 After the battle Collingwood transferred his flag from the damaged HMS Royal Sovereign to the frigate HMS Euryalus , and on 22 October Neptune took the Royal Sovereign in tow . On 23 October , as the Franco @-@ Spanish forces that had escaped into Cadiz sortied under Commodore Julien <unk> , Neptune cast off the tow , surrendering the duty to HMS Mars , and took on board Villeneuve and several captured flag captains , who had originally been aboard Mars . As the weather continued to deteriorate Neptune sent her boats to assist in the evacuation of the Santísima Trinidad before she foundered . After riding out the storm she took the battered Victory , carrying Lord Nelson 's body , in tow on 26 October and brought her into Gibraltar on 28 October . 
