Reposted form the Toofatlardies Yahoo group with sadly no pictures
Capitaine de frigate Marcoux could hear the cheering from the shore even from more than a kilometer out as they brought their prizes in. The mission to break out in his 40 gun Hera along with the corvette Citoyen of 24 guns to meet up with and escort in a pair of merchants had succeeded beyond all expectations when they had broken out unseen two weeks earlier.
Three hours ago when almost home two English frigates, Milford and Dragon, along with the small cutter Pigeon had attempted to take the two merchants. With the Hera in the lead they had closed with the English ships in an attempt to give the merchants Anne Marie and Babette a chance to make harbor.
Just as it appeared that the English were going to succeed in getting to the merchants the Hera caught a gust of wind and surging forward broke the line between the two enemy frigates putting a devastating rake into the stern of the Milford taking down the mainmast while at the same time the other broadside all but destroyed the Pigeon which had been sailing next to the Dragon. The Dragon then crashed into the Hera losing her main mast and a fierce boarding action ensued.
The Milford continued on and fired a high broadside to force the Anne Marie to heave to. The Citoyen closed with the Milford and took a broadside form her killing many officers, turned and the well trained crew poured a perfectly aimed broadside into the Milford' s bow causing extreme damage. The Milford' s captain then decided to close with the Citoyen for a boarding action losing her bowsprit in the collision but successfully grappling with the corvette. A further raking broadside from the Citoyen took the fight out of the Milford causing it to strike its colors.
While the Citoyen and Milford fought the Hera and Dragon went back and forth with few casualties on either side with the British coming out slightly ahead. After breaking off the boarding action and cutting the grapples the Hera then fired another raking broadside into the bow of the Dragon which then attempted to move off after seeing the Milfords flag come down with the Hera going in pursuit. The Citoyen after putting a prize crew on the Milford also joined the chase. The Dragon realizing it could not outrun the French ships with the rigging damage it had received then struck its colors.
& apologies for the colonial spellings
Ginger
