Nelson lost his arm at Battle of Santa Cruz, 1797

How Lord Nelson reacted to losing his arm: Letter reveals Battle of Trafalgar hero's stoic words after limb savaged by a musket ball was amputated... without anaesthetic

An emotive letter by Admiral Lord Nelson after he lost his arm has emerged after 228 years.

The British naval hero thanked God for a 'perfect recovery from a severe wound' and said he was desperate to return to the seas with utmost haste.

Nelson had his right limb blown off by a musket ball during the Battle of Santa Cruz in Tenerife in 1797.

He famously told his surgeon afterwards 'I want to get rid of this useless piece of flesh here'.

Showing his characteristic steely determination, he quickly trained himself to write with his weaker left hand.

On December 8, 1797, five months after his amputation, he wrote: 'An officer desires to return thanks to almighty God for his perfect recovery from a severe wound, and also for the many mercies bestowed upon him.'

The note was sent from Nelson to the Curate of St George's, Hanover Square.

Nine months later, Nelson won a decisive victory over the French at the Battle of the Nile as his legend grew.

An emotive letter by Admiral Lord Nelson after he lost his arm has emerged after 228 years. The British naval hero thanked God for a 'perfect recovery from a severe wound'

The letter, which emerged from a private collection, sold for a hammer price of £3,200 at London-based auctioneers Spink & Son.

Spink & Son manuscripts specialist Thomas Fell said: 'Nelson famously lost his right arm in the Battle of Santa Cruz, Tenerife.

'This is a well-preserved and a dramatic note giving a sense not only of the severity of Nelson's wound but also of his deep faith.'

On learning that Admiral Adam Duncan had defeated the Dutch fleet at the Battle of Camperdown in October 1797, Nelson reputedly said he would have given his other arm to have been present.

He spent the final months of 1797 recuperating in London, before returning to the seas in March 1798 on HMS Vanguard.

The Battle of the Nile, where A British fleet, led by Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson, decisively defeated a French fleet under Vice-Admiral François-Paul Brueys d'Aigalliers, which had escorted Napoleon's army to Egypt.

The note was sent from Nelson to the Curate of St George's, Hanover Square

An illustration of Nelson that shows the pinned sleeve of his missing right arm

Nelson masterminded his greatest triumph over the French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805.

After urging his men to 'do their duty', he was shot dead by a French sniper.

Battle of Trafalgar: Epic sea clash that laid foundations for Britain's global power - and claimed the life of Lord Admiral Nelson

 Nelson's (above) triumph at Trafalgar gave Britain control of the seas and laid the foundation for Britain's global power for more than a century

Fought on October 21, 1805, the Battle of Trafalgar is one of history's most epic sea clashes.

Not only did it see Britain eliminate the most serious threat to security in 200 years, but it also saw the death of British naval hero Admiral Lord Nelson.

This was not before his high-risk, but acutely brave strategy won arguably the most decisive victory in the Napoleonic wars. Nelson's triumph gave Britain control of the seas and laid the foundation for Britain's global power for more than a century.

Despite signing a peace treaty in 1803, the two nations were at war and fought each other in seas around the world.

After Spain allied with France in 1804, the newly-crowned French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte had enough ships to challenge Britain.

In October 1805, French Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve led a Combined French and Spanish fleet of 33 ships from the Spanish port of Cadiz to face Nelson and Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood.

Fought on October 21, 1805, the Battle of Trafalgar is one of history's most epic sea clashes. Not only did it see Britain eliminate the most serious threat to security in 200 years, but it also saw the death of British naval hero Admiral Lord Nelson

Nelson, fresh from chasing Villeneuve in the Caribbean, led the 27-ship fleet charge in HMS Victory, while Vice Admiral Collingwood sailed in Royal Sovereign.

Battles at sea had until then been mainly inconclusive, as to fire upon the opposing ship, each vessel had to pull up along side one another (broadside) which often resulted in equal damage.

Nelson bucked this trend by attacking the Combined Fleet line head on - and sailed perpendicular towards the fleet, exposing the British to heavy fire. 

