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| NELSON’S
CAPTAINS: |
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Sir
Israel Pellew |
As the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar nears
(21st October) Gibraltar Magazine has been taking a look at
some of the major participants in that epic encounter. Previously
we have written of Nelson’s captains Berry, Hardy, Blackwood,
Duff, Cumby, Cook and Harvey; this month we examine the career
of Sir Israel Pellew, Captain of the Conqueror.
The most astounding aspect of Isaac Pellew’s performance
at Trafalgar is the low number of casualties suffered by his
command, the 74-gun Conqueror. A typical 74-gun third-rater
would require a crew of around 500 and for a major battle,
where boarding action could be expected, would have a hundred
or more Marines on board. And yet the Conqueror suffered only
three dead and nine injured at Trafalgar. This is a great
testament to the crew management of Pellew. By comparision
on Nelson’s flagship the Victory, 57 were killed and
102 wounded. The heaviest toll of 206 casualties, including
46 killed, was on the Colossus.
These figures might leave sceptics to believe that Pellew
did his best to avoid the hottest part of the battle. But
the Conqueror was in the thick of the fray from the start,
took the French Admiral Villeneuve’s flagship Bucentaure
as a prize and helped to subdue the huge, 136-gun Spanish
man-o-war Santissima Trinidad.
Pellew was a gunnery expert and this helps to explain the
low number of casualties on the Conqueror. He was aware that
the French would have sharp-shooters in their tops and so
he ordered the marines to remain below until they were needed.
The Conqueror was fifth in Nelson’s line at the start
of battle and was the fourth ship to attack the Bucentaure
but the first to bring effective fire against her. Lieutenant
Humphrey Stenhouse of the Conqueror recorded in his diary:“Previously
to this all the firing had been mere child’s play to
us, but now a cannonading commenced at so short a distance
that every shot flew winged with death and destruction.”
Stenhouse did not exaggerate. The whole of the Conqueror’s
larboard broadside, more than 30 guns, smashed through the
Bucentaure’s stern. The Conqueror’s fire tore
into the French ship wreaking havoc, dismembering sailors,
knocking over guns and splintering the mizzen and main masts,
which collapsed over the starboard side. Wreckage and torn
canvas covered many of the gun ports.
Pellew luffed the Conqueror and came-to for another broadside
while Villeneuve prepared to flee and raise his flag on another
ship only to find that his escape vessel had vanished.
“I had kept a boat lowered, foreseeing the possibility
of being dismasted,” said Villeneuve after the battle.
“As soon as the mainmast fell I gave orders for
it to be made ready, but whether it had been sunk by shot
or crushed by the falling of masts it could not be found.”
Villeneuve hailed the Santissima Trinidad for help but she
too was heavily engaged and there was no reply.
As shot from the Conqueror’s broadsides thudded and
crashed around him, Villeneuve (who would commit suicide later
rather than face Napoleon) lamented that he been spared “…amidst
so many balls, grape and splinters.” By this time the
Bucentaure couldn’t even strike because her colours
had gone over with the foremast.
In order to attempt to surrender a midshipman named Donadieur
secured the ‘Eagle of the Empire’ to his body
and stood on the upper deck. A white flag was then waved.
Pellew was not content with his great prize, however, and
was anxious to take on the Santissima Trinidad. He sent the
commander of Marines, Captain James Atcherley and three of
his men and a couple of sailors over to take command of the
stricken Bucentaure.
Atcherley scrambled on board and made his way past groups
of wounded and heaps of dead French sailors to the quarter-deck.
Three French officers slowly walked towards him.
“To
who,” said Villeneuve in English, proffering his sword,
“have I the honour of surrendering.”
“To Captain Pellew of the Conqueror,” replied
Atcherley. “It is a satisfaction to me,” Villeneuve
said courteously, “that it is to one so fortunate as
Sir Edward Pellew that I have lowered my flag.” Atcherly
was taken aback. “It is his brother, sir.” His
brother? What, are there two of them?”
Villeneuve had mistaken Israel Pellew for his distinguished
older brother Edward, 1st Viscount Exmouth, who had gained
notoriety for capturing the 74-gun French cruiser Amazon with
the use of just two small frigates. Atcherley locked the magazines,
put the keys in his pocket and escorted Villeneuve and two
of his officers to a waiting cutter. Seeing that Pellew had
gone with the Conqueror he looked around for the nearest British
ship, which was the Mars.
Meanwhile the Conqueror, Neptune and Africa had reduced the
Santissima Trinidad to a floating ruin. The once mighty pride
of the Spanish fleet was so badly damaged that she was dangerously
un-seaworthy and so was scuttled by the British prize crew.
The Conqueror had taken part in the capture of two of the
most important ships in the combined French-Spanish fleet
but Captain Pellew missed out on acquiring the premier souvenirs
of the famous battle.
When Atcherley took Villeneuve to the Mars the French Admiral
and his officers delivered their ceremonial swords to the
lieutenant in charge (Captain George Duff had been killed).
The swords were afterward given to Admiral Collingwood, who
kept them, much to the indignation of Pellew, who considered
that they belonged to him. By the custom of the service they
did, but he never claimed them.
Israel Pellew was born in August 1758 in Cornwall the third
son of Captain Samuel Pellew. He entered the navy in 1771
and made commander in 1790 and captain in 1793. After Trafalgar
he would go on to be Rear-Admiral and Vice-Admiral of the
Red, the White and the Blue and finished as Admiral of the
Blue (1830). He was knighted in 1816 and died on 26th July
1832 at Plymouth.
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