The 'Agamemnon' cuts out French vessels from Port Maurice, near Oneglia, 1 June 1796, 1810...

Creator: Nicolas Pocock The second, but fourth in order of events, in a series of ten drawings (PAF5871- 5874, PAF5876, PAF5880-5881 and PAF5883-5885) of mainly lesser-known incidents in Nelson's career, apparently intended for a set of engravings. Pocock's own numbered description of the subject in a letter of 2 June 1810 (see below) is: '2. The 'Agamemnon' cutting out a Convoy of Vessells (with Implements for the Siege of Mantua) in Oneglia Bay.' This suggests that its received title of ' The 'Agamemnon' cuts out French vessels from the Bays of Alassio and Laigueglia' is probably a later mistake. During Nelson's patrolling on the French and Italian rivieras at this time, he did take a French corvette at Alassio in July 1795, mount a boat attack at Oneglia that August, and cut out four vessels from Finale in April 1796. However, the number of ships shown including a bomb vessel immediately left of 'Agamemnon' (seen in stern view), and Pocock's identification, strongly suggest this is an incident on 1 June 1796 at Port Maurice - then in France - when Nelson cut out a French bomb, a brig and three ketches. Port Maurice, which finally became Italian as Porto Maurizio in 1815, is next to Oneglia and both are now part of the Italian city of Imperia. For the rather complex circumstances of the commission of these ten drawings, and Pocock's related letters, see PAF5871, ' View of St Eustatius with the 'Boreas'.'