"Band of brothers" was a phrase used by Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson to refer to the captains under his command just before and at the Battle of the Nile in 1798. [1] The phrase, taken from Shakespeare's St Crispin's Day Speech of Henry V , later came to be more generally applied to his relationship with the captains and men under his command, such as at the Battle of Trafalgar.
One of Nelson's earliest uses of the phrase is in a letter written shortly after the Spanish entry into the war. Nelson, eager for action, had hoped to be given command of a squadron cruising off the Spanish coast, but was passed over. Dismayed, he wrote of his indignation and disappointment, but added:
Yet, if I know my own thoughts, it is not for myself, or on my own account chiefly, that I feel the sting and the disappointment! No! it is for my brave officers; for my noble-minded friends and comrades. Such a gallant set of fellows! Such a band of brothers! My heart swells at the thought of them! [2]
Shortly afterwards, the French fleet sailed from Toulon under the command of Vice-Admiral Brueys, carrying Napoleon and a French invasion force bound for Malta and Egypt. The British commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, Admiral Sir John Jervis reinforced Nelson with several ships of the line and sent him in search of the French. Nelson was initially unsuccessful, missing the French when they passed by, and invaded, Malta in June. They then sailed on to Egypt, and carried out a successful landing at Alexandria in early July. Nelson finally caught up with the French fleet on 1 August, anchored in Aboukir Bay. Nelson immediately prepared an attack, taking the French by surprise, and won a decisive victory, capturing or burning most of the fleet. [3]
Under Nelson's command at this time were:
| Commander | Ship | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Capt. Edward Berry | Vanguard | Nelson's flag captain |
| Capt. Alexander Ball | Alexander | |
| Capt. Davidge Gould | Audacious | |
| Capt. Henry D'Esterre Darby | Bellerophon | |
| Capt. Thomas Troubridge | Culloden | |
| Capt. John Peyton | Defence | |
| Capt. Thomas Foley | Goliath | |
| Capt. Thomas Boulden Thompson | Leander | |
| Capt. George Blagdon Westcott | Majestic | Killed during the battle |
| Capt. Thomas Louis | Minotaur | |
| Capt. Sir James Saumarez | Orion | Nelson's second in command |
| Capt. Benjamin Hallowell | Swiftsure | |
| Capt. Ralph Willet Miller | Theseus | |
| Capt. Samuel Hood | Zealous | |
| Lt. Thomas Hardy | Mutine | |
Of the brothers, Nelson had already served alongside several. Miller had commanded HMS Captain as Nelson's flag captain at the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1797, where Troubridge had commanded HMS Culloden. The Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife some months later reunited Miller and Troubridge, whilst Captains Hood and Thompson were also present. [3] Andrew Lambert has written that the captains at the Nile were "outstanding officers", though he excepted Edward Berry, due to being "prone to serious errors of judgement at sea and in combat". [4] In the immediate aftermath of the battle the surviving captains agreed to commission a sword and a portrait of Nelson as a "proof of their esteem" for his "prompt decision and intrepid conduct", prompting Nelson to stress that "the conduct of every officer was equal". Nelson wished to avoid the bitter controversy that had erupted after the Glorious First of June, when Lord Howe's dispatch had omitted mention of many of the captains who had fought under him. [4] A similar situation had followed the Battle of Cape St Vincent, at which Nelson himself had fought. Several captains were passed over in Jervis's account, and became jealous of those who had had their exploits reported. [4]
Nelson therefore acted to forestall any criticism, and also to ensure that all his captains were rewarded with Naval Gold Medals. This was particularly important as one of Nelson's closest confidants, Thomas Troubridge, had played virtually no part in the battle, after his ship had run aground before reaching the French. [4] Nelson had an uncomfortable relationship with Saumarez, the senior captain in the squadron, and thus ex officio his second in command. A. T. Mahan thought that Troubridge was likely Nelson's preferred choice, but he found himself unable to replace Saumarez. When writing his dispatch Nelson made no mention of either Saumarez or Troubridge being senior to one another, either to avoid naming Saumarez as his second in command, or to spare Troubridge embarrassment after the grounding of his ship". [5] After Lord Howe's dispatch, a number of captains at the Glorious First of June had not been awarded medals, and by employing the term "band of brothers", Nelson declared that all of the captains were worthy of recognition. His tactic was successful, even Howe had commented that the battle was particularly significant as "every captain distinguished himself". [4]
