The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-12-02


as he says, that a more complete his
tory of the action Of the fleet in COM
bination with the army may be at the
disposal of the department Some OF
the additions follow:
When Shafter signalled that Miles
and himself were to have a confer
ence looking to the surrender ot San
tiago. Sampson sent message TO
Shafter saying he desired 10 be repre-
sented in any conference, which in
ciuded the surrender of the shipping"
Admiral Sampson gives number OF
dispatches showing that he was ask
ed to participate in the terms of sur
render and tried to find out when he
should send a representative, but owing
to one or two delays no time was fixed.
Sampson comments follow: The fore
going certainly shows clerly the most
absolute joint action and I took for
granted that we should be joint sig
natories of any capitulations, as is
customary in all services in such cir
cumstances.
No mention was made of the ship
ping in the capitulations and Captain
Chadwick informed General Shafter
that all Spanish ships would be regard
ed by US as property to be turned
over to the navy. He said he would
refer such a matter to the secretary
of war, but that, Of course, could
have no bearing upon what | consider
ed by duty in the matter, particularly
in the view of our late experience of
Spanish perfidy in regard to injury to
ships, which, in my opinion made it
necessary to look after their safety at
once. 1 thus, after the hauling down
of the Spanish flag sent pTiZ9 crews on
board the gunboat Alavado and to the
five merchant steamers in the harbor.
An officer of the army was found on
board of the Alvarado, who stated he
had been sent to take charge of her"
After QuOtiag some further cOrre-
spondence<I&sthe matter in which
Sampson scHIfAAk the prizes, he refers
to the exn sicntef Lieutenant Doyle
from catu8ad vessels and the failure
OF ShaftaGte iryite any Of the squad
ron officeS tofbe present at the sur
render and' adds: "This may have been
q mere oversight, but it is, of course
to be regretted that any such should
take place. Had the navy been with
drawn after the action of the 3rd after
which all the fleets operations were
to aid the army-all the shipping re-
ferred to would have escaped and our
army have become the beseiged instead
Of the besiegers."
Skaters rejoinder came on August
1st, directed to Admiral Sampson as
follows:
of the secretary of the navy in the
matter in which you wire me. The
surrender of Santiago was made by
General TOral in person, ne surrender
ing verbally all the prisoners and pub
lie property of Spain in the district
commanded by him, and / accepting
the same in the presence of troops ~
resenting all the respective armies. The
details for carrying this into effect
were arranged by three commission
ers on each side. These articles We're
signed by the respective cOmmiSS' on
erS in duplicate, one copy was handed
to General Toral and the other sent by
me to the secretary of war. Neither
General Toral or myself signed them.
Certainly / could not and would not
submit these articles to any officer for
a signature, my own not being affixed,
and / shall protest to the secretary of
war against your signature to that
document. I respectfully invite your
attention TO the fact that no claim
for credit for the capture Of C2:vera
and his fleet has been made by the
Spanish fleet did not leave the har-
Dor until the investment of the city
was practically completed and Cervera
had suffered losses on land on July
1st and End, notably among them his
chief of staff
Sampson says that he acknowledged
receipt of the above without argu-
ment and that the matter should be
decided at Washington, while he cites
a number of kilograms and signals to
show that Shafter had the assistance
of the fleet in bringing about the sur
render.