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Lot 132

"it is my intention never to go into Port with the fleet untill the French have given us a meeting"
Horatio Nelson

5 July 2005, 11:00 BST
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £7,800 inc. premium

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"it is my intention never to go into Port with the fleet untill the French have given us a meeting"
Horatio Nelson

Autograph letter signed ("Nelson & Bronte"), to William Albany Otway, Commissioner of Malta Dockyard, vowing that he will bring the French, blockaded in Toulon, to battle come what may ("...We are so short of fuel that I should not have felt Justified in allowing the Coals to go from the fleet, as it is my intention never to go into Port with the fleet untill the French have given us a meeting which we all pray to God may be soon/ We are all full of health & good humour..."), and informing him that the fleet's storeship, the Prevoyante, sails that day for Malta ("...Having in a Months Stormy weather supplied our wants from the Pourvoyant [sic] She sails this day for Malta from where She proceeds to Gibraltar, under all circumstances the regularity of delivering has been much greater than I could have expected and reflects very great credit upon Mr Brown her Commander..."), one page, 4to, contemporary filing dockets ("50.4" in pencil deleted and "N145a" written in red ink), integral blank, the latter formerly tipped into an album, Victory [off Toulon], 23 September 1803

Footnotes

This fine letter - which combines an eloquent declaration of intent with an attention to routine supply and concern for those under his command - is not printed by Nicholas, Dispatches and Letters or White, New Letters. Nicolas prints two letters written on 21 September in which Nelson recommends Brown to Sir Evan Nepean and Admiral St Vincent, telling the latter he was "never have been better pleased that with the regularity and good order in which the stores sent out by the Prévoyante have been delivered to the Fleet" and that people like "Mr Brown, a Master in the Navy, her Commander" were rather better at doing the job than regular naval captains who "are generally above taking care of the stores".

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