Bounce, denied relief, and Collingwood's final handover

Collingwood's dog Bounce died late in 1809 while the admiral's own health was deteriorating. He asked to be relieved, but the government initially kept him at sea because it judged his services indispensable while France remained dangerous. By February 1810 Collingwood could barely walk, and both he and his doctors again pressed for his return home. Permission finally arrived that month. He handed immediate command to Rear-Admiral George Martin because the designated successor, Sir Charles Cotton, had not yet reached the Mediterranean.