incompetence and contempt, before ordering him to be arrested. Beatty's court martial was convened aboard at the Nore on 4 August. After hearing the witnesses, which included the first and second lieutenants, a panel of 12 senior captains exonerated Beatty of all charges. In September 1795, Beatty was posted to the 38-gun frigate , but on 29 December, after barely three months, Amethyst was wrecked, having run aground near Guernsey in a heavy gale at night. The ship was forced to beach at Alderney. Beatty was more fortunate in his next posting, the 32-gun frigate , which he joined on 26 March 1796. The ship saw action on the coast of Portugal and Spain, and in the Mediterranean, taking many prizes. On 17 October 1799, while cruising off Spain, Alcmene, along with the frigates , , and , fought and captured the Spanish frigates Thetis and Santa Brigida. The British were delighted to discover that the ships were loaded with gold bullion and other valuable cargoes, realizing prize money totalling £652,000. Beatty's share came to £2,468, equal to 40 times his annual pay. Beatty left the Alcmene in March 1801, to serve aboard the 36-gun frigate until January 1802, when the Peace of Amiens was signed, and the war between France and England came an end. Beatty became a half-pay surgeon, receiving 2s. 6d a day. The peace was short-lived, however, and the Britain declared war in May 1803. In July, Beatty was warranted surgeon of the 74-gun ship of the line , which was deployed in the blockade of Brest throughout the stormy winter months, and into the next year. In June 1804, Spencer, while blockading the north-western Spanish port of Ferrol, struck rocks and was forced to return to Plymouth for repairs, after which she was sent to the Mediterranean, arriving in August 1804 to join Nelson's blockade of the French fleet at Toulon. In December 1804, Beatty was appointed surgeon of the flagship , succeeding fellow Ulsterman George Magrath, whom Nelson had appointed surgeon of the naval hospital at Gibraltar. Battle of Trafalgar On the day of the battle, 21 October 1805, Victory had 821 crewmen aboard, 62 of whom would be killed and 109 wounded. Beatty was personally called upon to undertake 11 amputations, mostly legs, actions that saved many lives. Only six wounded men subsequently died. However, when Nelson was himself wounded, Beatty did not