The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-12-01

part of the army has been published.
The unwisdom of such procedure Is too
manifest for discussion"
Continuing, Admiral Sampson says:
THE navy has been placed in such an
invidious and false position before the
country, through the very unwise pub
LEGATION OF General Skaters telegram.
that think this matter should in some
way be made clear to the public
On July 14th Admiral Sampson sent
the following to Secretary Long:
July IA, 1898 Published kilograms
Of General Shafter in Herald of July
9th reflect on the navy. I wish the
department and the President to UNI
derstand that the first requisite to
opening the harbor of Santiago de
Cuba is the occupation of forts and in
trenchments at it's entrance, guarding
mine fields, and that the General has
never made a move to do this. al
though before his army landed he stat
Ell that such was the primary object or
his operation If the General chooses
/ to ignore the sea approaches, and TO
attack Santiago to the east and north,
that is his affair, but it should be clear
ly understood that this attack does not
influence the situation at the harbor en-
trance, from which his left flank is dis
tant not less than four miles. l have
beer ready at any time during the last
three weeks to silence the works. to
clear entrance of mines, and to enter
harbor whenever the army will do the
part which the proper conduct Of war
assigns to it, To throw my ships TO
certain destruction upon the mine fields
would be suicidal folly, and I have not
tho force to form landing party
strong enough to insure the capture or
the forts No disagreements mentioned
by the paper have been brought to my
notice by General Shafter."
Admiral Sampson gives number OF
dispatches saying he was asked TO par
ticipate in the terms of surrender, and
tried TO find out when he would send
representative, but owing to one or two
! delays no time was fixed. Sampson
! comments as follows:
1.-The foregoing shows clearly the
most absolute joint action, and | took
it for granted that We should be joint
signatories of any capitulations, as Is
customary in all services in such cir
cumstances.
front at the earliest hour possible for
him to do so, and informed General
Shafter of my expectancy in the mat
ter, but General Shafter peremptorily
! refused The convention had already
been signed, and he stated as one rea-
=, son that nothing had been said Of the
army in my report of the fleet action
of July 3D. There would have been as
he wv
in the report of the land action Of July
] 1st, when assault was made by our
! army on the Spanish lines.
mo mention was made of the ship
ping on the capitulations, and Captain
Chadwick Informed General Shafter
that all Spanish ships would be re-
garded by US as property to be turned
over to the navy. He said he would
refer such matters to the Secretary Of
War, but that, of course had no bear
ing upon what considered my duty in
the matter, particularly in the view of
our late experience Of Spanish perfidy
! in regard to the injury of ships, which,
in my opinion, made it necessary to
look after their safety at once. I thus.
after the hauling down of the Spanish
flag, sent prize crews on board the gun
boat Alvarado and to the five merchant
steamers in the harbor. An officer of
the army was found on board the Al
varado, who stated that he had been
sent to take charge of her, whereupon
I addressed the following letter to Cen
eral Shafter:
"'U. S. Flagship New York,
July II, 1898.
" Sir: Upon sending in an officer to
take charge of the captured Spanish
gunboat, the Alvarado, it was found
that one of your officers was on board,
evidently with the expectation of TAX
ing her in charge 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 material is
turned over to the navy, as all forts,
etc., go to the army. / have been lying
within 200 yards of the MORO, from
which the Spanish flag was hauled
down at 8 o'clock, and upon which the
United States flag has not g. p. No.
been hoisted. Although my forces have
frequently engaged the forts, and yours
have not exchanged a shot with them,
I await the arrival of a detachment of
your troops to take possession, as they
must eventually occupy them. I ex-
pect the same consideration.
I request that you will relieve Lieu
tenant Caruthers of the duty given him,
as I have directed Lieutenant Marble
to assume command of the Alvarado.
Very respectfully, etc."
After quoting some further CORE
spondence on the matter, in which
Sampson claims the prizes, he. refers to
the expulsion of Lieutenant Doyle from
captured vessels, and the failure of
Shafter to invite any of the squadron
officers to be present at the surrender,
and adds: This, of course, may have
been a mere oversight, but it is, of
course, to be regretted that any such
thing took place. Had the navy been
withdrawn after the action of the Sd,
after which all the fleets operations
were TO. aid the army-all the shipping
referred to would have escaped, and