Tony -- Thank you for additional information and pointing out earlier editions of references cited in my earlier entries:
1810–Clarke & M’Arthur (there is a 1809 edition which does include details of a dinner with attribution to the 1808?-Narrative); and
1884-Nicolas (Nicolas' book, with the circa 1808 Narrative included, was first published in 1845).
I expect that there may be earlier editions of some of the other cited references which would allow further refinement of the timeline of various authors' contributions to the legend of the spirited dinner.
Ned -- Elephant's log documenting the time (5.00 pm) of her anchoring is an interesting find. Elephant would have been one of first ships to anchor. In the cited references, there are some errors and abiguities regarding whether the author is referring to the Elephant or the squadron, however I believe that we can now assume that the last of Nelson's 30 ships anchored at about 8 pm:
1801-Stewart -- Stewart does not record the times of anchorage by Elephant or squadron.
1806-Harrison -- "As our [Elephant's] anchor dropped, at eight in the evening, Lord Nelson emphatically called out ..."
1808?-Narrative -- "... Riou [Amazon] lead the way ... About dark [about 8:00 pm], the whole fleet was at its anchorage ..."
1810-Clarke & M'Arthur -- "As our own [Elephant's] anchor dropped at eight in the evening, Nelson emphatically called out"
In Davidson's painting, the named participants were from 5 ships: (AMAZON: Riou); (ELEPHANT: Nelson, Hardy, Foley, and Stewart); (DEFIANCE: Graves); (GANGES: Freemantle); and (DESIREE: Inman). AMAZON would likely have anchored before ELEPHANT. If the spirited dinner did occur as depicted in the painting, it would have likely occured after DEFIANCE, GANGES and DESIREE anchored and before 8 pm when Hardy left on his covert operation.
Regarding the historical accurancy of the spirited dinner as depicted in the painting, below is the third set of observations from my review of a sampling of the historical references.
WD
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Part 3: (1902 – 1978) – Historical Accuracy?1902 - FlechettIn W. H. Flechett’s 1902 “
Nelson and his Captains: Sketches of Famous Seamen”, he includes an un-attributed narrative in the Foley chapter.
Quote:
“Foley ... took part in that famous dinner-party on board the Elephant the night before the day of the battle. Round the table sat a group of the most gallant spirits that ever fought for the honour of England – Nelson himself, Hardy, Fremantle, Riou, and others in whom the sense of the coming fight ran like wine in their blood. When the party broke up, ... it was with Foley and Riou that Nelson sat down to plan ... the coming battle.”
In popular 1902 literature, unfortunately, the dinner is becoming “
that famous dinner-party” before the “
coming battle”. Flechett has obviously misinterpreted the word “
party”, as used in earlier books, to mean “
a social gathering of invited guests, typically involving eating, drinking, and entertainment” rather than the originally intended “
a group of people taking part in a particular activity or trip” (i.e. Nelson’s comrades in arms).
Mahan’s popular 1897 book, Davidson’s 1898 RA exhibition of the painting, and sales of the circa 1901 print probably had a lot to do with the spirited dinner now being considered “
famous” by Flechett and others.
1910 – GrantAn image of Davidson’s “
The Evening before the Battle of Copenhagen” was included in the 1910 reprint of James Grant’s epic 1873 “
British Battles on Land and Sea”. I have not yet located a copy of the reprint in order to review any new material related to the spirited dinner and any credits for the image (i.e. owner of either an artist’s proof or the original painting). However; the image being in the 1910 reprint of Grant’s popular and comprehensive history likely added much to the legend and general acceptance of the historical details of the spirited dinner, as depicted in Davidson’s painting.
1912 - Callender“
The Life of Nelson” by Sir Geoffrey Callender was published in 1912.
Quote:
“On the morning of 1st April ... The St. George was too large ... and he shifted his flag to ... the Elephant. ...
The Outer Deep ... was navigated complete success and the twelve anchored at its southern end. “the moment I have a fair wind, I shall fight,” signaled Nelson as he signaled to prepare for action.
That night he gave a dinner party on board the Elephant. Hardy was there and Foley, Colonel Stewart ..., Riou and others. He drank to a leading wind. ...”
According to other sources, Nelson actually shifted his flag to Elephant on 29 March.
In popular literature, the dinner is now clearly being characterized as being a “
dinner party”.
1929 – C.S. ForesterBelow is a narrative from the 1952 reprint of C.S. Forester’s 1929 “Nelson, a Biography”:
Quote:
“On April 1st they took advantage of the westerly wind to run down the northern channel and to moor at the southern end of the shoal which lay between that passage and the King’s Channel ... Then all that remained to do was to issue the orders for the attack, and to wait for a easterly wind which would carry them back up the King’s Channel against the weaker end of the long line of defences.
It was an exciting night, for delay meant not merely the further strengthening of the Danish defences, but actual danger from the shells if the Danes brought up sufficient mortars into range of the mooring, as they could do. Nelson dictated his orders – as it grew late he continued them from his cot ... The orders were given to the clerks to transcribe at one in the morning, but Nelson could not sleep. He was too anxious about the wind, and sure enough, his previous promptitude was rewarded by the wind shifting into the east. ... At seven o’clock [2 April] all the captains were on board the “Elephant,” and a last conference ... was held. At eight o’clock the attack was ordered. ..."
In his research for this 1929 book and his Nelson-inspired
Horatio Hornblower series, Forester likely consulted the references cited above ... and many others. It is interesting to note that he decided to omit any reference to there being a spirited dinner onboard Elephant on the “exciting night” before the battle of Copenhagen.
The reference to the “
cot” in Forester’s 1929 book (and in the circa
1808?-Narrative) would imply that the Aft Cabin had been readied for action by removing and stowing furnishings below decks; which would be contrary to Davidson’s depiction of the dinner.
