Horatio Nelson Autograph Letter Signed, Announcing His Promotion to Commodore from Gibraltar Bay - A Scarce Pre-Amputation Autograph

Nelson before the loss of his arm: a handwritten 1796 letter from Gibraltar Bay on assuming the rank of Commodore

ALS, signed before the loss of his arm, "Horatio Nelson," one page both sides, 7.5 x 9.5, December 12, 1796. Handwritten letter to "the Principal Officers & Commissioners of His Majesty's Navy," written from "La Minerve, Gibraltar Bay." In full: "Being appointed by Sir John Jervis on the 11th day of August last as a Commodore with a Captain under me, which appointment has been approved of by the Admiralty, I beg leave to acquaint you of it, and that I have drawn a bill this day for 15£ for Stationary being the allowance for a Junior flag officer, and I shall in due time draw for the same pay, being directed to enjoy the same allowance by my order to hoist the Pendant." In fine condition.

Written at a pivotal moment in Nelson’s rise to naval immortality, this letter dates to the closing weeks of 1796, when the 38-year-old captain had recently been elevated by Admiral Sir John Jervis to the rank of commodore. Penned aboard HMS Minerve in Gibraltar Bay, it concerns the practical financial allowances accompanying his new command, yet its timing gives the document exceptional historical resonance.

Within months, Nelson would distinguish himself spectacularly at the Battle of Cape St. Vincent in February 1797, personally leading the daring boarding actions that cemented his reputation for aggressive, unconventional command. Later that year, during the disastrous assault on Santa Cruz de Tenerife, a musket ball would shatter his right arm, necessitating its amputation. This boldly signed letter therefore preserves Nelson’s hand from the brief but consequential period before the wound that permanently altered both his physical life and the appearance of his autograph.