of over 13,000 words! However, the paper proved such an exciting tale of secrecy, subterfuge, and danger that we had to publish it. It is a biography of Chevalier d’Imbert – a French naval officer and a royalist intelligence agent during the turmoil of the French Revolution and through Napoleon’s and fall. d’imbert’s loyalty to the French monarchy led to his exile in Italy, espionage on the behalf of Britain, and eventual imprisonment in France; a unique perspective on the role of intelligence during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. In our biographical offerings, dr david Rothwell analyses the complexities of naval leadership when a commanding officer must prioritise his mission, glory and riches, and the health of his men. Rothwell’s example is Admiral Sir John Thomas duckworth 1st Baronet, GCB, who, while faithfully fulfilling his mission in the West Indies, also had to countenance the loss of thousands of men due to malaria and yellow fever. He faced a difficult choice between duty and caring for the health of his men. Would you consider his actions typical for the period? Joshua Penny (1788–1815) was an American merchant ship sailor, who was impressed into the Royal Navy and was transferred from ship to ship. He deserted in South Africa, where he encountered additional misfortune. Eventually he took refuge in a cave. How he returned to the US after a nineyear absence is a saga of luck, risk-taking, and hardship. The story comes from award-winning author and historian dr William S dudley, former director of the US Navy Historical Center, now Naval History and Heritage Command in Washington, dC. Who was the last survivor of the Battle of Trafalgar? Several people claimed that distinction. Another award-winning author, dr Hilary Rubinstein from Melbourne, Australia examines the question through her analysis of late nineteenth-century news articles on the subject. Turning to General Interest, this year’s Trafalgar Chronicle garnered five gems. dr Kevin d McCranie of the US Naval War College documents the debates in Parliament during the War of 1812. dr Branden L Bliss of Hawaii Pacific University offers the cruise of the US Frigate Essex, 1812–1814, and her defeat at Valparaiso. dr Samantha Cavell of Southeastern Louisiana University examines the controversy surrounding the coppering of Britain’s ships during the American War of Independence. dr John Law, an expert on Italian medieval and renaissance studies, brings us a riveting tale about how Villeneuve’s flagship at Trafalgar, Bucentaure, acquired her name. Professor Ricardo Caetano de Moraes, of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, gives us a glimpse into the early political wranglings of the Portuguese Royalty concerning who would rule the coastal territories of South America, centering on the Rio de la Plata, 1808–1810. THE TRAFALGAR CHRONICLE 8
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