Editing Battle of Copenhagen (1801) (section)

===End of the battle===
[[File:Christian Mølsted - Slaget på Rheden.png|thumb|upright=1.2|left|''The Battle of Copenhagen'' by Christian Mølsted. It shows a situation in the battle where Admiral Nelson sends a message - the small boat carrying Union Jack and a white flag - to the Danish side.]]
It was at this time that the battle swung decisively to the British, as their superior gunnery took effect. The guns of the dozen southernmost Danish ships had started to fall silent owing to the damage they had sustained, and the fighting moved northward. According to British eyewitness accounts, much of the Danish line had fallen silent by 2:00 pm.<ref name="autogenerated4">Clarke and McArthur, p. 608</ref><ref group=note>Some Danish historians{{who|date=April 2014}} contest the timing, stating that the entire Danish-Norwegian line continued to resist until 2:30 pm.{{Citation needed|date=January 2008}}</ref> The cessation of firing left the way open for the British bomb vessels to approach Copenhagen. In addition, the reinforcements of the ships from the shore batteries were causing the latter to become ineffective.

''Nyborg'' tried to leave the line with ''Aggershuus'' in tow, but both sank. The most northerly ship, the frigate ''Hjælperen'', successfully withdrew. The Danish commander, [[Commodore (rank)|Commodore]] [[Olfert Fischer]], moved from ''Dannebrog'' at 11:30 am, when it caught fire, to ''Holsteen''. When ''Indfødsretten'', immediately north of ''[[HDMS Holsteen|Holsteen]]'', struck its colours at about 2:30 pm, he moved on to the ''Tre Kroner'' fortress. There he engaged three of Parker's ships,{{Clarify|date=May 2009}}<!-- A word missing here - one, two or all ? --> which had lost their manoeuvrability after being badly damaged and had drifted within range. ''Indfødsretten'' resumed firing after Captain Schrodersee was ferried to it and took command of the ship.<ref group=note>Schrodersee fell during the battle, and the Crown Prince honoured his sacrifice by later erecting a "broken shipmast" at the spot where Schrodersee was ordered to take command of ''Indfødsretten''.</ref>

Perhaps because of inexperienced crews, several Danish ships fired on British boats sent out to them after their officers had signalled their surrender. Nelson said that he "must either send on shore and stop this irregular proceeding, or send in our fire ships and burn them" and went to his cabin to write a note to the Danes. He sent it with a Danish-speaking officer, Captain Sir [[Frederick Thesiger (naval officer)|Frederick Thesiger]], under a flag of truce to the Danish-Norwegian regent, [[Crown Prince]] [[Frederick VI of Denmark|Frederik]], who had been watching the battle from the ramparts of the Citadel.<ref name="autogenerated4" /> The note read:

{{Quote|<poem>
To the Brothers of Englishmen, the Danes
Lord Nelson has directions to spare Denmark when she is no longer resisting, but if firing is continued on the part of Denmark, Lord Nelson will be obliged to set on fire the floating batteries he has taken, without having the power of saving the brave Danes who have defended them.</poem>|Nelson|<ref>[http://www.navalhistory.dk/danish/Historien/1801_1814/Englandskrigene_nelsonbr_PO.htm Danish Naval History website – Nelson's letter of 2 April 1801] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070816205044/http://www.navalhistory.dk/danish/Historien/1801_1814/Englandskrigene_nelsonbr_PO.htm |date=16 August 2007 }}</ref>}}

All action ceased when Crown Prince Frederick sent his Adjutant General, Hans Lindholm (a Danish member of parliament), asking for the reason for Nelson's letter. When he could not clearly communicate verbally, Lindholm was asked to put his message in written English, which he did, but being given a dull quill, he joked:
{{Quote|If your guns are not better pointed than your pens, then you will make little impression on Copenhagen.|Hans Lindholm|<ref>Pocock, pp. 237–38</ref>}}

In reply, Nelson wrote a note:
{{Quote|<poem>Lord Nelson's object in sending the Flag of Truce was humanity; he therefore consents that hostilities shall cease, and that the wounded Danes may be taken on shore. And Lord Nelson will take his prisoners out of the Vessels, and burn and carry off his prizes as he shall see fit.

Lord Nelson, with humble duty to His Royal Highness the Prince of Denmark, will consider this the greatest victory he has ever gained, if it may be the cause of a happy reconciliation and union between his own most gracious Sovereign, and His Majesty the King of Denmark.</poem>|Nelson|{{citation needed|date=April 2014}}}}

which was sent back to the Crown Prince. He then referred Lindholm to Parker on {{HMS|London|1766|6}}. Following him there at 4:00 pm,{{clarify|date=April 2014}} a twenty-four-hour ceasefire was agreed.<ref name="autogenerated3">Clarke and McArthur, p. 609</ref>