NELSON HORATIO: (1758-1805) British Admiral during the Napoleonic Wars,

NELSON HORATIO: (1758-1805) British Admiral during the Napoleonic Wars, the victor of the Battle of Trafalgar, 1805. A good A.L.S., Horatio Nelson (with his right-hand), two pages, 4to, Vado Bay (near Genoa), 13th August 1795, to the diplomat Francis Drake. Nelson states that he 'can just take a pen in my hand' to express his obligation to Drake for their letter and continues to comment on his expectations of the French navy, 'the first dark night & strong wind I expect to hear of their being off. I think they will push past Vado Bay….however I am prepared in all points for their reaction & they must have more than usual good luck to escape. I wish the Admiral [Hotham] 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 Vins has some plan in his head which will probably be carried into execution in the course of a week should the Adl. not arrive. I am anxious to give the General every support in my power & he is very anxious to get further westward'. In concluding Nelson adds that he is sending the declarations and papers for Captain Cockburn and Dr. West which he trusts will be fully sufficient. With blank integral leaf. A letter of interesting content. Some light overall age wear and a few minor, small holes at the intersection of some folds, otherwise about VG Francis Drake (1764-1821) British diplomat who served as British Minister at Venice in 1793 and as British Resident at Genoa from 1793-95. William Hotham (1736-1813) 1st Baron Hotham. British Admiral who served as Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet 1794-95. Joseph Nikolaus de Vins (1732-1798) Austrian General who, during the French Revolutionary Wars, commanded the joint forces of Austria and the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont from 1792-95.