After the battle Nelson wrote a number of letters and dispatches, often using the term "band of brothers" to refer to those who had fought alongside him. To his commanding officer, Lord St Vincent, he wrote, referring to Alexander Ball,
His activity and zeal are eminently conspicuous even amongst the Band of Brothers - each, as I may have occasion to mention them, must call forth my gratitude and admiration.The Nelson Society 2008
He wrote another dispatch whilst at Naples on 8 January 1799 to Earl Howe, declaring "I had the happiness to command a Band of Brothers...". [6]
According to Andrew Lambert, while Nelson "considered all had been equally valiant, he did not mean that all had been equally able, or equally significant". [4] Some had been competent and brave without particularly distinguishing themselves. The weakest of the brothers was held to be Davidge Gould. Though Gould had been in action before, and had not disgraced himself at the Nile or previously, Lambert considered that his "wooden, unimaginative handling of his ship during the battle stood in stark contrast to the bold, decisive action of his fellow captains, and fell far below the standard that Nelson expected". [4] Darby, Peyton and Gould were not invited to join Nelson's forces again. [4] Nelson had planned to replace Gould, selecting George Murray instead. Murray became the missing brother, his ship required a major refit and he was unable to take part in the battle. [4]
Nelson's ability to inspire his captains, and to leave them free to fight their ships as they believed best in the heat of the battle was linked to his description of the captains as his "band of brothers", and later came to be referred in a general manner to those under his command later in his career. His close consultation with them before actions was considered an important factor. When describing the preparations for Trafalgar, the Cambridge History of Warfare remarked "...Nelson consulted regularly with his captains until that 'band of brothers' understood his goals and methods..." [7] Describing one of these conferences Nelson himself wrote
[W]hen I came to explain to them the "Nelson Touch", it was like an electric shock. Some shed tears, all approved...and from Admirals downwards it was repeated - "It must succeed, if ever they allow us to get at them! You are, my Lord, surrounded by friends whom you inspire with confidence". [7]
Of the officers who served with him at the Nile, 13 would later reach flag rank. The exceptions were Westcott, killed during the battle, and Miller, who was killed during an accidental explosion aboard his ship in 1799. [3] Some of the surviving brothers would serve under Nelson again. At the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, Hardy had command of his own ship, whilst Foley was Nelson's flag captain. Thompson was also present, losing a leg in the action. Hardy was Nelson's flag captain aboard HMS Victory at Trafalgar, where Berry also commanded a ship. [3]
| Brother | Lieutenant | Commander | Captain | Rear Admiral | Vice Admiral | Admiral |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Edward Berry | 1794 | 1796 | 1797 | 1821 | — | — |
| Sir Alexander Ball | 1778 | 1782 | 1783 | 1805 | — | — |
| Sir Davidge Gould | 1779 | 1782 | 1789 | 1807 | 1811 | 1825 |
| Sir Henry D'Esterre Darby | 1776 | 1781 | 1783 | 1804 | 1810 | 1819 |
| Sir Thomas Troubridge | 1781 | 1782 | 1783 | 1804 | — | — |
| John Peyton | 1772 | 1782 | 1783 | 1805 | — | — |
| Sir Thomas Foley | 1778 | 1782 | 1790 | 1808 | 1812 | 1825 |
| George Blagdon Westcott | 1777 | 1787 | 1790 | — | — | — |
| Sir Thomas Louis | 1777 | 1781 | 1783 | 1804 | — | — |
| Lord Saumarez | 1778 | 1781 | 1782 | 1801 | 1806 | 1814 |
| Sir Benjamin Hallowell | 1783 | 1790 | 1793 | 1811 | 1819 | 1830 |
| Ralph Willet Miller | 1781 | 1794 | 1796 | — | — | — |
| Sir Samuel Hood | 1780 | 1782 | 1788 | 1807 | 1811 | — |
| Sir Thomas Thompson | 1782 | 1786 | 1790 | 1809 | 1814 | — |
| Sir Thomas Hardy | 1793 | 1797 | 1798 | 1825 | 1837 | — |