He attacked in two columns to split the Combined Fleet's line to target the flagship of Admiral Villneuve.

11. 30am Lord Nelson famously declared that 'England expects that every man will do his duty', in reference to the command that the ships were instructed to think for themselves. The captains had been briefed on the battle plan three weeks before, and were trusted to bravely act on their own initiative and adapt to changing circumstances - unlike their opponents who stuck to their command.

Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood led the first column and attacked the rear of the line, and broke through. 

Nelson sailed directly for the head of the Combined Fleet to dissuade them from doubling back to defend the rear. But before he reached them, he changed course to attack the middle of the line - and Villeneuve's flagship.

Speeding toward the centre of the line, HMS Victory found no space to break through as Villeneuve's flagship was being tightly followed - forcing Nelson to ram through at close quarters. 

In the heat of battle, and surrounded on three sides, Nelson was fatally shot in the chest by a well-drilled French musketeer.

The Combined Fleet's vanguard finally began to come to the aid of Admiral Villeneuve, but British ships launch a counter-attack.

Admiral Villeneuve struck his colours along with many other ships in the Combined Fleet and surrendered.

4.14pm HMS Victory Captain Thomas Masterman Hardy dropped below deck to congratulate Nelson on his victory.

4.30pm With the knowledge he has secured victory, but before the battle had officially concluded, Lord Nelson died. 

5.30pm French ship Achille blew up signalling the end of the battle - in all 17 Combined Fleet ships surrendered.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15133393/Lord-Nelson-arm-stoic-words-amputated.html

Admiral Lord Nelson

Nelson was shot and killed by a French sniper at the Battle of Trafalgar. Above: Benjamin West's painting 'The Death of Nelson'

Pictured in all her glory: HMS Victory at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard with Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth in the the background 

Pictured is a depiction of what the Battle of Trafalgar looked like on October 21, 1805

Nelson's sword

The telescope used by Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805

The telescope is understood to be in excellent condition

Horatio Nelson 

HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship during the battle of Trafalgar, 21st October, 1805

Nelson's 'Band of Brothers' fought with him at Battle of the Nile

Of the 13 French ships that went into action against Nelson's at the Battle of the Nile, all but four were either sunk or captured.

Afterwards Nelson declared that 'victory is not a name strong enough for such a scene'.

He went on the quote Shakespeare's Henry V to describe his 14 loyal captains who served under him at the Nile and called them his 'Band of Brothers'.

Of the 13 French ships that went into action against Nelson's fleet, all but four were either sunk or captured

The British took the French by surprise and attacked their ships on both sides, using daring and expert manoeuvres, sailing dangerously close to shore.

The British victory made Nelson a hero overnight.

'Forget Trafalgar... the Battle of the Nile was Nelson's finest hour'

Many historians agree that the Battle of the Nile was more significant than Trafalgar, the battle in which Nelson died. It was during this conflict that Généreux was nearly taken by the Lord Admiral's men but the ship managed to escaped - only to be captured two years later.

In August 1798, the French were at anchor in Aboukir Bay in shallow water, using the shore to protect the south-western side of the fleet, while the north-eastern faced open sea.

Although the ships were chained together, Nelson believed the chain between the last ship in the line and the shore was sunk deep enough to let a vessel pass.

In a daring night-time manoeuvre, his fleet slipped through the gap and attacked the French on their unprotected side.

The battle established Britain as the dominant sea power during the French revolutionary wars and was immortalised in the poem Casablanca, known for its opening line 'The boy stood on the burning deck'.

Nelson's flagship during the battle was the Vanguard. Other British ships commemorated by surviving copses include the Minotaur, Defence, Swiftsure, Theseus, Orion, Bellerophon and Alexander.

Stephen Fisher of the National Trust said: 'The Battle of the Nile in 1798 was one of Nelson's most significant clashes with Napoleon.

'Forget Trafalgar, this was Nelson's finest hour and at the time was his most famous victory.'

Divers pull out a 200-year-old canon (pictured) from the ship wreck of the Orient, the French fleet's flagship during the Battle of the Nile