Lot 292

Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 292
image_0 image_1 image_2 image_3 image_4
Horatio Nelson Superb Lengthy Right-Handed ALS, On the Lookout at Vado Bay
Horatio Nelson Superb Lengthy Right-Handed ALS, On the Lookout at Vado Bay
image_0 image_1 image_2 image_3 image_4
Description:

Horatio Nelson Superb Lengthy Right-Handed ALS, On the Lookout at Vado Bay

A 2pp autograph letter signed by Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), then Commander of a detached squadron of British Royal Navy vessels tasked with surveilling the Genoese Riviera, as "Horatio Nelson" at the center of the second page. Vado Bay, off the coast of Genoa. August 13, 1795. On pale blue laid watermarked bifold stationery. The third page is blank. Docketed on the last page. Expected wear including flattened paper folds, and minor isolated breaks along these folds. Isolated chipped edges and faint ink bleed-through, else near fine and very legible. 7.625" x 9.625."

Horatio Nelson wrote this letter to Francis Drake (1764-1821), the British Resident at Genoa from 1793-1795. In it, Nelson gives Drake an update on the current state of affairs in the northwestern Italian theatre, where the British, alongside their Austrian and Sardinian allies, were engaged in a series of cat-and-mouse maneuvers against the French. The letter has excellent military content: it refers to Nelson's primary colleagues in the region, William Hotham, 1st Baron Hotham (1736-1813), Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet from 1794 until November 1795; and Joseph Nikolaus de Vins (1732-1798), the Austrian general commanding the joint Austrian and Sardinian-Piedmontese forces from 1792-1795.

Commander Nelson was frustrated by what he saw as his allies' inactivity. His superior officer, Admiral Hotham, consistently deferred any definite action, and the Austrians, too, were unconcerned about how their inactivity emboldened the French. Nelson was full of ambitious plans about how he could bolster the allies' position while weakening that of the French, including a scheme of moving 6,000 men further up the coast to San Remo. But, because of his allies' dismissal of his ideas, Nelson was confined to doing what he could off of Vado Bay.

Vado Bay, which had recently been seized by the Austrians and was now their headquarters, was prized as being the best anchorage point between Nice and Genoa. Control of Vado Bay also determined control of the entire region, since it granted direct access to both Genoa and Tuscany. Nelson maintained a British blockade extending up and down the coast near Vado Bay, where he could inspect neutral ships and prevent the French from receiving supplies. It was also hoped that a British blockade would force the French into open waters where they could be attacked by the British fleet.

Nelson's letter is very interesting because it dates from the period between Nelson's two life-changing injuries; the loss of partial vision in his right eye sustained at Calvi, Corsica in July 1794, and the more catastrophic loss of his right arm at the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands in late July 1797. This letter was written, therefore, when Nelson still had his right arm.

Nelson wrote in part:

"Vado Bay Augt: 13th: 1795.

Dear Sir,

I can just take a Pen in my hand to say I am most obliged by your letter of the 10th: of Augt: it will always be my pride to merit your + every good mans [sic] approbation. The first dark night + stray Wind I expect to hear of their being off. I think they will push past Vado Bay for Albanga [Albenga, now in the Province of Savona, Italy, approximately 90 km down the coast?] on the French Coast, however I am prepared in all points for their reaction + they must have more than usual good luck to escape. I wish the admiral would arrive. I think the General would like to see him + Frederick is here waiting with dispatches which he brought from England, but I cannot tell where on the seas to look for the Adl: but Vado Bay. He cannot be very long. Genl: De Vis has some plan in his head which will probably be carried in[to] execution in the course of a Week should the Adl: not arrive. I am anxious to give the Genel: every support in my power + he is very anxious to get further westward.

I send you the declaration + papers which you wished for from Col: Cockburn + Dr: West which I trust are fully sufficient to refute the Lies of the Genoese…

Dear Sir
Your most faithful servant
Horatio Nelson

His Excellency
Francis Drake Esq:."

Nelson's August 13, 1795 letter to Francis Drake can be compared with his August 13, 1795 letter to Sir Gilbert Elliot (1751-1814), Viceroy of Corsica from 1794-1796, a transcript of which can be found in Sir Nicholas Harris Nicholas, Vol. II, "The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson" (London: Henry Colburn, 1845), Letter 36, p. 67-69. Nelson's anxious comments in our letter--"I wish the admiral would arrive…He cannot be very long…in the course of a Week should the Adl: not arrive"--echo the same sentiments he conveys to Elliot: "Admiral Hotham is daily expected…however, I think the Admiral will stay here as little while as possible…"

Contrary to doing something definite in the region, as Nelson had wanted, his superiors abandoned Genoa less than four months later when Admiral Hotham evacuated the city in early November 1795. This was followed by the French victory at the Battle of Loano (November 23-24, 1795) against the Austrians and Sardinians. The French promptly reclaimed the area.

For more information on this very interesting period of Nelson's military career, please refer to Captain A.T. Mahan's excellent biography, "The Life of Nelson: The Embodiment of the Sea Power of Great Britain" (London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd., 1897), especially Chapter VI: "Nelson's Command of a Detached Squadron on the Riviera of Genoa, until the Defeat of the Austrians at the Battle of Loano," pp. 184-208.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

May 31, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000