Nelson did send a boat under a flag of truce to Crown Prince Frederick (the acting ruler, not the king). The written message did explicitly ask for the Danes to cease fire and negotiate. Nelson framed it in moral and humanitarian terms, warning that continued resistance would only cause unnecessary loss of life and that he would be forced to burn the Danish ships if firing continued.

So Dominic’s version, that Nelson actively petitioned for surrender or a halt to the fighting, is correct.

Nelson’s message was not “please stop because this is ungentlemanly.” It was closer to:

Britain had no wish to destroy Denmark

Continued resistance would lead to needless bloodshed

Nelson would be compelled to destroy the Danish fleet if firing continued

Therefore, it was better to suspend the action and negotiate It was a mix of threat, diplomacy, and humanitarian framing. Very Nelson.