Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-26
CAPTAIN OF INDIANA COMPLAINS.
Says Injustice Was Done Him I'm
schiey's and SampsOn's Reports.


Department the following letters. which
have passed between himself and Captain
Taylor, of the battleship Indiana.
UNITED States Ship Indiana, Guantanamo
Bay. Cuba. August g. 1893.
Admiral: The report OF Commodore
Schley, on the battle OF July 80. as pub
lshed, gives credit in the seventh para
graph TO four ships, and mentions by
name their aptains-Phlips, Evans,
Clarke. and Cook, and adds:
THE dense smoke of the combat shut
out from my view the Indiana and Glou-
cester. but as these vessels were closer
20 your flagship, no doubt their pare IN
the conflict was under your immediate
observation
'In your report. as published, you make
but slight mention of the Indiana, stating
that the Iowa and Indiana having done
good work, and not having the speed OF
the other ships. were directed by me,
etc, etc.
"S. The result OF these reports is
that the captains of all the vessels in the
line of battle, except the Indiana, have
received personal mention in the official
report before the department, while the
two smaller vessels had also distinctive
mention either by the Commander-in-
Chief or by the second in Command
"4. If the official records be referred
to in future. it will appear from its gem
eral tone that the Indiana was less de-
serving than any of her consorts. Leay-
ing out my personal interest in the mat
ter, 1t is right that / should consider
the officers and crew Of the ship, and
] speak for them as well as for myself
when i submit to you, Admiral, that the
above combination Of reports will place
the ship in the opinion Of the depart
ment and the country. markedly below
all the other vessels of your squadron.
l respectfully submit. sir, that this Is
injustice to the Indiana and her officers
and crew.
WHAT THE INDIANA DID.
"5. l can say, without disparagement
Of any other vessel. that during the first
hour OF the fight the Indiana's gun-fire
contributed to the destruction Of the
Oquendo and the Teresa more than that
of any single vessel of our squadron,
except one, and equalled hers. l do not
know why the second in command failed
to observe the Indiana during this period
of our hottest action. l saw the Brook
lyn quite plainly.
&c. An examination Of these reports
with reference 10 the Indiana will, | be-
produce the effect of putting the Indiana
below all the other vessels of the squad
ron. If it be your opinion, sir, that this
is the case, and that all the vessels, from
the Brooklyn to the Vixen, rendered
services much more valuable than the
Indiana. as the published report OF the
commander-in-chief and the second in
command, taken together, would indicate,
then | must accept it for myself
and the ship; but, If on the contrary,
! that be not your opinion, l urge respect
fully that such steps be taken to remedy
this Injustice as may seem wise to you.
every respectfully,
II. V. TAYLOR,
Commanding the United States Steam
ship Indiana.
"To the Commander-in-Chief, COM
manding the North Atlantic Station"
SIMPSONS REPLY.
"Tvnised States Steamship New York,
"Guanatanamo Bay. August 8, 1898.
"Sir.-I am greatly obliged that you
have called my attention 70 what appears
TO have been an injustice to your ship,
officers, and crew. for the part when
they took in the action of July "a, and
also for the very proper manner In whlcn
YOU have presented ii. l think, however,
that you viii agree with me that, in sub
hitting such a report TO the Secretary of
the Navy, where so many ofhcers are VIZ
tnally interested, and justly proud of their
ships. IL is no easy task 10 do so without
apparently bestowing praise unjustly. 1t
REQUIRES very careful consideration OF the
report from every point of view TO avoid
misunderstanding.
"2. The position Of the ships of the
eoii,dron must be carefully considered TO
fully appreciate what IL was possible for
each vessel to accomplish under the cir
cumstances in which she was placed.
Those that were to the westward Of the
escaping enemy were certainly better
placed for stopping the enemy, and also
better placed for delivering their fire, than
the vessels 10 the eastward, which was
the blockadng station of the Indiana.
49, No distribution of the fleet could
completely predict and provide against
every variation of such a sortie, nor do l
consider that any commanding officer de-
serve either credit or blame because the
ship under his command was faster or
slower than another ship. or carried a
heavier or lighter battery, but rather that
the commanding officer was blameworthy
when he failed to put his ship in the pro-
per place for destroying the enemy, just
i'm proportion 10 the advantage which he
possessed in speed, battery, or position
over his neighbors.
NO CRITICISM INTENDED.
az. Each commanding officer, in my
opinion, was personally responsible for
the good use which he made Of the tools
with which he had TO work. l certainly
did not intend to criticise you, nor TO be-
stow less praise upon the Indiana than
was bestowed upon any other ship Of the
squadron.
20. The fact that the commanding off
Ger of the Indians was signalled to re-
turn to blockade the mouth of the har-
Dor. after she had so CALAMITY contribu-
ted to the destruction of the Spanish
ships. was only a necessary precaution,
which the commander-in-chief felt obliged
TO take. to prevent disaster TO the large
number of transports which were left
i'm that vicinity when the feet started in
pursuit of the enemy. There were still
some armed vessels remaining in .he
harbor of Santiago-at least two, and we
did not know then how many more
which could have come out in the alb
sence of the fleet, and produced great
havoc among the troop-shps which were
defanceless in the absence of an armed
vessel.
&c This explanation, together with your
letter will be sent TO the department.
with the request that it may bet attached
~ and form a part Of the original report.
"Very respectfully,
'W. T. SAMPSON.
"Rear-Admiral United States Navy,
"Commander-in-C Chief United States Ma
-, r,oo North Atlantic Station"