Royal Navy and seriously wounded a further 227, and lightly wounded 100. Spanish casualties were far higher, about 1,000 men killed or wounded; aboard San Nicolás alone 144 were killed.

It was a great and welcome victory for the Royal Navy – 15 British ships had defeated a Spanish fleet of 27 with far more guns and men. Admiral Jervis' highly disciplined force had been pitted against an inexperienced Spanish Navy under Don José Córdoba, the Spanish men fighting fiercely but without direction. After the San José was captured it was found that some of her guns still had tampions plugging their muzzles. The confusion amongst the Spanish was so great that they were unable to use their guns without causing more damage to their own ships than to the British.

• 
  The Battle of Cape Saint Vincent, Richard Brydges Beechey, 1881
• 
  Salvador del Mundo receiving raking fire from HMS Victory by Robert Cleveley
• 
  Nelson boarding the San Josef during the battle by George Jones
• 
  HMS Captain capturing the San Nicolas and the San Josef by Nicholas Pocock
• 
  Nelson receiving the surrender of the San José by Daniel Orme, painted 1799
• 
  Infante Don Pelayo attempts to rescue the Santísima Trinidad by Antonio Brugada

Jervis had given orders to destroy the four prizes had the action restarted. Several days later, the frigate HMS Terpsichore (32) spotted the damaged Santísima Trinidad making her way back to Spain. The captain, Orozco, now commissioned by de Cordoba, had flown his flag in frigate Diana. Terpsichore engaged but kept dodging out of range from the Santísima Trinidad's stern guns. Terpsichore nonetheless was hit twice in a sudden move, resulting in damage in her rigging, masts and sails as well as some impacts on her hull. Captain Richard Bowen then ordered to keep the pursuit from a longer distance, but the frigate vanished away.

While the British fleet lay at Lagos Bay in Portugal, about 3000 Spanish prisoners from the four prizes were landed. Jervis resumed his blockade of the Spanish fleet in Cadiz.[5][6][7] The continuation of the blockade for most of the following three years largely curtailed the Spanish fleet until the Peace of Amiens in 1802. The containment of the Spanish threat and the further reinforcement of his fleet enabled Jervis to send a squadron under Nelson back into the Mediterranean the following year. That squadron, including Saumarez's Orion, Troubridge's Culloden, and Goliath, now under Foley, re-established British command of the Mediterranean at the Battle of the Nile.

Jervis was made Baron Jervis of Meaford and Earl St. Vincent, and granted a life pension of £3,000 per year.[8][9][10] Nelson was knighted as a member of the Order of the Bath.[9][10] Nelson's promotion to Rear-Admiral was not a reward for his services, but simply a happy coincidence: promotion to flag rank in the Navy of the time was based on seniority on the Captain's list and not on achievement. The City of London presented Jervis, now Earl St. Vincent, with the Freedom of the City in a gold box valued at 100 guineas, and awarded both him and Nelson a ceremonial sword.[11][12] The presentation box and sword are both currently held at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. The swords awarded Jervis and Nelson were the first of their kind to be issued by the City of London.[13][14] St. Vincent was awarded the thanks of both Houses of Parliament and given a gold medal by the King.[13] The London Gazette published an advertisement in 1798 regarding the prize money due to the commander, officers, and men in the battle, a sum of £140,000.[15]

Admiral de Cordóba was dismissed from the Spanish Navy and forbidden from the royal court.

In 1847 the Admiralty authorized the issuance of the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "St. Vincent" to all surviving claimants from the battle.[16]

• Hannay, David (1911). "St Vincent, Battle of" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 24 (11th ed.). pp. 50–51.
• Bethune, Colonel Drinkwater (1840). A narrative of the Battle of St. Vincent; with anecdotes of Nelson, before and after that battle (2d ed.). London: Saunders and Otley.