The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-11-03
LIEUT.. FENNEssEYs DEFENCE.
Highly Commendatory Letter From Capt.
Cotton of the Harvard.

Cotton of the Harvard.
Boston, November AIT the continued
hearing of the board of inquiry, inves-
tigating the conduct of Lieut.. jeremiah
Y. Fennessey, quartermaster OF the 9th
Massachusetts regiment, U. s. ", in
Cuba, today, Sergeant O'Oonnor was re-
called and produced list of 55 names,
who were on board the Harvard, July 1,
to July 8.
Private John f. Reynolds, Co. o, 5th
regiment, one of the.sdetail on the Har-
ward. testified that Quartermaster Fen
Messy had done everything possible to
secure the stores. Witness knew Eof no
neglect Of duty or cowardice on the
part OF the quartermaster.
Ex-Congressman Harrison Il. Atwood
I testified that Lieut. Desmond was a per-
sonal friend. He had received several
letters from him. The letter which was
published was not authorized by Lieut..
Desmond
b At this point number of letters were
read to the COURT by Jude Dewey. One
from Capt. G. S. Cotton of The Harvard,
to Secretary of the.Nayy Long, was In
part. as follows:
Dear slr-Iu referring to your personal
letter, dated the 9th inst. to me. answer
was received on the evening of the llth
| inst, in relation to the ATTACK upon J.
u. Fennesssy OF the 9th Massachusetts
regiment, charging him with cowardlce
and with having been languid on duty
remaining on board the Harvard from
July to last I beg leave to transmit
herewith under cover to you letter
which will hope, fully exonerate Lieut..
| Fennessey from the groundless and un:
| just imputations upon his character. And
| it gives me pleasure to DO aba to bear
which that officer performed ell of his
duties while ON board the Harvard.
A letter from Capt. Cotton to Lieut..
Fennessey was then read In part 1T was
as follows:
| 1t gives me pleasure to bear witness to
when the prisoners from Ger vera's fleet
were brought on board the Harvard. to
the date Of your departure from that
ship you performed your duty as officer
Of the guard with Judgment and decision
and in a manner to meet my hearty ap-
| prevail and commentator.
Your detention on board the Harvard
was upon my request officially made to
the colonel commanding the 9TH Massa-
chusatts.
Lieut.. Fennessey was then called to tes-
1 tify In his own behalf. After detailing
the regiments movement, the witness
said they, arrived of Siboney July 1, at
Q a. IN. II received verbal orders from
| Col. Began and the adjutant to remain
on board the Harvard until all the stores
| had been put ashore. A detail of five
Emen from each company was ordered to
remain with me, three to get the stores
| off the vessel and two to receive tine. stores
| on Shore
'.From that date to the 9Th Of July
| received no order whatever from any off,
Ger except from Capt. Cotton and Lieut..
Hunker of the Harvard.
when the men of the ninth were leav-
! ing the vessel they all took their blanket
rolls and aocoutrements with them. On
July 2 we worked moving the stores.
On the 3D., the work was suspended be-
cause of the attempted escape of the
Spanish fleet.'
| Lieut.. Fennessey testified that from
July % to August % he went IA times to
Santiago in search of transportation.
In answer to query as to the outbreak
was doing at the time. witness said: II
was asleep in my stateroom amidships,on
| the port side. / was officer of the day.
each day from u. m. to p. m. This
night I went to bed at 10. 40 and at II 40
heard a shot and screaming. jumped
/ out of bed instantly, took my revolver
and rushed out on deck in my night shirt
land without my shoes. I saw some of the
men with their rifles raised toward the
after part of the ship. and I said, Boys,
| for Gods saks don't shoot your COM
rades.
4 81 stood in front of the rifles and then
went toward the prisoners. A couple of
shots came out of the armory ,one Of them
piercing the wall of the armory. put
my head through the window and or
dered them to lower their rifles and stop
firing. This was on the port side and no.
body was killed IN that SIDE The Span
iards were killed on the starboard side. -
! In answer to the query If witness used
the term murder in describing the
shooting of the Spanish prisoners on the
Harvard, he said:
"No, to the best of my recollection, l
never had word Of conversation with
Major Murray ON the subject. The re-
| laxations between Capt Murray and my
self have been unfriendly for ssix years
past and I never considered Lieut.. Des-
mond friend Of mime