The San Francisco call., 1898-08-11
BRAVE ACTS IN BATTLE
INSTANCES CITED IN AN OF
 FICIAL REPORT.
How the Crew on Schley's Flagship Behaved During the Fight With the Spanish Fleet Under
 Cervera.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

the Navy Department:
 FLAGSHIP, North Atlantic Station,
 July Is, United States Flagship Brooklyn, l Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, July 6-SIr: l | have the honor to submit the following | report of the part taken by the marine 1 guard of this vessel on the 3d instant in l the action which resulted in the destruc- l tion of the Spanish squadron At the moment the alarm was given 1 that the enemy's ships were coming out of the harbor the guard was at quar-
 ters, ready for inspection; It was m lInIne1 e. diately dismissed and the men sent to their stations for battle. The men were full of enthusiasm, but there was no eX- citement or disorder and apparently no concern for personal safety. The battery was handled with admlra- ble coolness and deliberation. Greater care could not be taken in setting sights and aiming if the men had been at tar record score.
 Considering the fact that the enemy
 was within effective range during the
 greater part of the action, the fire or the secondary battery must have been most destructive to his men and material and contributed its full share to bring ing the battle to an end so speedily and
 with so little loss to ourselves. It Is reported that the Spanish officers have stated that so deadly was the effect or our secondary battery fire that It was lIn- possible to keep their men at the guns.
 Where all did their duty manfully, 1t is a difficult matter to select individuals
 
 however, who deserve to be brought to
 your notice by name for conduct that displayed in a conspicuous manner cour- age intelligence and devotion to duty during the action.
 A cartridge during the action was damned in the bore of the six-pounder, and in the effort to withdraw 1t the case became detached from the projectile; leaving the latter fast in the bore ana
 impossible to extricate from the reaE, Corporal Robert Guy of the port gun asked and received permission to attempt to drive the shell out by means of ram mer. To do this it was necessary to go full of difficulty and danger, the latter due in a great measure to the blast or the turret guns firing overhead. The gun was hot and 1t was necessary to cling to the Jacob ladder with one hand while en- deavoring with the other to manipulate the long rammer. After brave effort ne was forced to give up and was ordered in.
 Quarter Gunner w. H. Smith then was sent by the executive officer and promptly placed himself in the dangerous position outside the gun port, where he worked and failed, as the corporal had done Neither had been able to get the rammer into the bore, and there seemed nothing left to do but djsmount the gun At this 1uncture Private MacNeal, one Of the crew, volunteered to go out and make
 The gun was so important, the star board battery being engaged, that as forlorn nope he was permitted to make the attempt. He pushed out boldly and set to work. The guns of the forward turret were firing, the blast nearly knocking him overheard, and the enemy his immediate neighborhood. It was at this time that Chief Yeoman Ellis was killed on the other side of the deck. MacNeaI never paused in his work. The rammer was finally placed in the bore and the shell elected. The gun was i'm meolately put in action, and MacNeal re- sumed his duties as cooIly as 1T what ne had done were matter of every day routine.
 The battle orderlies well merit place among those whose conduct is worthy of special mention. They were on the move continuously, bearing battle orders to all parts of the ship, and in no instance did they fail in the prompt and intelligent performance of their responsible duty; The signal men occupied very exposed positions during the action and rendered excellent service. Signal halyards and numbers, battle flags and speed cones were riddled by small projectiles and fragments of bursting shell, casualties that show in what a zone of danger the signal men performed their duties. Sig nalmen Coonnbs and Mcintyre and Battle Orderlies Rall and Davis were so near Yeoman Ellis when he was killed that they were bespattered with blood
 The following are the names of the bat tie orderlies:
 Davis.
 Kelly, Smith and San Jule. To the executive officer-PrivateS Bren- nen 6. Wismer and O'Donnell. The flag orderly, Private Richmond, and commanding officers orderly, Private Woodruff, were on deck and rendered good service.
 The following are the names or the slg-
 Forward-Privates Coombs and McIn- tyre
 The music boys, Drummer Weisenberg and Fffer Stewart, were stationed on the main and the gun decks. respectively, to sound trumpet calls and behaved man fully.
 None showed more unf1inching courage than the men in the military tops, who stood by their guns delivering their ire the projectiles flying about them and striking in their immediate vicinity. Private Stockbridge, the only man on the sick list, climbed into the mafn-top at the signal for battle, where he remained to the end of the action, doing good work at his gun.
 Sergeant Manning, Sergeants Bristow Montair, Ingalls, and McDevett, Corporals Dittmeier, Doyle and Gray-showed ex- cellent soldierly qualities In the manage ment of the men and battery. First Sergeant Manning rendered valua-
 ble aid in supervising the widely separ- ated attachments of the guard. I cannot speak too highly of the con- duct and bearing of Lieutenant Borden. His courage and excellent services proved him a valuable officer
 There were no casualties of a serious nature. Two men were slightly injured, one Private Film, in the back by splin- ter; the other, Private Garfield, in the leg, cause unknown. In neither case was it necessary for the men to leave their station. It is a matter of the greatest pride to the guard, officers and men alike, to be able to claim a share in the splendid
 work done by the Brooklyn on the 3d in stant.
 report nearly identical with this has
 been made to the commanding officer. Very respectfully,
 PAUL ST c. MURPHY. Captain United States Marine Corps. Commanding guard
 To the colonel commandant headouar- | ters United States Marine Corps, Wash l ington.
 Second indorsement:
 UNITED STATES FLAGSHIP BROOK. LIN, Off Santiago de Cuba, July 15-Re- | spectfully forwarded. The conduct of | the marine guard under Captain M,,r- 1 phys command on the occasion of the | destruction of the Spanish squadron on | T1llu rVa in