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The most famous of Britain's navel heroes at the time of the
Napoleonic wars. Horatio Nelson was born in a little village in
Norfolk, England. He entered the navy at the age of 12 and became
a captain by the time he was 20. He served in the West Indies,
the Baltic and Canada.
In 1793, Britain entered the French Revolutionary Wars and Nelson
commanded the British ship Agamemnon. He served brilliantly throughout
the following 5 years, culminating in the stranding of Napoleon
1 and the entire French army in Egypt.
Upon the renewal of the Napoleonic Wars (1803), Nelson commanded
the British fleet from the deck of the famous flagship H.M.S.
Victory.
For 22 months Nelson pursued the French fleet back and forth across the Atlantic until the combined forces entered into the final battle leading to the defeat of the French off of Cape Trafalgar. Nelson won this most spectacular victory but died in action.
Horatio Nelson was a remarkable man, a great naval tactician
and most victorious in battle, yet with a warm human passion that
lead to his famous and earthy love affair with Lady Emma Hamilton.
Their first meeting in 1793 proved unforgettable and 5 years later
Nelson returned to Naples. Lady Hamilton met his ship and fell
sobbing into his arm, as he had lost the other in battle. From
then on they were inseparable. As they both were already married,
Neopolitan society was amused with the gossip about the brave
admiral and his mistress. Theirs was an enduring love and in 1801
Lady Hamilton bore him a daughter. Although she received legacies
from both her husband and Nelson, she died in debt and obscurity.