Chance in History: Nelson’s Pursuit of Bonaparte, May-June 1798

On September 25th, 1796, the British fleet received orders to withdraw from the Mediterranean. That year, Napoleon’s victorious Italian campaign had deprived it of its bases; war with Spain now seemed imminent; and the maintenance of a Mediterranean fleet was likely to be a dangerous undertaking. On October 19th, as prospects on the Continent brightened a little, the Cabinet countermanded its orders.

The new orders, however, reached Admiral Jervis too late. And perhaps it was as well they did; for, owing to a grave error of judgment on the part of his subordinate, Admiral Man, Jervis was without a third of his fleet when the French and Spanish fleets joined forces. On November 2nd Jervis sailed from Corsica for Gibraltar, dejectedly leaving the Mediterranean to the enemy.