When clear decks was sounded, the gun crews – between six and ten men per cannon – would assemble at the gun-carriages. Throughout the battle, they fired the guns under the orders of a gun master.
As soon as a shot was fired, one of the crew would swab the bore of the piece to remove all traces of powder and fuse. The gun master would check that the vent hole, in which the powder train would be placed, was clear. With his back to the carriage, a young crew member would then take a cartridge bag from a cartridge box and place it in the cannon's muzzle. A lead plate was then placed over the vent hole to keep a stray spark from setting off the charge prematurely. As soon as the cartridge bag was pushed down the bore using a rammer, one of the crew would insert an initial wad, then a cannonball followed by a second wad.
Before firing, the gun master would take charge of "laying" the gun, i.e. pointing it in the right direction and at the right elevation. He was aided by the crew, who adjusted the wooden chocks and wedges beneath the piece. The gun was aimed based on the distance and the placement of the target, but also on the type of projectile being fired – round shot, angel-shot, bar-shot, tier-shot or grape-shot. Firing the cannon involved removing the lead plate, inserting a priming-iron into the vent hole to prick the cartridge bag and then setting off the charge with a linstock.
