Nelson Dies at Trafalgar: Britain Rules the Seas

Horatio Nelson was shot by a French sniper at 1:15 p.m. on October 21, 1805, while standing on the quarterdeck of HMS Victory in full dress uniform, visible to any sharpshooter on the enemy ships. His officers had asked him to remove his medals or cover them. He refused. The Battle of Trafalgar destroyed the combined French and Spanish fleet without the British losing a single ship, ending Napoleon's plans to invade Britain and establishing the Royal Navy's dominance of the world's oceans for the next century. Nelson had entered the Navy at twelve, lost the sight in his right eye at Corsica in 1794, and had his right arm amputated after being hit by musket fire at Tenerife in 1797. By the time of Trafalgar he was the most famous man in Britain, adored by the public and his sailors alike, tolerated by an Admiralty that disapproved of his open affair with Emma Hamilton. His tactical innovation at Trafalgar was to divide his fleet into two columns that pierced the enemy line at right angles, accepting devastating fire during the approach in exchange for the ability to engage in close-quarters combat where British gunnery superiority would be decisive. The plan worked perfectly. Nelson died three hours after being shot, knowing the battle was won. His last words were either "God and my country" or "Kiss me, Hardy." Accounts differ. His body was preserved in a cask of brandy and spirits of wine for the voyage home. His funeral at St. Paul's Cathedral drew the largest crowds London had seen, and his statue atop the column in Trafalgar Square became one of the most recognizable monuments in the world.