Later biographers Clarke and McArthur made Nelson the central figure in the rescue of HMS Glasgow, displacing Captain Thomas Lloyd, Lieutenant Richard Oakley, and the crew. Nelson's own evidence to the court martial presents a different picture: Lloyd encouraged his men, the crew formed a line to fight the fire, and the powder was removed before evacuation. Nelson did provide boats and help carry survivors to Badger, so his contribution was real. The dispute concerns the scale of his role and who received credit. Comparing the heroic biography with contemporary testimony shows how a famous reputation can distort the record of a shipboard emergency.
Notable Point · 1:31:24-1:36:34
How Nelson's testimony corrects the HMS Glasgow rescue story
Nelson's own court-martial statement credits Captain Thomas Lloyd and HMS Glasgow's crew, undercutting later biographies that made Nelson the sole rescuer.