Text verso reads:

Kane steered Calliope through the narrow opening between the reef and Trenton. The two great ships bobbed in the waves in a dangerous, close dance. Several times when they almost collided, a wave crest leaned them away, thus avoiding an entanglement of spares and rigging that would have fatally enmeshed the two. As Calliope slipped clear, her yardarms missing catching Trenton's port quarter by inches, the crew of the Trenton burst out in cheer for Calliope, a cheer returned by the British crew.

Kane would later write of the event: "the American admiral and his men gave us three such ringing cheers that they called forth tears from many of our eyes, they pierced deep into my heart and I will ever remember the mighty outburst of fellow feeling which I felt came from the bottom of the hearts of the noble and gallant admiral and his men. Every man aboard the Calliope felt as I did; it made us work to win ... God bless America and her noble sailors."

In passing Trenton, Calliope had run the gauntlet of vessels and slowly sailed into open waters.