“It was starting to attack us while we were there, sir. Lost several men to it, including a veteran gunner’s mate.”
Loethen nodded and grimaced. “The squadron suffered mightily too. We’ve got ships all over our area of operations that have lost men. In some cases many men.”
Loethen sat at his desk as Morris took the chair on the other side of the table. Morris pointed at the army map while looking at Wake. “We’ve read some reports and heard some things about what happened up at the Timucuahatchee River, Lieutenant Wake. The reports and the hearsay don’t match up.”
Wake noticed that the commander pronounced the river’s name correctly. Morris paused and glanced over at the admiral, who spoke next.
“Wake, you’ve managed to alienate some senior army officers in this squadron’s area. Not quite sure exactly how you came about that result, but that’s what’s happened. There are some ugly rumors going around about what happened up on that coast, with the colonel of the regiment there. Wherley’s his name I believe. What light can you shed on what happened there?”
Wake realized that the conversation had turned into an interrogation—a very dangerous interrogation. “I’m not sure what you mean, sir. Things were going relatively well when we left the beachhead and headed south on St. James.”
Loethen’s tone became accusatory and his eyes bored into Wake. “Did you somehow extort the colonel to give up his command?”
“Admiral, the colonel told me he was sick and wanted to leave. He did say he had made some decisions while sick that he regretted. He wanted to return to New York to convalesce. Given the outbreak of yellow fever all along the coast, I’d say he’s lucky to get out alive, being unacclimated as he was, sir. The decision to leave was obviously his, sir. I’m just a lieutenant in the navy, what influence could I have over a regimental colonel?”
The room grew quiet when neither man spoke in reply to Wake. Morris looked down at the map. Admiral Loethen shuffled through some papers. Wake saw that he was looking for something. It made him nervous. The admiral found the sheet he was searching for and held it up.
“An army lieutenant named Hammersley wrote a statement that you had threatened and extorted the colonel of that regiment into leaving. Colonel Grosland of the New Jersey artillery regiment, another senior army officer that you angered a while ago, gave me a copy. Would you care to see it?”
Wake struggled to remain calm as his blood heated up. Hammersley. So this was about that cringing fool. Wake could see the army lieutenant in his mind and shook his head. The admiral and commander were watching him. He decided to be blunt.
“Admiral, it doesn’t matter whether I see it or not. Hammersley was ashore with us and showed himself to be a fool at best. His word is not important to me. It has no validity.”
Loethen put the paper down on his desk. He stared at Wake like a naturalist examining a bug on a pin. “And so you say you don’t care about the rumors going around regarding what happened there? You are telling me that what a senior officer in the army has heard is not important? Is that what you are saying to me, Wake?”
Morris looked at Wake and folded his arms as he leaned back in the chair, obviously waiting with interest for the reply.
“Admiral, what the senior army officers feel about me, or hear about me, is obviously important. But there is nothing I can do about it. An army colonel makes his own decisions and cannot be threatened by a mere naval lieutenant. His decisions are his business, sir. Speaking for myself, I am not ashamed of any decision I have made or any action I have taken. I would do them all again, sir.”
Loethen and Morris exchanged glances. Morris stood up and walked to the window, contemplating the harbor as he addressed Wake behind him. “Wake, your wife was taken ill with yellow fever. Yes, we know all about your marriage. How is she doing?”
Wake was stunned into silence. They knew. They knew everything. He could feel his heart beating in his chest, blood pounding in his ears, and a warm flush spreading over his face. It was all too much. Everything in his plan for Linda and himself was falling apart. Morris had to repeat his question as he turned back and faced the junior officer. “I said how is she doing, Lieutenant?”
Wake stammered out a reply. “Better, sir. She’s doing better. She’s recovering.”
“And she’s at Useppa Island with the refugees?”
“Yes, sir. She’s safe at Useppa.”
Morris’s face took on an aspect of pity as he continued. “Wake, you’ve become the topic of conversations throughout the squadron and the island since your last departure from here. You’ve angered many people. The Rebel sympathizers are upset you’ve run off with the daughter of one of their own, your brother naval officers believe you have lost your senses and cavorted with the enemy, and of course, the senior army commanders here are gunning for you on several accounts. Quite a series of accomplishments for a ‘mere naval lieutenant.’”
Loethen spun around and interrupted his second in command. “And so, by marrying the daughter of a well-known traitor in Key West, it would appear that you don’t care what the islanders or naval officers say, in addition to not caring about what army officers say. Wake, what exactly do you care about?”
Wake was listening to the
