“Larboard gun, four turns of elevation! Fire when ready!” William ordered as the starboard gun set about reloading. The starboard gun thundered sending another ball into their target, this one hit slightly higher than the last sending more shards of wood across her quarterdeck. A brace line snapped, and screams could be heard across the quarter mile gap of sea between them. The sloop had begun a hard turn to bring her larboard guns to bear on the Valor when the second ball had impacted, her turn stalled and her bow drifted back down wind.
“Her quartermaster must have been hit by debris! Both guns, Fire at will!” William shouted at the bow gun crews as they hurriedly made their guns ready.
The bow cannons were firing as fast as the crews could make ready, pausing momentarily only to adjust their aim. Their fourth and fifth rounds again found their target high on the stern of the French sloop causing chaos and destruction aboard the ship. Through the calamity aboard the sloop, she doggedly began her hard turn again.
“Captain!” William called out, “She’s coming about to fire! Larboard side!”
“Quartermaster bring her about four points to starboard, larboard battery prepare for raking fire as she passes,” Captain Grimes called out, each recipient enthusiastically repeated their order and carried about completing their task. Below deck, both batteries of guns were ready and run out, each crew awaiting their orders anxiously. William turned momentarily from the sloop to see how the larger warship was reacting to the cannon fire. The third rate had come about close haul with the wind off her larboard side aiming her bowsprit at an angle toward the Valor.
“Bow guns, make ready and hold fire, let me know when we have that one close enough to range her.” William instructed, “I’m headed for the quarterdeck, starboard gun leader take charge.”
“Aye Sir,” the gunners mate replied.
On the quarterdeck Captain Grimes took careful stock of the position of the sloop, his own course and the course of the much larger warship now beating towards the Valor. He calculated a course in his mind and quickly inventoried the Valor’s capabilities. With a plan put together, he walked up to the quarterdeck rail and looked over the crew quickly. All were ready, hands aloft awaited sail change, gun crews below had all reported ready. William came onto the quarterdeck.
“Mr. Pike, raking fire as we pass the sloop. Then have larboard battery make ready with chain shot and run out, once they are run out, I want max elevation and I want them to unship their rear wheels. See to it that starboard battery’s guns are all at the ready for full broadside fire on that ship of the line as soon as we have fired on the sloop. We won’t have any room for error. Tell Lieutenant Davitts his Marines are to hold fire on the sloop, we’re going to fan in front of that line ship within musket range, they can open fire on her.” Captain Grimes rattled off his instructions with dashing confidence. William’s broad smile went unnoticed by the Captain, no one else but he could see the commander’s plan beginning to take shape.
The sloop came in line with the forward guns on the Valor’s larboard battery while she was still at an angle leaving her broadside ineffective. The first two guns fired, followed by the next two and the next two after that. Each pair of guns sent eighteen-pound projectiles directly into the sloop’s stern and aft larboard quarter, until all twelve guns of the battery had dealt their blow without the sloop being able to return fire once. The French ship was a flurry of snapping line and cable, shattering wood meeting flesh and sail. Smoke was pouring from the gun ports in the rear before Valor’s battery had completed firing. Moments after the last shot, an explosion from in the sloop’s hold blew away a massive part of her larboard side sending debris and bodies flying outward, the flames spread quickly and she listed down on her side, thoroughly and decisively beaten.
“Quartermaster ready for hard a larboard, marksmen at ready, starboard gun crews full broadside on my mark!” Captain Grimes bellowed out, preparing the crew for their next fight. The third rate had acted just as Captain Grimes had anticipated they would, in an attempt to aid their countrymen they had made a course to intercept Valor and cut her off from the sloop, setting up a devastating broadside. But the Valor’s speed and maneuverability foiled their course. Grimes was able to fire all twelve-larboard cannon at the sloop and now was running before the wind setting up to launch a full broadside at the bow of the French ship beating directly towards them. The entire crew of the Valor was awaiting the Captains orders and as the large French warship drew closer, tense moments drug by and finally expired with Grimes’ shouted orders,
“Quartermaster make your turn now! Starboard battery, as she comes about, fire!” Captain Grimes directed.
The Valor cut her turn directly in front of the approaching warship, William guessed the range was less than two hundred meters. The starboard battery opened fire with impressive unity as the French ship came into their aim. Several rounds from the volley found their target, one smashing a large hole in the enemy hull just above the water line. The crew aboard the Valor all cheered loudly, cut short only by the shouts of officers redirecting their efforts back to their tasks. The Valor turned slightly again southward, and she was beam reach to the wind.
“Mr. Cobb keep your heading south by southwest, she will no doubt start firing bow chasers at us and we need to
