The evening times., 1898-07-27
LIEUT.. WAINWRIGHT.
The Plucky Gloucester's Command
ing Officer Gives His Version.
~ q

", o. o. HlOuceSter,
on Santiago de Cuba. Cuba. July 6, 1898.
Sir: l have the honor to report that
at the battle of Santiago on July 3, the
officers and crew of the Gloucester were
uninjured and the vessel was not injured
in hull or machinery. the battery only
requiring some slight overhauling. 1t
Is now In excellent condition
2. 1 inclose herewith a copy of the re-
port OF the executive officer made in COM
pliance with paragraph SIS. page no. Ma
val Regulations, which report / believe
to be correct in all Particulars I also
inclose copies of the reports of the sew
eral officers which may prove valuable
for future reference
3. 1t was the plain duty OF the Glouces-
ter to look after the destroyers, and she
was held back. gaining steam, until they
appeared at the entrance. The Indiana
poured in a hot fire. from all her second
ary battery. upon the destroyers; but
Capt. Taylor's signal ''Gunboats close In
gave security that we would not be fired
upon by our own ships. Until the leading
destroyer was injured our course was con-
verging. necessarily: but as soon as she
slackened her speed. we headed directly
for both vessels. firing both port and
starboard batteries as the occasion offer
ed
4. All the officers and nearly all the
men deserve my highest praise during
the action. The escape of the Gloucester
was due mainly to the accuracy and rap
idity of the fire. The efficiency of this
fire. as well as that of the ships gener-
ally. was largely due to the intelligent
and unremitting efforts of the executive
officer. Lieut.. Harry p. Huse. The result
Is more to his credit when 1t is remem-
bered that large proportion of the off,
GERS and men were unframed when the
Gloucester was commissioned. Through
out 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 and constant attention
of Passed Assistant Engineer George W.
McElory. The blowers were put on and
the speed increased to seventeen knots
without causing tube to leak or a brass
to heat. Lieut.. Thomas C. Wood. Lieut.
George H. Norman. tr.. and Ensign John
T. Edison not only controlled the fire of
the guns in their divisions and prevented
waste Of ammunition. but they also did
some excellent shooting themselves. Act
ing Assistant Surgeon ]. F. Bransford
took charge of one of the guns and fired
1t himself occasionally. Acting Pay
master Alexander Brown had charge of
the two Colt guns. firing one himself and
they did excellent work. Assistant En-
gineer A. NJ. Proctor carried my orders
from the bridge and occasionally fired a
gun when found 1t was not being served
quite satisfactorily All were cool and
active at a time when they could have
had but little hope of escaping uninjured
5. Lieuts. Wood and Norman. Ensign
Edison and Assistant Engineer Proctor
were in charge of the boats engaged in
saving life. They all risked their lives
repeatedly in boarding and remaining
near the two destroyers and the two ar
mored cruisers. when their guns were
being discharged by the heat and their
magazines and boilers were exploding.
They also showed great skill in landing
and taking of the prisoners through the
surf.
G. OF the men mentioned in the several
reports / would call special attention to
John Bond chief boatswain's mate. He
would have been recommended to the de-
partment for promotion, prior to his gall
liant conduct during the action of July
8. I would also recommend to your at
tention Robert P. Jennings. chief ma
chinist, mentioned in the report Of Mr..
McElroy. believe II. would have a good
effect to recognize the skill of the men
and the danger incurred by the engin-
eer's force. I would also recommend that
the acting appointments of those men
mentioned by the officers in their reports,
be made permanent.
z. The wounded and exhausted prison.
ers were well and skillfully tended by AS
sistant Surgeon Bransford. assisted by
Ensign Edison, who is also a surgeon.
S. The admiral. his officers and men
were treated with all consideration and
care possible. They were fed and Clothed
as far as our limited means would per-
nit
Very respectfully.
RICHARD WAINWRIGHT,
Lieut.. Comd'r, u. s. N. Commanding.
To the Commander-in-Chlef. United
States Naval Forces,i North Atlantic
Stallion.
May BE q General Strike at Hoes.
Nov Work JuIv I7-lThei strike Of C00