The grim recital and question produced no comments. The men were experienced and knew what had to be done. Williams went on.
“All right then, here is what we will do now. I will take the wounded to the steamer at Suwannee. Then I will return to this area and see what more will develop. Captain Wake will take the refugees to Egmont Key for transshipment to wherever the navy wants ’em, which will probably be Useppa or Boca Grande. Then he will proceed to Key West with that Britisher, Young, where he will make the report of what has happened here.
“Rork, you will take the Random to Key West for adjudication. Nyland, you take the sloop Hermosa to Key West. Parton, you’ll have the Princess and go to Key West also. Hermosa and Princess will accompany Random closely while sailing to Key West, with Bosun Rork, of course, the man in command of the group.
“I understand that all vessels have enough provisions to reach their destinations. We will get under way as soon as the wounded and refugee people are transferred between the ships, which means twenty minutes. Any questions?”
The strain of constant tension was showing on the faces of the men circled around the chart. Williams looked at each in turn, receiving a nod of understanding from each. As the men pushed themselves up off the deck, Williams paused and then said a last word to them.
“I am very proud of how you handled yourselves in the face of adversity and uncertainty, men. You did a difficult duty very well, and will be recognized for it by the authorities in Key West.”
Saying their thank-yous and good-byes, the petty officers went forward and down into the waiting boats to be rowed to their vessels. Wake lingered for a moment and spoke to Williams.
“Your grapeshot saved us, James. They were cutting us up from the riverbank. It was bad and getting worse. When I heard the women screaming, I almost lost my self control.”
“But Peter, you didn’t lose control. I watched you coming down the river. You brought them all out. Many people are alive because of you. Your plan worked, and even Admiral Bluefield will have to recognize that, no matter what antics you’ve done in Key West to annoy him. Good luck, my friend.”
The two friends laughed at the thought of the pompous admiral, then shook hands and parted. Each was bound on his own course, away from a place they would never be able to forget.
8
Decisions and Consequences
It took all of the two days’ sail from Egmont Key south to Boca Grande for the sailors of the St. James to rid the ship of the dirt and rubbish from the thirty-four refugees that had been transferred aboard off Deadman’s Bay. The maxim that a clean ship is a happy ship had its reciprocal truth apply during that passage to Egmont Key. The crew did what they could for the dazed Floridians but could do nothing to lessen the overcrowding and meager rations that were spread so thinly among the fifty souls aboard the schooner, twice her normal naval complement.
During the daily afternoon thunderstorms women and children were sent down into the hot and humid decks below in the well-intentioned but mistaken belief they would feel more secure. The sloshing, stinking bilge water, groaning frames, and screaming children in the dark berthing deck did anything but make them feel better. The refugee men, many of whom were sailors experienced on small craft, assisted on deck when they could but usually felt useless and humiliated in front of their families. Until the sudden uprooting from their homes in the middle of the night, these people had been living a subsistence life with little cleanliness or organization and so did not, indeed could not, understand and obey the iron-bound rules of discipline for life aboard a naval vessel. The sheer number of people aboard resulted in an accumulation of debris and frayed nerves from both sides. By the time the schooner had anchored off the Egmont Key naval depot, the displaced civilians were miserable and wondering if the decision to cast their lot with the Federal navy and government was the correct one.
Leaving most of the refugees ashore at Egmont, Wake set sail for Boca Grande, hoping to receive his men convalescing there. John Newton and his family of two young boys and timid wife were the only refugees still aboard, for Wake was honor-bound to fulfill his promise made at that tense moment of confrontation four nights earlier, and also because he knew it would be better to separate Newton from the others. His history of emotionally antagonistic leadership of the people of Deadman’s Bay was such that the other naval officers at the Egmont anchorage concurred with Wake that the best policy was to isolate Newton where he could not cause any problems. The other refugees would take passage to Key West on the next steamer bound there.
Fumigating below decks and holystoning the main deck, the sailors restored their ship and returned to their routine—and were glad of it. As they sailed up Boca Grande Pass, with the Gem of the Sea in sight anchored off Gasparilla Island, all hands in the crew prepared their ship and themselves for a reunion with their friends aboard the larger ship. Tales would be told of their exploits, and no small boasting would ensue about their captures and the resultant prize money to be shared with the men of the Gem. But most of all they looked forward, though with some apprehension, to seeing the wounded shipmates they left behind for treatment.
“Faber, we will go alongside Gem instead of anchoring. Starboard side to. We won’t be there very long.”
Faber turned to the watch and passed the word to lay mooring lines fore and aft on the starboard side. This
