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Auction: 24029 - Stamps and Covers of Great Britain
Lot: 5007

Great Britain
Napoleonic Wars
Lord Nelson - His Last Days
1805 (14 Sept.) letter signed to Charles Ogle, "Captain of His Majesty's Ship Unite" from the "Victory at St. Helens (Isle of Wight)" headed "Secret Rendezvous", reading "Off Cape St. Vincent where a Frigate will be stationed to give information where I am to be found. In the event of not meeting the said Frigate after cruising Twenty four hours, the ship in search of me must call off Cape St. Mary's and Cadiz approaching them with utmost caution."
Signed "Nelson & Bronte"; the head of the letter with autograph note in Ogle's hand "The Battle of Trafalgar was fought on Oct. 21st 1805, alas Lord Nelson was killed"

The letter affixed within leather bound folio opposite 1850 (20 March) autograph note signed from Charles Ogle remembering his brother, Edward Ogle who "served as midshipman while His Majesty commanded the Valliant 74 and died belonging to that ship. One day while dining with His Majesty at the Pavilion Brighton, he said 'Gentlemen I will give you a toast taught to me by Sir Charles Ogle's father Sir Chaloner Ogle. Peace of mind, a sound body, a clean shirt and a Guinea'. There were at least forty guests at table.". Signed "Char. Ogle, 4 Hyde Park Place. March 20th 1850".

Alongside, a piece has been inserted with watercolour hand illustrations of Nelson's famous "England expects every man will do his D-U-T-Y" signal, Ogle annotating each flag and giving endorses "This memorable signal was made by Lord Nelson just as the (?) Battle of Trafalgar commenced on the 21st of October 1805".

Some trivial foxing to pages as a result of mounting, nevertheless a wonderful compendium, the Nelson letter among the last fourteen written by him.

Notes: At 22:30, Friday 13th September 1805, Nelson left Merton, and "all which I hold dear in this world" [private diary entry] and headed to Portsmouth, boarding the Victory at St. Helens. St. Helens would be Nelson's last sight of England. Ogle, the letter's addressee was in the Mediterranean scouting for safe routes ahead of Nelson's journey.
This order instructs that should any ship looking for Nelson should call at Cape St. Mary's and then on to Cadiz.
On the 17th Nelson wrote to Lady Hamilton that he was signalling the ships at Plymouth to join him, and entreating that "my dear Emma ... you will cheer up; and we will look forward to many, many happy years, and be surrounded by our children's children. God Almighty can, when he pleases, remove the impediment.
By the 25th September Nelson was off Lisbon and wrote to the Consul, James Gambier, to keep this most secret.
By the 27th September, Nelson wrote a further letter headed "Secret Rendezvous" off Cape St. Vincent instructing that "the rendezvous of the Fleet under my command will be between Cape St. Mary's and Cadiz. Ships, therefore, in search of me, not falling in with the Fleet off the former place, must approach the latter with the utmost caution; and should I have left Cadiz in pursuit of the Enemy, a Vessel of War will be stationed off Cape Spartel with information where I am gone to.".
Nelson would write just a few times more before being killed in action at Trafalgar.
Royal Greenwich Museum hold a letter of the same date, location and content to Lieutenant (Robert Benjamin) Young [ID: AGC/N/24].

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Sold for
£9,500

Starting price
£3000