Nelson's inspirational and motivational abilities became the subject of later study. [8] Some analysts see the "band of brothers" as "implying social equality in the service of the country". [9] The phrase "band of brothers" has continued to be popular as a reference to a close-knit community, usually of military figures. However Brian Lavery noted that Nelson consulted only a privileged inner group of his officers, and never assembled all his captains on board the flagship. Instead he transmitted his orders and plans for battle in simple written instructions, occasionally reinforced by verbal briefings. He then relied on his captains' intelligence and experience to act decisively in the heat of battle. [4]
The phrase was used to refer generally to captains and officers who served with Nelson, or simply during the same period as him. Nelson intended it to refer only to the captains who had fought with him at the Nile. [4] Those captains under him at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801 he described as "a very distinguish'd sett of fine fellows". [4]
While Nelson was in England before returning to sea for the Trafalgar campaign, Lord Barham, First Lord of the Admiralty, offered Nelson the Naval List and asked him to take his pick, Nelson replied "Choose yourself, my Lord, the same spirit actuates the whole profession; you cannot choose wrong". [10]
Andrew Lambert remarked that the phrase "band of brothers" has become a descriptor of the captains of the Royal Navy in Nelson's time "because it captures the unity and cohesion possessed by a supremely professional fighting force, led by an admiral of genius who inspired those under his command with a sense of fellowship, of shared endeavour, and of national pride". [4]
The Battle of the Nile was a major naval battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the Navy of the French Republic at Aboukir Bay on the Mediterranean coast off the Nile Delta of Egypt from the 1st to the 3rd of August 1798. The battle was the climax of a naval campaign that had raged across the Mediterranean during the previous three months, as a large French convoy sailed from Toulon to Alexandria carrying an expeditionary force under General Napoleon Bonaparte. The British fleet was led in the battle by Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson; they decisively defeated the French under Vice-Admiral François-Paul Brueys d'Aigalliers.
The Battle of Cape St. Vincent was one of the opening battles of the Anglo-Spanish War (1796–1808), as part of the French Revolutionary Wars, where a British fleet under Admiral Sir John Jervis defeated a greatly superior Spanish fleet under Admiral Don José de Córdoba y Ramos near Cape St. Vincent, Portugal.
HMS Bellerophon, known to sailors as the "Billy Ruffian", was a ship of the line of the Royal Navy. A third-rate of 74 guns, she was launched in 1786. Bellerophon served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, mostly on blockades or convoy escort duties. She fought in three fleet actions: the Glorious First of June (1794), the Battle of the Nile (1798) and the Battle of Trafalgar (1805). While the ship was on blockade duty in 1815, Napoleon boarded Bellerophon so he could surrender to the ship's captain, ending 22 years of almost continuous war between Britain and France.
Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy, 1st Baronet, GCB was a British Royal Navy officer. He took part in the Battle of Cape St. Vincent in February 1797, the Battle of the Nile in August 1798 and the Battle of Copenhagen in April 1801 during the French Revolutionary Wars. He served as flag captain to Admiral Lord Nelson, and commanded HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in October 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars. Nelson was shot as he paced the decks with Hardy, and as he lay dying, Nelson's famous remark of "Kiss me, Hardy" was directed at him. Hardy went on to become First Naval Lord in November 1830 and in that capacity refused to become a Member of Parliament and encouraged the introduction of steam warships.
Admiral of the Red James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez, GCB was an admiral of the British Royal Navy, known for his victory at the Second Battle of Algeciras.
Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood was an admiral of the Royal Navy, notable as a partner with Lord Nelson in several of the British victories of the Napoleonic Wars, and frequently as Nelson's successor in commands.
Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Troubridge, 1st Baronet was a Royal Navy officer. As a junior officer he saw action at the Battle of Sadras in February 1782 during the American Revolutionary War and the Battle of Trincomalee in September 1782 during the Anglo-French War. He commanded the third-rate Culloden at the Battle of Cape St Vincent in February 1797 during the French Revolutionary Wars. He went on to be First Naval Lord and then served as Commander-in-Chief, East Indies, during the Napoleonic Wars.
