No importance however need be attached to this, for although he was originally in Collingwood's division he may well have been transferred to Nelson's some time before.

It is only worthy of remark because Codrington, of all the advanced squadron captains, was the only one, so far as we know, who still considered the squadron a potential factor in the fleet and acted accordingly.

While Belleisle, Mars, Bellerophon and Colossus rushed into the fight in the van of Collingwood's line, Orion in the rear of Nelson's held her fire even when she got into action, and cruised about the _melee_, carefully seeking points where she could do most damage to an enemy, or best help an overmatched friend--well-judged piece of service, on which he dwells in his correspondence over and over again with pardonable complacency.

He was thus able undoubtedly to do admirable service in the crisis of the action.
That the bulk of his colleagues thought all idea of a reserve squadron had been abandoned by Nelson is clear, and the resulting change was certainly great enough to explain why some of the captains thought the plan of the memorandum had been abandoned altogether.

For not only was the attack made in two divisions instead of one, and in line ahead instead of line abreast, but its prescribed balance was entirely upset.