The Invasion of Nassau was an important engagement of the Pirate-Maroon War. The Pirate Fleet's attempt to mount one final push to drive the British out of Nassau was repelled by a well prepared force.
History[]
Background[]
After the pirate and Maroon forces defeated Woodes Rogers' First Fleet at the Battle of the Maroon Island, they prepared to mount a final invasion to retake Nassau. Meanwhile, the War of the Quadruple Alliance had broken out in Europe, and Rogers' military escort was ordered to return to London. One officer, Captain Berringer, led a mutiny of several hundred soldiers, who swore fealty to Rogers personally. They were intent on avenging their defeat at the Maroon Island.
Meanwhile, Billy Bones led the Pirate Resistance in harassing Rogers' forces on New Providence Island. Berringer consolidated Rogers' hold on Nassau by conducting purges of anyone in town suspected of being allied to or sympathetic toward the pirate cause. At some point, the Resistance tried to force their way into Nassau, but after bloody fighting they were repelled. However, they continued to launch Raids on the Western Plantations, which provided supply lines to Rogers' forces in Nassau. Outside of Nassau Town and the plantations, the Resistance had control of the island.
To prepare for the invasion, Rogers acquired a new fleet of five two masted ships. He also purchased three hulks that he scuttled in the bay to obstruct the harbor. Billy Bones learned of this and had Augustus Featherstone send word to the fleet at the Maroon Island, but Max intercepted the messenger.
The Battle[]
Grounding of the Pirate Ships[]
Four pirate vessels, the Walrus, Revenge, Defiant and Eagle sail towards Nassau flying British colors. Flint and Silver warily note Rogers' fleet of sloops, which have yet to move, and note that Fort Nassau is gunless, just as Billy told them it would be. Meanwhile, as the Revenge gets into position to attack the fort, Jack Rackham gives a rousing speech to his crew about how today is the day they retake what is theirs and avenge the death of Charles Vane.
As the three tall ships move further into the bay, Flint orders that the Eagle be signaled to fire her larboard batteries to keep the sloops at bay. However, Silver points out the Defiant is cutting across their bow for some reason. Flint rushes to the bow and orders that they let all the canvas fly loose in order to slow down the ship, but it is too late. The Walrus, Defiant and Eagle all run aground on scuttled hulks. Back in the fort, Rogers men remove covers from the cannons and haul them into place and begin firing on the defenseless ships, and Rogers has Berringer pass the order along for their fleet to engage the pirates.
Silver prepares to order the men to abandon ship, but Flint insists that they attempt to fight back. After resetting the topsails and t'gallants, their starboard guns are elevated enough to fire back at the fort. When Rogers sees the pirates shooting back at them, he orders the cannons be reloaded with chain shot and for the gun crews to target the pirates' masts. As the ships continue to get pummeled, Flint gives the order to abandon ship. The pirates descend into longboats and begin fleeing. Silver, despite Madi's pleas, is one of the last to try and climb down from the ship, saying his prosthetic leg would make him the slowest one. As he climbs down, a cannon hits the gunwale near him and a swivel gun drags the ladder down, taking Silver with it. As Madi stares horrified, Flint prepares to jump in after Silver but one of the sloops arrives and begins firing at the pirates, forcing Flint to order them to flee.
The Revenge Retreats[]
After taking fire from the fort, Teach decides to flee, hoping to entice Rogers' forces to pursue him and allow the longboats to reach the fallback position on the eastern shore. Teach's gambit works, and three sloops follow him. With his rig damaged and the sloops too nimble for the Revenge to maneuver a broadside upon, their only choice is to allow the Redcoats to board.
A brutal fight ensues, with Jack Rackham joining the vanguard. As Teach and Anne Bonny face off against multiple foes, Jack corners a Redcoat who he wounds with his sword. But the Redcoat disarms him and pushes Jack to the ground and nearly kills him, but Jack is able to kill him with a pistol shot. Eventually, the remaining 80 or so Redcoats surrender. After their victory, Teach has roughly 20 prisoners executed and returns to Nassau to blockade the bay.
Aftermath[]
The battle was a devastating blow to the pirate and Maroon alliance, with the handful of survivors from the fleet rendezvousing with the Pirate Resistance. Meanwhile, 121 prisoners were taken, including De Groot and Dr. Howell, with Rogers ordering that trials begin immediately. Teach returned to Nassau and blockaded the harbor, sending a sloop festooned with the corpses of executed Redcoats drifting into the harbor with the message that he will remain put and execute more of Rogers' men if Eleanor Guthrie is not delivered to him.
Flint and Billy Bones immediately clashed over how to lead the pirate forces on the island, with Flint advocating that they attack Nassau as soon as possible, while Billy prefers attacking the Underhill Estate and other plantations, hoping to use their supplies and free the slaves and add them to their ranks. These tensions reach a boiling point at the Battle of the Underhill Estate, which leads to a violent schism between Flint and Madi's faction and Billy's.