Rear Admiral Sir Edward Berry, 1st Baronet, KCB was an officer in Britain's Royal Navy primarily known for his role as flag captain of Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson's ship HMS Vanguard at the Battle of the Nile, prior to his knighthood in 1798. He had a long and prestigious naval career and also commanded HMS Agamemnon at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Captain Sir William Hoste, 1st Baronet KCB was a Royal Navy officer. Best known as one of Lord Nelson's protégés, Hoste was one of the great frigate captains of the Napoleonic Wars, taking part in six major engagements, including the capture of the heavily fortified port of Kotor during the Adriatic campaign of 1807–1814. He was, however, absent from the Battle of Trafalgar, having been sent with gifts to the Dey of Algiers.
Admiral Sir Robert Calder, 1st Baronet, was a British naval officer who served in the Seven Years' War, the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. For much of his career he was regarded as a dependable officer, and spent several years as Captain of the Fleet under Admiral Sir John Jervis. However, he is chiefly remembered for his controversial actions following the Battle of Cape Finisterre in 1805 which resulted in his court-martial. Though he was removed from his sea command, he was retained in the Navy and later served as Commander-in-Chief of the base at Plymouth.
Admiral Sir Thomas Foley GCB was a Royal Navy officer and "Hero of the Battle of the Nile".
Rear-Admiral Sir George Johnstone Hope, KCB, KSO was a British naval officer, who served with distinction in the Royal Navy throughout the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, including service at the Battle of Trafalgar. A close personal friend of Admiral Nelson, he received many honours following the battle, and later served as a Lord of the Admiralty.
Captain Edward Rotheram CB was a senior officer of the British Royal Navy, who served for many years during the American War of Independence, French Revolutionary War and Napoleonic Wars. During his service, Rotheram saw action at several major naval engagements, including as a lieutenant at the Glorious First of June in 1794 and as captain of HMS Royal Sovereign at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Although he was highly praised for his actions at both battles, he was not well regarded in the service, being once described by his admiral at Trafalgar, Cuthbert Collingwood, as "a man of no talent as a sea officer" and "a stupid man".
Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Louis, 1st Baronet was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw action during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars. He was one of Horatio Nelson's "Band of Brothers" in the Mediterranean in 1798, commanding a ship at the Battle of the Nile. Later, he was second in command at the Battle of San Domingo, for which service he was made a baronet.
Admiral Sir Benjamin Hallowell Carew was a senior officer in the Royal Navy. He was one of the select group of officers, referred to by Lord Nelson as his "Band of Brothers", who served with him at the Battle of the Nile.
Ralph Willett Miller was an officer of the Royal Navy. He served during the American Revolutionary and the French Revolutionary Wars, eventually rising to the rank of Captain. He was one of Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson's Band of Brothers at the Battle of the Nile in 1798.
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, was one of the leading British flag officers in the Royal Navy of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, responsible for several important victories over the French and Spanish navies during a time of crisis for the country. He was widely lauded for his success, and praised for his skill and daring. After his death during the Battle of Trafalgar, he became revered as a British hero, and his fame reached new heights. Large numbers of monuments and memorials have been created in his honour, and he has continued to influence British culture and society.
Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics brought about a number of decisive British naval victories during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest naval commanders in history. His victory on 21 October 1805 at the Battle of Trafalgar led to British naval supremacy for over another century and beyond.
The siege of Malta, also known as the siege of Valletta or the French blockade, was a two-year siege and blockade of the French garrison in Valletta and the Three Cities, the largest settlements and main port on the Mediterranean island of Malta, between 1798 and 1800. Malta had been captured by a French expeditionary force during the Mediterranean campaign of 1798, and garrisoned with 3,000 soldiers under the command of Claude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois. After the British Royal Navy destroyed the French Mediterranean Fleet at the Battle of the Nile on 1 August 1798, the British were able to initiate a blockade of Malta, assisted by an uprising among the native Maltese population against French rule. After its retreat to Valletta, the French garrison faced severe food shortages, exacerbated by the effectiveness of the British blockade. Although small quantities of supplies arrived in early 1799, there was no further traffic until early 1800, by which time starvation and disease were having a disastrous effect on the health, morale, and combat capability of the French troops.
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