Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-01

despatehes showing mt ~ ~ ~
b par icipate "a the terms 81 surr<hdel
and tried to fnd out whom he SHOULD
bend Z representative. but owing to; ons
or two delays no time was fixed. Samp
tons comment follows:
"The foregoing certainly shows
clearly the most absolute joint action
and took for granted that we should
be joint signatories of any capitula-
tons, as is customary in all services
IN such circumstances.
Captain Chadwick arrived at the
front at the earliest hour possible for
him to do so, and informed Gen. Shat
ter of my expectancy IN the matter,
but Gen. Shafter peremptorily refused.
The convention had already been sign
ed and he stated as one reason that
nothing had been said Of the army in
my report of the fleet action of July 8.
ucT0 WOulu udfS UCCa do HULL ACooOA
or mentioning the navy in the report
of the land action of July l, when as
sault was made by DIR army on the
Spanish lines.
mo mention was made of the ship
ping in the capitulations and Captain
Chadwick informed Gen. Shafter that
all Spanish ships would be regarded
by us as property to be turned over
to the navy. l thus, after the hauling
down of the Spanish flag, sent prize
crews on board the gunbOat Alvarado
and to the five merchant steamers in
the harbor. An officer of the army
was found on board the Alvarado who
stated he had been sent to take charge
of her, whereupon l addressed the fol-
lowing letter to Gen. Shafter:
u. S. Flagship, New York, July II,
1898.
"Sir:-
upon sending in an officer to take
charge of the captured Spanish gun
boat, the Alvarado, it was found that
one of your officers was on board, evil
IDENTIFY with the expectation of taking
charge of her. 1t should hardly be
necessary to remind you that in all
joint operations of the character of
those which have resulted in the fall
of Santiago, all floating property is
A,,,~ ,1I fI,o oil forte.
ETC., go to the army. l have been lying
within 500 yards of the MORO from
which the Spanish flag was hauled
down at o'clock and upon which the
United States flag has not yet, at 2
p. m, been hoisted. Although my
forces have frequently engaged these
forts and yours have not exchanged a
shot with them, await the arrival of
a detachment of your troops to take
possession, as they must eventually oc-
cupy them. / expect the same consid-
Grafton.
81 trust that you will relieve Lieutenant
Caruthers of the duty given him, as
have directed Lieutenant Marble to as
sumo command of the Alvarado.
Very respectfully, ETC."
After quoting some further correspond
ence in which Sampson claims the prizes,
he refers to the expulsion of Lieut.. Doyle
from captured vessels and the failure OF
Shafter to invite any of the squadron Of
ficers to be present at the surrender. ADDS:
This, of course, may have been mare
oversight but it is, of course. to be re-
GREETED that any such should take place
Had the navy been Withdrawn after the
action of the third day after which all
The fleets operations were to aid the ar
my-all the shipping referred to would
have escaped and our army have become
the besieged instead of the besiegers as
pf course the Reina Mercedes and the gun
boat Alvarado would have been free to
destroy or. drive off the transport fleet.
do not think the commanding general
quite appreciates how necessary part
our forces were to the reduction of San
tiago and the surrender of its garrison in
any case independently of the effect of
our shell, which latter Nas undoubtedly
one of the principal causes of the surren-
der at this time"
Skaters rejonder came on August l, di-
dected to Admiral Sampson, as follows:
SANTIAGO, August l. 1898.
do not acknowledge the authority of
the Secretary of the Navy in the matter
which you wire me- The surrender of
Santiago was made to me by Gen. Toral
in person, in surrendering verbally all
the prisoners and public property of Spain
in the district commanded by him, and 1
accepting the same in the presence OF
troops representing all the respective ar
mics. The details for carrying this into
effect We're arranged by three commits
sioners on each side. These articles were
signed by the representative commission
srs in duplicate, one copy of which was
handed to Gen. Toral and the other was
sent by me to the Secretary of War
Neither Gen. Toral nor myself signed
~ Of The st a5tst who 5es is in search oh
LX a torture .,Ocec de,oicti-,o