Nelson & His World

Since I have been asked to join meetings and act as mediator between conflicting parties, I am interested in how Nelson handled conflicts between his officers. I came up on these two letters from the Nicolas edition 6 and 7. Does any of you know or remember more letters of Nelson acting as mediator between his officers.
Sylvia


Victory October 1805

Captain Blackwood

I send Naiad to you, and will Phoebe and Weasel, as I can lay hands upon them. I am gratified (because it shows your soul is in your business) and obliged by all your communications. I see you feel how much my heart is set on getting at these fellows, whom I have hunted for so long; but don’t my dear Blackwood, be angry with anyone; it was only a laudable anxiety in Admiral Louis and nothing like complaining.


Victory, March 30th 1805
To captain Keats,
Most private,

My dear Keats,
I felt most exceedingly last night, at finding your friend Admiral Murray so exceedingly hurt at some conversation which had passed between you and him, about hammocks. I can most solemnly assure you, that so far from Admiral Murray withholding any stores from the Superb, that he would stretch the point to comply with your wishes, well knowing that in our scanty supplies you would take no more than was absolutely necessary for present use. The Superb, upon every consideration, whether I consider the value of her Captain as an officer, or the importance of preserving her ship’s company, ought to have every comfort which the Service will possibly allow. I have, therefore, desired that Admiral Murray will get from you an account of the number of hammocks wanted to complete the Superb for the Channel Service, that I may send to Naples to purchase them; and I again assure you that Admiral Murray would stretch any length which you could desire, to meet your wants and wishes. The situation of first Captain is certainly a very unthankful office, for if there is a deficiency of stores, he must displease probably the whole fleet; for no ship can have her demands complied with. I wish, my dear Keats, you would turn this in your mind, and relieve Admiral Murray from the uneasiness your conversation has given him; for I will venture to say, that if he could (or ought to) show a partiality, it would be to the Superb, because her captain husbands the stores in a most exemplary manner. You will readily conceive what I must feel upon this occasion, being most truly your most obliged and faithful friend.

Sylvia:

I cannot recall, off-hand, any situations similar to the ones you quote which reveal Nelson's tact and diplomacy, but I think there must have been many more occasions when he demonstrated these qualities.

A.T. Mahan quotes 'a contemporary who knew Nelson well' (Sir William Hotham):

'He [Nelson] had in a great degree the valuable but rare quality of conciliating the most opposite of tempers and forwarding the public service with unanimity among men not of themselves disposed to accord.'

There was also the incident, recounted by Robert Southey, that took place before Trafalgar. Hearing that Collingwood and Captain Rotheram were 'not on good terms', Nelson said, 'Gentlemen, there is the enemy,' and 'bade them shake hands like Englishmen.'

Whether this can be classed as 'conciliation' or 'mediation', I am not sure, as Nelson appears to have issued an order rather than engaged in a process. Nevertheless, it is often easier for people at loggerheads to achieve a rapprochement if encouraged to do so by a third party. Maybe Nelson realised this.