Battle of Plattsburgh surviving British officers later testified that Macdonough showed every consideration to the British wounded and prisoners. Many of the British dead, not including the officers, were buried in an unmarked mass grave on nearby Crab Island, the site of the military hospital during the battle, where they remain today. Both commanders would have seen the parallels of Macdonough's anchorage on Lake Champlain to that of the French under Vice Admiral Francois-Paul Brueys, opposing British Rear Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson, at the Battle of the Nile in Aboukir Bay on 1 August 1798. A study of Nelson's battles was part of
Mediterranean campaign of 1798 month and presented Troubridge with a French merchant ship that was anchored in the harbour. With their first definite sighting of the French, the British fleet turned southwards towards Alexandria. On 1 August, Nelson's fleet reached the Egyptian coast, the ships HMS "Swiftsure" and HMS "Alexander" detached as scouts to investigate Alexandria harbour. Although the transport fleet was observed in the harbour, the French battle fleet was not. Despite initial disappointment, Nelson ordered his ships to search the coastline, and at 14:00 lookouts on HMS "Zealous" reported the French anchored in line of battle in Aboukir Bay. Brueys believed that