The horses ran, slowed by the night and pulling up lame over poor ground. The wind turned and blew from the south, whipping up high seas across the Bay of Biscay. The Ghost flew across the top of the waves passing her fleet, heading for Brest. The French bay and harbour network of Brest was well protected by the Isle de Sein to the south, some four miles from the coast and the Isle de Molene some two miles from the coast. The mouth of the bay is just over seventeen miles wide with the islands jutting out from its most westerly points.
The port of Brest is impregnable; the inlet access to the port being only just over a mile wide in the far north eastern corner of the bay. The coastline opens up to a bustling hive of activity some six miles north south by ten miles east west at the furthest points. A fleet capable of attacking Brest would be seen easily for some days before as it approached the harbour day or night. A small, black ship in the dead of night would not have even been considered a threat by French defences.
The attack on San Sebastian was on Friday the first of January 1808. On Monday the fourth of January 1808 at three am in the midst of a raging winter storm an exhausted lone horseman rode steadily along the cliff top of the southern peninsula at Le Gourest. His French army uniform was dripping wet through to his skin, his horse was fresh and knew the way. He was carefully negotiating the northern edge of the peninsula and could look down on the lights of the city of Brest on the other side the harbour inlet just over a mile away. He had been careful not to let the message pouch get wet and affect the message. The fortress on the end of the peninsula overlooking the inlet was just over a mile away where he could deliver the news.
He was startled to hear cannon fire directly below and stopped his horse with a jump in the saddle. He could see nothing but he could hear shouting from a French warship anchored in the inlet just off the dock; it had caught fire. The wind from the north carried the cries of the crew as they fought the flames and screamed at each other. He was just about to continue when he saw flashes in the dark that seemed to be from nowhere alongside another ship anchored close to the one on fire. He climbed from his horse and watched intently but could see nothing moving, other than the lights of ships bobbing on the waves whipped up by the rain storm. He heard more cannon fire closer to the inlet next to other ships anchored about. This went on for nearly an hour. The cannon fire then seemed to head out towards the open bay west of the inlet.
By this time a lot of activity could be seen at Le Gourest fortress as he entered the courtyard; the final destination for his message. He found the commanding officer and delivered the message but he seemed uninterested; he was studying the bay with a long glass trying to work out what was happening. Cannon fire could only just be heard in the wind and rain now but fires aboard ships anchored in the bay beyond the harbour inlet could be seen. Lookouts at the Îlot des Capucins, a small rocky outcrop overlooking the bay on the westernmost tip of Roscanvel on the southern side of the bay, could see flashes in the dark of night but could not make out a ship through the driving rain and wind. So much attention was paid to the bay that no one noticed a fleet of ships well into the centre of the bay between Sein and Molene islands.
By first light the damage could be seen clearly and the unmistakable thunder of the guns of the Conquistador opened up on the small fortification of Phare de la Pointe south of the bay as the Mars and the Invincible opened up on La Mer on the north side of the bay. Rain hampered the gunners at the fortifications but some fire was returned, falling well short then fading to nothing as the fortifications suffered bombardment well on target. Single broadsides were delivered to ships in the bay attempting to head into the cover of the harbor but many had been damaged by the Ghost and had become stationary targets.
The second wave of Fial's fleet swept into the bay staying out of range of any land fortification; ships attempting to exit the harbor to defend the bay found the passage too slim due to two burning men of war damaged by the Ghost’s night attack on the harbor. The exit access was now only a half mile and covered by ships of Fial's fleet. The Castela captained by Lord Smithers was going into harm’s way to block access to French ships; any ship leaving the port would have to come under her guns.
By midday the fleet put back to sea, some damaged but well intact. Five French merchant ships anchored in the abating storm had been taken. The French had lost twelve warships and some of the land fortifications resembled Swiss cheese. Two French slave galleys had been taken with over four hundred slaves aboard each.
The following morning Françoise Dupré, general in charge of military operations in Brest, opened a message satchel on his table brought over from Le Gourest fortress on the south side of the harbour. He had just returned from inspecting the damage from the previous night. He read the handwritten message sealed with wax and bearing the crest of the French navy. Urgent message from Admiral LeMonde chief naval officer for the French San Sebastian fleet. San Sebastian attacked, nine ships destroyed. Fleet of enemy warships heading for Brest. Expect attack in early morning darkness by single brigantine ship called the Ghost. The Conquistador, the Castela, the Mercury and the Invincible are among the fleet that will attack at first light. Believed to be a private fleet of twenty-four ships commanded by Irish pirate Fial McMurrin. It is believed the fleet are privateers condoned by the British."
Dupré called an aid and asked him to take a message for Admiral LeMonde, San Sebastian fleet. Urgent message from Admiral Dupré, chief naval officer for the French Brest fleet. Surprise attack on Brest by fleet of pirate privateers in hours of darkness in heavy storm, still estimating losses currently at twelve warships, two slave galleys and several merchant ships. Losses bad but not serious. We need to improve communication or lose this war.
Naval rating Louis Belgarde was brought before Dupré, being the only one who had seen the Ghost in the harbor. Belgarde explained how he had been saved in Bantry Bay Ireland some years before by McMurrin and was sure it was him aboard the black brigantine. He verified the crew was black as well, catching a glimpse of them in the faint lights of his ship as it blew holes in the waterline. Dupré took these things on board as the French navy had nothing like the tactics or tools used by McMurrin but was convinced they were worth looking into.