The Skirmish at Rumrunner's Isle

The Skirmish at Rumrunner's Isle is a fictional novel about a small battle that occured on Rumrunner's Isle in late 1744, shortly after the armies of Spain and Great Britain had come to a peace agreement. However, a small force of British troops had left the bay of Port Tariff just days before news came of the peace, and thus thought they were still at war when they arrived on Rumrunner's Isle.

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It was just about to reach noon on the second of December, 1744, but the sun was beating down on the sailors of His Majesty's Frigate Formidable. It did not feel as if it were winter at all, in fact it seemed as though it were a hot summer day. This was just what Captain Thomas Clayton was thinking when the call came from the maintop that land was in sight.

"Take her into the bay steady as she goes," Clayton ordered the helmsman. It did not appear that there was any civilization from what he could see through his glass, and so he assumed there was no need to clear for action, although that was a customary action while sailing into a port. The crew of the Formidable gracefully took in the sails as the ship glided into the bay.

"Make note of our landing time in the ship's log, Mr. Holmes," Clayton ordered the first lieutenant, and then called to the Captain of the Twenty-First Regiment that had been taken on board with his company with orders to clear the island of Spanish troops. "Captain Hawkeley! Are your men ready for landing?"

"Aye. They are, they are, Captain Clayton." the young officer shouted back. He seemed competent enough, Clayton thought, although impossibly young to be a captain.