NELSON, Horatio, Viscount Nelson.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

Secret passwords for the Trafalgar Campaign, signed by Nelson ("Nelson & Bronte"). Within a month of Trafalgar and with Victory off Cape St Vincent, Nelson despatches passwords, or paroles, to Captain Edward Codrington of the Orion. The Victory's position, at the southwest tip of Portugal, was close to the scene of Earl St Vincent's victory in 1797, when Nelson's audacious actions laid the foundations of his legend.In full:"Secret. Paroles.A Spanish Jack shown with the Numeral Flags indicates the Parole for the ensuing nights. 52 York. 53 Dorset. 54 Essex. 55 Bath. 56 Townsend. 57 Montague. 58 Landsdown. 59 Stafford. 60 Plymouth. 61 Clarence. 62 Berkeley. 63 Carlisle.Given onboard the Victory at sea the 26th day of Septemr. 1805.To Edward Codrington Esqr., Captain of His Majesty's Ship Orion".On this date Nelson also signed an order placing Codrington (1770-1851) under his command (held by the National Maritime Museum). Codrington had never served with Nelson before September 1805 "and yet he quickly became an admirer. Moreover, he showed by his actions at Trafalgar that he both understood, and fully supported, Nelson's battle plan and style of fighting. Alone of all the Trafalgar captains, he later commanded a British fleet in battle, at Navarino in 1827" (1805 Club website). At Trafalgar the Orion was in Nelson's van division and with Ajax forced the surrender of the French 74-gun Intrépide."Paroles" was the term used in the Navy for "the words for hailing another ship … It

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.