Forester does mention that all of Nelson’s captains were required onboard for a pre-attack conference, the next morning. This is consistent with the circa
1808?-Narrative which records
"... Their work being finished about six in the morning, his Lordship, who was previously up, and dressed ..., and about seven made the signal for all Captains." Forester's interpretation is that this signal required all captains to repair onboard Elephant for a short pre-attack conference.
1949 – Leslie W. LewisThe original painting was sold into Canada by Leslie W. Lewis (and his associate Henry Alfred Sutch, of Old & Modern Paintings, 11 Bury Street, London) from an unknown UK estate. The Montreal art auction catalogue states that the paintings were “
assembled from collections shipped from Great Britain ... owing to war liquidation ... from important estates”. The catalogue includes the following historical details which accompanied the painting:
Quote:
“The Evening before the Battle of Copenhagen, T DAVIDSON, Ex. Royal Academy, 1898
The evening before the Battle of Copenhagen, Nelson sat down to table with Admiral Graves, second in command and Captains Foley, Hardy, Fremantle, Riou, Inman, Col Stewart and a few others ... Nelson drank to the success of the ensuing day.”
Over the fifty years since the 1898 RA exhibition, Davidson’s attribution of the historical details of his painting to Mahan had not survived.
1951 - KennedyIn Ludovic Kennedy’s 1951 “
Nelson’s Band of Brothers”, he includes an illustration of an artist’s signed proof (with credit to Major George Benson DSO). The inscription beneath the illustration is:
Quote:
“THE EVE OF COPENHAGEN“
From the artist’s signed proof of a painting by Thomas Davidson. The scene is the cabin of Elephant on the evening of April 1st 1801. Rear-Admiral Graves is standing on Nelson’s right. The officer in the foreground having his glass filed is Riou. Also present are Hardy, Fremantle and Foley.”
The following details are also provided:
Quote:
“Nelson’s squadron, ... came to anchor south of the Middle Ground a little after eight in the evening. As the Elephant’s cable ran away, Nelson called out: “I will fight them the moment I have fair wind.” He sat down to dinner with Graves, Foley, Hardy, Fremantle, Riou and others. Colonel Stewart wrote that Nelson was in the highest spirits and drank to a leading wind and to the success of the ensuing day. After dinner the captains returned to their ships except Riou, whom Nelson took with Foley into the after cabin to prepare the orders for the attack. ...”
Similar details can be found in Kennedy’s other books. (See <Ned’s 1 Sep 2010 posting> related to “
Nelson and his Captains”). Kennedy appears to have based his narratives on the earlier works by Mahan (1897) and/or Nicolas (1884).
1978 - WhippleAs was pointed out in <Anna’s 2 Sep 2010 posting>, a photograph of an artist’s signed proof (with credit to Riou Benson) was included in A.B. C. Whipple’s 1978 "
Fighting Sail". The details beneath the photograph are:
Quote:
"On the eve of the Battle of Copenhagen, Nelson and his captains lift their glasses in a toast to a leading wind and success the following day. Colonel William Stewart (left of the pole), who led the soldiers assigned to the fleet, wrote that at the end of the feast aboard the Elephant, “every man separated with anxious impatience to follow their great leader to the approaching battle.”
Whipple based his narrative on the works of Mahan (1897) and/or Nicolas (1884), however Whipple implies that Stewart considered the dinner to be a “
feast”. There is no evidence that Stewart or any other officers used such a festive term to describe a dinner shared by Nelson with his “
comrades in arms”, before any battle.
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Conclusions: I now have even more doubts about the historical accuracy as depicted in the painting ... and in some of the historical references cited above. The use of phrases such as “
large party of officers” and “
this interesting party” in the early references has proven to be ambiguous and most unfortunate, since some historians have interpreted their source material differently than intended.
Lt. Col. Stewart's 1801 Journal may offer the most historically accurate synopsis of the evening before the battle of Copenhage:
"As soon as the fleet was at anchor, Lord Nelson had a consultation with a number of pilots and officers; and having digested his plan of operations most admirably in his own mind, proceeded with the assistance of Captains Riou and Foley, to draw up the following general orders ... should the wind be fair, and such as would carry the ships, if crippled off shore.”
Davidson (with some
artistic license) did a very commendable job of interpreting and dramatically depicting the event as written by his contemporaries Nicolas and Mahan. However, the details in his painting may have been overly relied upon by some of the later twentieth century authors.
Davidson also added a bit more to the legend of the spirited dinner by including Lt. Col. William Stewart at the dinner ... along with a midshipman who really should be someplace else, ensuring that his part ship and men are ready for the upcoming action.
There are still many more interesting questions (or shiny stones to look under) related to Davidson's intriguing painting, the related historical references and the events on the evening before the battle of Copenhagen:
- If Stewart did not write the circa 1808 anonymous Narrative, then who did? Comparing the circa 1808 Narrative with the 1801 Journal (and with other books and unpublished papers from that period) using today’s literary forensics techniques might yield interesting results.
- In Davidson's painting what was his intended symbolism of including the unidentified midshipman? He looks very similar to the midshipman that Davidson prominently included in the "On Hostile Ground - The landing of Nelson at Copenhagen" and in the "Lady Hamilton's first sight of Lord Nelson". (The uniform is likely not correct for the period. According to J.M. Drent's 1960 "British Naval Dress"; the round hat garnished with a loop of gold twist was not the normal cap worn by midshipmen until 1827 when it replaced the cocked hat for use at sea and became the standard headgear for all occasions in 1856.)
- From which estate was Davidson’s original painting "The Evening before the Battle of Copenhagen" sold into Canada in about 1949?
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WD