The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-13
Tho Victory Was SIMPSONS.

The report of the board Of officers that
has been investigating the battle OF Santi-
ago with CERvERA's feet puts a n end at
once and forever to the foolish notion that
the victorious commander was not WILLIAM
I. SAMPSON but WINFIELD s.. SoHIEY. AL
though the flagship New York was 80 far to
the east, at the start, that nothing she did
affected the issue of the battle, yet the en-
gagement was fought and won upon plans
preparedby SAMPSON.
The signals made by SCHLEY from the
Brooklyn before SAMPSON came up had no
effect, as the board finds, on the conduct Of
the battle, and any directing Of movements
by him was inconsiderable. Each ship
fought for herself, according to orders that
had been given by SAMPSON for exactly
such an attempt of the Spaniards to escape.
We may add that the result OF this in
quiry is what was expected by the navy,
which recognized Immediately where the
credit, so far as commanding was con-
cerned, belonged. The attempt to transfer
to another the laurels justly belonging to
SAMPSON was made by sundry newspa-
pers through ignorance or sensational
ism or both. The navy itself was never
under n such delusion, yet it was
well to have this formal investigation
and report, in order to set at rest n silly
excitement, and to put the matter right in
history. AS the board, which convened in
Admiral SCHLEY's cabin aboard the Brook
Ign, at T~ompkinsville, was made up Of the
navigating officers of each battleship and
cruiser that took part in the fight, with
Lieutenant Commander WAINWRIGHT Of tho
Gloucester as presiding officer, it is a report
Of eyewitnesses as well as of competent
judges of evidence.
The remaining portion OF the report,
that Of the part taken by each vessel in the
fight, is also a valuable contribution to its
history. There are honors for all. The
Oregon gets a little tho best of it, as
the chief factor in the surrender Of
the Cristobal Colon, the only Span
lard that had any chance Of escape.
But the Texas and Iowa were we'll up to
her in the heavy fighting Of the day.
The Indiana, too, comes of with much credit,
for, although her position at the start was
further east than that of all tho other
armorclads, she took a course "inside Of
all" in pursuing the enemy, and so was
better able to make up in the effectiveness
Of her fire for her easterly start. AS for
the Brooklyn, her course is shown by
the start to have been outside of that Of
all the battleships, although a little moro
westerly or ahead of them, in the chase Of
the Colon, the conclusion being that she
was not engaged at so close quarters as has
been represented by the first report, being
at the time of the hottest fighting in limo
with tho OranpD Init fhran-n1ortar ~ n
mile further out to sea.
Without discussing in detail, however,
the findings as to individual ships, we may
say that the great point Of the report is
that it shows conclusively that the destruc-
ton Of C%ERvERA's fleet was accomplished
on the plans and by the orders of Admiral
SAMPSON. To him, as far as it can be as
cribed to any flag officer, is the credit due.
Under his orders the Captains and the men
behind the guns won the fight.