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 The bullet that killed Nelson.
The bullet that killed Nelson.
Nelson was noted for his considerable ability to inspire and bring out the best in his men, to the point that it gained a name: "The Nelson Touch". Famous even while alive, after his death he was lionized like almost no other military figure in British history (his only peers are the Duke of Marlborough and Nelson's contemporary, the Duke of Wellington). Most military historians believe Nelson's ability to inspire officers of the highest rank and seamen of the lowest was central to his many victories, as was his unequaled ability to both strategically plan his campaigns and tactically shift his forces in the midst of battle. He may have been the greatest field commander in history. Certainly, he stands as the greatest warrior afloat.
It must also be said that his "Nelson touch" also worked with non-seamen; he was beloved in England by virtually everyone. (The only people not affected by him were those offended by his affair with Lady Hamilton!) Now as then, he is a popular hero, included in the top 10 of the 100 Greatest Britons poll sponsored by the BBC and voted for by the public, and commemorated in the extensive Trafalgar 200 celebrations in 2005, including the International Fleet Review. Even today phrases such as "England expects" and "nelson" (meaning "111") remain closely associated with English sporting teams.
Monuments to Nelson
The monumental Barbados. A Monument in Great Yarmouth to Nelson was started before his death but only completed in 1819. This is sometimes known as the Britannia monument as it is topped by that martial female rather than a statue of Nelson; a statue of Nelson can however be found in the grounds of Norwich Cathedral alongside the other Napoleonic hero, the Duke of Wellington, near the school he attended.
In Montreal there is a monument to Nelson erected in 1809 in Place Jacques-Cartier which was a market place at the time. It has carved scenes from Nelson's career around the base and the statue on top was claimed to be the oldest public statue of Nelson in the world. It was removed for several years due to excessive weathering but has been replaced after restoration.
There is also the Nelson Island on the Sunshine Coast, British Columbia, Canada.
One of the most unique monuments was constructed on Salisbury Plain, within cannon shot of Stonehenge, on land then owned by the Marquess of Queensbury. The monument consists of a series of clumps of trees in otherwise arable farmland. Known as the "Nile Clumps" they have been arranged to represent the positioning of French and British ships at the Battle of the Nile, considered as Nelson's greatest tactical victory. Some clumps still survive, and work is underway to replant some of those that have "sunk". They stand on land owned by the National Trust, forming part of the Stonehenge Historic Landscape estate.
Nelson and the Royal Navy
 Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square.
Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square.
Victory is still kept on active commission in honour of Nelson — it is the flagship of the Royal Navy Museum at the Portsmouth Naval Base, in Portsmouth, England.
Two Royal Navy battleships have been named HMS Nelson in his honour. The Royal Navy celebrates Nelson every 21 October by holding Trafalgar Day dinners and toasting "The Immortal Memory" of Nelson.
The bullet that killed Nelson is permanently on display in the Grand Vestibule of Windsor Castle. The uniform that he wore during the battle, with the fatal bullet hole still visible, can be seen at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. A lock of Nelson's hair was given to the Imperial Japanese Navy from the Royal Navy after the Russo-Japanese War to commemorate the victory at the Battle of Tsushima. It is still on display at Kyouiku Sankoukan, a public museum maintained by the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
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Although Nelson's exploits are often claimed to have provided inspiration for fictional characters such as The Volcano Lover: A Romance, which centers around Lady Emma Hamilton's affair with him. Nelson himself appears as a ghost, in Amber Benson's and Christopher Golden's Ghosts of Albion. Barry Unsworth's Losing Nelson centers on the Nelson's actions in Naples in 1799.
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According to a legend, naval rum rather than brandy was used to preserve his body in a barrel until it was returned to England. It is claimed that his crew had drunk half of the rum from the barrel by the time they reached London; the crew were supposed to have sucked out the rum using thin straws. However, this legend is unlikely, due to the great respect that the crew had for Nelson, and because his body was guarded night and day by a marine. Nevertheless, this legend has given rise to the slang term "tapping the Admiral", meaning illicit drinking, and may be related to the nickname given to Naval rum rations later, "Nelson's Blood" (although this may possibly be a deliberate echo of the Communion ritual).
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This article incorporates text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, a publication in the public domain.
Coleman, Terry (2004). The Nelson Touch: The life and legend, Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195173228.
Hayward, Joel S. A. (2003). For God and Glory: Lord Nelson and His Way of War.
Knight, Rodger (2005). The Pursuit of Victory: The Life and Achievement of Horatio Nelson, Basic Books.
Vincent, Edgar (2003). Nelson: Love & Fame, Basic Books.
Hibbert, Christopher (1994). Nelson A Personal History., Basic Books.
Pocock, Tom (1987). Horatio Nelson, London: The Bodley Head. ISBN 0370311248.
Beatty, William (1807). The Death of Lord Nelson.
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