A rare letter written on Jan. 4, 1806 to Capt. Thomas M. Hardy ("Kiss me Hardy") Flag Captain of HMS Victory during the Battle of Trafalgar (Oct. 21, 1805).

This is a letter written to Capt. Thomas Masterman Hardy, Flag Capt. of H M S Victory, on January 4, 1806, only a few months after the famous Battle of Trafalgar which took place on October 21, 1805. Admiral Lord Nelson was fatally wounded while standing next to Hardy. Nelson's final words were "Kiss me Hardy." The short letter was written to Hardy by Elizabeth Lawson regarding his request to hire a 'negro' man. Historical note: Hardy was the only senior officer who served in all of Nelson's principal battles, St. Vincent, the Nile, Copenhagen and Trafalgar.