Omaha daily bee., 1898-07-28
PART PLAYED BY GLOUCESTER
Commander wainwright U%nstintcd in
His Praise of Action of
Subordinntes.
UNITED STATES SHIP ri o1-cr-rr

UNITED STATES SHIP GLOUCESTER,
OFF SANTIAGO, July g., 1S9S.-sir:
at the battle of Santiago on july
3, the officers and crew of the Glou-
cester were uninjured and the vessel was
not injured in hull or machinery, the bat
terry only requiring some slight overhaul
ing.
2. enclose herewith a copy Of the re-
port Of the executive officer, made in COM
pliance with paragraph 255, page 10, naval
regulations, which report l believe to be
correct in all particulars. l also enclose
copies of the reports of the several officers
which may prove valuable for future ref
erenCe.
3. 1t was the plain duty of the Gloucester
to look after the destroyers, and she was
held back, gaining steam, until they ap-
peared at the entrance. The Indiana poured
In a hot fire from all her secondary bat
teries upon the destroyers, but Captain Tay-
lor's signal, "Gunboats close in gave Sc
curity that We would not be fired upon by
our own ships. Until the leading destroyer
was injured, our course was converging,
necessarily, but as soon as she Stacked her
speed, we headed directly south OF the ship,
firing the batteries as the opportunity Of
fered,
A. All the officers and nearly all the men
deserve my highest praise during the action.
The escape OF the Gloucester was mainly
due to the accuracy and rapidity of the fire.
The efficiency Of this fire, as well as that
of the ship generally, was largely due to
the intelligent and unremittting efforts OF
the executive officer, Lieutenant Harry p.
Huse. The result is more to his credit
when ii is that a large proper
tion of the officers and men were unframed
when the Gloucester was commissioned.
Throughout the action he was on the bridge
and carried out my orders with great cool
ness. That we were able to close in with
the destroyers-and until We did so, they
were not seriously injured-was largely due
to the skill of First Engineer George w.
McElroy. The blockers were put on and the
speed sent 10 seventeen knots, without caus-
ing a tube to leak. Lieutenant Thomas G.
Wood. Lieutenant George H. Norman, jr.,
and Ensign John I. Edison, not only con-
trolled the fire Of the guns in their divisions
and prevented waste of ammunition, but
they also did some excellent shooting them
selves. Acting Assistant Surgeon j. f.
Bransford took charge of one OF the guns
and fired 1t himself occasionally. Acting
Assistant Paymaster Alexander Brown had
charge of the two Colt guns, firing one him
self, and they did excellent work. Assist
ant Engineer A. NJ. Proctor carried nv or
ders from the bridge and occasionally fired
a gun when | found it was not being served
quite satisfactorily. All were cool and ac-
tive at a time when they should have had
but little hope of escaping uninjured.
D. LieutenantS Wood and Norman, En-
sign Edison and Assistant Engineer Proctor
were in charge of the boats engaged in
saving lives. They risked their lives re-
~peatedly on board and remaining near the
two destroyers and the two arnlored cruis-
ers, when their guns were being discharged
by the heat and their magazines and boilers
were exploding. They showed great skill in
landing and taking of the prisoners through
the surf.
s. OF the men mentioned in the several
reports, | would call especial attention to
John Bond, chief boatswain's mate. He
should have been recommended to the de-
partment for promotion prior to his gallant
conduct during the action of July 3. I
would also recommend your attention to
Robert P. Jennings, chief machinists, men
toned in the report of Mr.. McElroy. | be-
lieve it would have a good effect to recog-
nize the skill of the men and the danger
incurred by the engineers force. / would
also recommend that the acting appoint
ments of those men mentioned by the Off
GERS In their reports be made permanent.
7. The wounded and exhausted prisoners
were well and ~skilfully tended by Assistant
Surgeon Bransford, assisted by Ensign Ed
son, who is also a surgeon.
s. The admiral, officers and men were
treated with all consideration and care pos
sible. They were fed and clothed as far as
our limited means would permit. Very re-
specially,
RICHARD WAINWRIGHT.
Lieutenant Commander, U. S. N,
Commanding,
To the Commander-in-Chie United States
Naval Forces, North Atlantic Station.