Love the joke - it's the way you tell 'em!
There are two snippets on Wallace in the Nelson Society booklet mentioned above.
No 1
At the battle of Cape St Vincent, ‘one of Nelson’s petty officers was Duncan Wallace, whose long career as a sailor is set forth very graphically in a memoir edited by Thomas Kirkup. From this book I take the following:
A circumstance occurred in this battle which reflects great credit upon Wallace for his activity and courage. In boarding the San Nicolas, as he was jumping from the poop deck to the quarter deck, he was attacked by the first lieutenant of the San Nicolas, who made a pass at him with his sword. Wallace parried off the thrust, and in striking at him, broke his sword, about six inches from the guard, by hitting it against the foremost beam on the poop deck. He was now placed in a perilous situation; not a moment was to be lost. He therefore immediately attacked the lieutenant with hand and foot, and struck him in the neck a furious and deadly blow, causing him to fall head-foremost against the bulwarks, and was killed. Wallace instantly seized the fallen lieutenant’s sword and dashed at the foe.
This deed of activity and bravery was performed in the presence, and under the eye of Nelson, who called out, ‘Wallace, I’ll not forget you for that’. He kept his word and Wallace was made quarter-master’.
[Didn’t Nelson also promise not to forget John Sykes for his heroism in the same battle?]
No. 2
The above was not the most remarkable encounter between Wallace and Nelson. Even more striking was the conversation which passed between them at the battle of Aboukir:
At this battle, Wallace was shot through the right arm by a musket ball. After the wound had been dressed by Dr Miller, he was ordered to his hammock but he told the doctor that he would not disgrace his country by going to his hammock with such a scratch as that, that every effective man was wanted, and he would go to his duty, and attend to it, as long as he was able.
At ten o’clock the same day, Nelson heard of this circumstance and sent for Wallace, when he said, ‘Wallace, this is the third ship and the fourth battle that I have been in with you, and today I will make you an officer.’
Wallace said, ‘I thank your honour for the distinction shown to me among so many hundreds of men, but I respectfully decline the offered promotion; first, that you were the cause of keeping me in the service in the year 1795, contrary to the laws of my country, and cutting me off from the means of realising a fortune by commercial pursuits. Second, if I hold an office in the British Navy under its present discipline, I must become a tool to tyranny and oppression, which is contrary to my name, my country and my principles; and lastly, I have my conscience to consult and my God to meet.’
After a pause, Nelson looked at me rather sternly, and said, ‘You are a true patriot.’ I replied that it was from him that I had copied these principles.
Nelson never again offered to promote Wallace; calling the officers tyrants was mutinous language, for which, according to the articles of war, he might have been hung, but Nelson knew his man and never resented it.’
On re-reading this, I note that your anonymous coxswain and Wallace both use the respectful term 'your honour'. Was this a usual form of address to superiors? I should have thought 'Sir', 'Madam', 'Your Lordship' or 'Your Ladyship' more likely. Was 'your honour' an idiosyncracy that might point to Wallace and your coxswain being one and the same? Just a thought.
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