Wake could see the mind of the old gunner turning the information over. McDougall started to shake his head again and smile.
“Now, Gunner, think some more. The Fifteenth is a used-up regiment that came back from the main fighting areas to do guard duty in Florida. How many rounds do you think they even have with them?”
McDougall was grinning now and nodding his head. He understood.
“Sweet Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. If you aren’t one for the books, Captain. I do believe you’re right as rain. Most o’ the soldiers are probably carrying twenty or thirty rounds with maybe ten or twenty left an’ some cannon shot. The buggers’re low on powder an’ shot, aren’t they Captain. An’ the Rebs are bluffin’ us into lettin’ them by.”
“Exactly, Gunner! And they don’t want to waste all of what they have on us when they’ve got to deal with a fresh large New York regiment that’s a few miles away down the road. We call their bluff. We stay.”
“Well, I’ll be a pagan at Christmas! They had me fooled, but not you, Captain. Well done, sir. Well done.”
McDougall came out with a rare laugh and went on to advise Wake that Ensign Robbins and his men had come into Claresville from the swamp road when they heard the fighting, bolstering the east and north sides of the lines. As the gunner’s mate was speaking, Wake heard shouts coming from the west side of the crossroads where Hilderbrandt’s men were. At first startled and concerned, he soon realized they were humorous shouts of welcome to the men of Ensign Chase’s detail who were walking into the perimeter from the swamp road. McDougall got his captain’s attention.
“Sir, they’s taken down that white flag over there. I think the parley truce is over.”
“Yes, well, of course that was to be expected. Now, McDougall, I want all of the officers and petty officers to meet me at that house over there by Hilderbrandt’s side in five minutes. And please hurry, I don’t know how much time we have.”
The gunner’s mate went off to locate the men required as Wake made his way around his little command, running between the cover of the walls when out in the open, and walking when out of sight of the Confederates. He was concerned about the lack of medical care for the wounded, who were gathered in the dwelling hut on the unengaged south side of Claresville. There were a dozen men in there, tended by well-meaning but untrained sailors who had already used up the few basic medicines and bandages in the medical box brought ashore from the schooner.
As Wake walked among the wounded, seeing men of his own ship and those of others, he was struck by how old they looked, even those he knew to be only eighteen or nineteen. Their contorted, powder-blackened faces were aging fast with the agony of untreated punctures and gashes. He should have insisted that the one assistant surgeon in the flotilla, Tate of the Bonsall, accompany them ashore. But he had forgotten that factor, thinking their role would be a minor one behind the army’s position. They would simply be guarding the rear, he had thought, when all of this was initially proposed. How wrong he had been—on so many things.
Saying words of encouragement to the sailors lying there, he tried to convey an air of confidence, even when they asked about how the enemy had surprised them and how they would hold the place. For the questions about where the army was, and when would they come, he had no answers. Those were questions in his mind also, and he would make sure to get the answers—if they lived through the next hour or so.
The sun was low behind the storm clouds that had moved off to the western sky when Wake trudged over to the house where the others were waiting for him. He walked into the darkened one-room dwelling and greeted the men with whom he had been through so much in the last fourteen hours. It seemed like so much longer. Someone lit a lantern as Wake started to speak.
“Evening, gentlemen. Well, we’re still here, and we may very well have a difficult night of it, so I want this gathering to be short and to the point. First I want an updated report on your commands, starting with Ensign Chase.”
Chase had been leaning against a wall and now stood straight. His voice was clear and strong. “Sir, I have all of my men, ten from my ship the Fox and four more who arrived back at the camp today as messengers from you. They are with all of their ammunition and are in good condition, ready to fight. We are currently in the center of this town, or whatever it is, awaiting your disposition of our force. I apologize for our late arrival. We were ordered to stand fast at the beach camp by Colonel Wherley, who is now ashore and in command there.”
Wake was concerned and regarded the ensign closely. This was very important information he was giving. At first, Wake thought to interrupt the man and have him narrate the rest of it in private. Then he thought that witnesses to the report might be prudent—given the import of its contents. He nodded at Chase to continue. Surrounded by men staring at him, the ensign took a breath and went on.
“Ah, yes, sir. Well, we heard the shooting coming from here and prepared our arms and equipment to march up the road. We were formed up and about to move when Colonel Wherley himself came up to me, in front of my men, sir, and said to stand fast. He said you would be falling back soon and coming back within the perimeter of the camp. I said that we would go out and meet you and he ordered me point blank to dismiss the
