The 1805 Dispatches #24.05 October 2024 2 of 6 Lily Style, said to Lynda there is very little left, but she did send a link: https://emmahamiltonsociety.co.uk/visit. Finally, speaking of travel, I do hope that many of you will be travelling to Portsmouth to attend The Club’s annual Trafalgar Night Dinner at HMS Nelson on Saturday 19 October. I am looking forward to seeing you there. Yours aye, On 27 July, members of The 1805 Club and guests gathered for lunch to commemorate Rear Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson’s victory over the French fleet at Aboukir Bay, Egypt, near the mouth of the Nile. This decisive battle took place on 1 – 2 August 1798, beginning in the early evening and continuing into the night. The British fleet consisted of 13 third-rate ships-of-the-line, 74 guns each, plus the fourth-rate Leander, 52 guns. The French fleet of 14 ships-of-the-line included the 124-gun Orient, three 80-gun ships, and the remainder 74-gun ships. There were also four French frigates. The battle is notable for the decision by the lead ships of the British (Goliath, Captain Foley, and Zealous, Captain Hood) to risk rounding the head of the French fleet, the ships of which were seen to be at single anchor in relatively shallow waters, demonstrating that there was sea room for them to swing. The British were therefore able to attack the enemy from both the landward and seaward sides. This approach initiated a crossfire against the French ships, which, not anticipating such a move by the British, did not have their landward (port side) guns initially prepared for action. The French flagship L’Orient exploded at 2200. The victory was so comprehensive that only two French ships-of-the-line and two frigates escaped destruction or capture. Our luncheon took place at Il Porto Italian Restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia. Following lunch, we held a raffle for a beautiful Pusser’s Port decanter, the proceeds of which will benefit Club projects. The decanter was won by member Peter Pennington. Using Chairman John Rodgaard’s small ships, we then walked through the events leading up to the battle, and then the maneuvers of the British fleet during the battle. Everyone was assigned a British ship to “command,” and each person maneuvered their ship into proper position, resulting as anticipated in the decisive defeat of the French fleet. The Battle of the Nile commemorative get-together has been an annual event since 2022 for members and guests in the U.S. mid-Atlantic area. Picture Captions, Left: Top: The fleets prepared for action (photo by Pete Stark) Middle: Pamela Prevar, John Prevar, Catherine Lincoln, Peter Pennington, Mary Frances Jetton, Jeff Johnson, and Pete Stark (Photo by Judy Pearson) Bottom: Nathan Bein, Roxanne Satterfield, Jack Satterfield, Debbie Ritorzie, Chris Kurtz and Phil Puckett (Photo by Judy Pearson) Picture Captions, Right: Top: Making ready to maneuver: Pete Stark, Pamela Prevar, John Prevar, Mary Frances Jetton, Peter Pennington, Catherine Lincoln, and Jeff Johnson (Photo by Judy Pearson) Middle: Nathan Bein and Catherine Lincoln after the action (Photo by Pete Stark) Bottom: Pusser’s Port Decanter won by Peter Pennington (Photo by Judy Pearson) BATTLE OF THE NILE COMMEMORATIVE LUNCHEON – 27 JULY, 2024 Pete Stark The Deputy Governor’s Residence
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