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Naval History of Great Britain - Vol III
1801 Lord Nelson at Copenhagen 79

other vessels, which have already been named. Taking the Danish guns from the Danish accounts, we submit the following statement as not materially incorrect.

BRITISH DANISH
Long guns No No Long guns. No No
32 pounders 140   36 pounders 48  
24 pounders 74   24 pounders 360  
18 pounders 192   18 pounders 70  
12 pounders 22   12 pounders 98  
9 pounders 114   8 pounders 52  
6 pounders 6        
  ~~~~~ 548   ~~~~~ 628
Carronades.     Carronades.    
68 pounders 28        
42 pounders 26        
32 pounders 54   None apparently.    
24 pounders 8        
18 pounders 36        
  ~~~~~ 152      
  Total . 700 Total. . . . 628  

This, although something less than a "two-to-one" superiority, is sufficient to entitle Commodore Fischer, and the brave officers and men under his command, to great credit for the obstinate defence they made. As an instance of individual courage and devotion on the part of the Danes, and of most noble feeling on the part of Lord Nelson, we transcribe from the pages of a respectable periodical work the following anecdote: "During the repast (at the palace) Lord Nelson spoke in raptures of the bravery of the Danes, and particularly requested the prince to introduce him to a very young officer, whom be described as having performed wonders during the battle, by attacking his own ship immediately under her lower guns. It proved to be the gallant young Welmoes, a stripling of seventeen. The British hero embraced him with the enthusiasm of a brother, and delicately intimated to the prince that he ought to make him an admiral; to which the prince very happily replied, "If, my lord, I were to make all my brave officers admirals, I should have no captains or lieutenants in my service." This heroic youth had volunteered the command of a prame, which is a sort of raft, carrying six small cannon, and manned with 24 men, who pushed off from the shore, and in the fury of the battle placed themselves under the stern of Lord Nelson's ship, which they most successfully attacked, in such a manner that, although they were below the reach of the stern-chasers, the British marines made terrible slaughter amongst them: 20 of these gallant men fell by their bullets, but their young commander continued knee-deep in dead at his post, until the truce was announced."*

* Naval Chronicle, vol. xiv., p. 398.

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