The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-06-17

Of your long voyage.
The department desires to express to you
and through you to the officers and men
under your command, its appreciation o.
the efforts made by them to carry out their
orders.
1t is such zeal and spirit as has been
shown by the officers and men of the Mari
eta that has brought to successful end
every enterprise undertaken by our service
during the present war. JOHN D. LONG.
Secretary of the Navy.
The Winslow Affair
The department has just had time to get
along to the fine display of courage made
by Captain F. M. Newcomb, commanding
the revenue cutter Hudson, in the engage
ment of the Spanish forces at Cardenas on
the 18th of last month, in which Ensign
Bagley and several other men were killed
and Lieut.. Bernadou wounded on the tor
pedo boat Winsow. Secretary Longs praise
in this case is more gracious inasmuch as it
is directed to revenue marine officer, and
not to an officer in his own department. He
directed the following letter to the Secre-
tary of the Treasury on June 10:
II have the honor to acknowledge the re-
ceipt of your letter of the 9th inst. and to-
forward herewith copy Of the report re-
ceived. The rescue of the Winslow by the
Hudson was so calamity DONE in the face
of the most calling fire, that her Captain
officers and men deserve the warmest COM
mendation. The Winslow was ridded with
shell, disabled and helpless, drifting on to
the beach into the hands of the enemy; her
Captain wounded; her only other officers
and half the crew killed. but the Hudson
courageously remained by her in the very
center of the hottest fire Of the action, al
though in constant danger of going ashore
on account of shallow water, until finally
O line was gotten to the Winslow and the
vessel drawn out of the way of the enemy's
guns. JOHN D. LONG, Secretary"
Captain Newcomb's Report
The report of Captain Newcomb, upon
which the Secretary's letter was based, was
as follows:
eat 1850 am, while off the main en-
trance to Cerdenas Bay, the Hudson was
ordered by the senior officer present to &C.
company the u. S. S. Wilmington and the
U. S. torpedo boat Winslow inside. All
three vessels started Immediately and after
some preliminary soundings to determine
the best water passed through Blanco chan
mel into the bay and headed for Cardenas.
About l pm, when abreast of Corogol
Point, the Hudson was ordered by the COM
manding officer of the u s. S. Wilmington
to go out and look at small craft. She
steamed over toward Diana Bay and skirted
along the western shore of the bay but dis
covered no vessels, and observing that the
Wilmington and Winslow were nearing
Cardenas at 1875 pm, steamed over toward
them at full speed.
eat Las pm. when a little over a mile
distant from vessels saw firing commence
from the shore, which was Immediately re-
turned by our ships.
'At 1850 when within range of shore guns
the Hudson opened fire upon them with her
two six Founders. Observing the Winslow
was quite in shore and exposed to the full
strength of the enemy's guns, ran along
side the Wilmington and asked If we should
go to her assistance (Winslow). The an
swer came Yes, and we Immediately
steamed into the immediate vicinity of the
Winslow, keeping up a constant and rapid
fire from the Hudsons battery upon the
enemy's guns on shore. At 2:20 Commander
Of Winslow reported his vessel totally dis
abled and requested to be towed out OF
range. Owing to shoal water and the rapid
drift toward shore of the Winslow (the wind
was on shore), it was fully thirty minutes
before the Hudson succeeded in making a
line fast from the Winslow and starting
ahead of her. The enemy kept up con-
slant fire during this time. which appeared
TO be especially directed toward the Wins
low, which fire was returned at every op-
portunity by the Winslow and Hudson. The
Winslow was towed alongside the Whining
ton, from which vessel boat was sent with
u medical officer, who transferred the dead
and wounded from the Winslow to the Will
mington. Finally about $3.50 pm. all three