The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-10-24
The REPORT OF SAMPSON.
Navy Department Makes Publ ic the
Historical Document.
CORRESPONDENCE. WITH SKATER.
The Admiral Informed the Fat Gem
erai Of the Difficulties Of Enter
ing the Harbor After Ccrvera.

] washington. October 23.--The navy depart.
J ment has made public that portion of Admiral
| Sainpsons report covering the conduct of this
neet under his command, In its operations
Ia the West indies for about two months prior
70 the destruction Of Admiral Ceryeras ships
on July .. 1t Is made up largely of official
DISPATCHES and the movements OF the fleet,
with explanations and comment by the ad-
nral.
TIC rcpsdt b. dated August 8, ON the flagsh,u
New YORK, aud begins with statement Of the
determination reaeIed by the navy deLa., III nj
70 send a squadron to tho Wlpdwafti passa r.
ioi the purpose OF observation, because OF
INFORMATION received OF the sailing, April 20,
q Aamarai Gervcra's squadron from the Cape
VERDE ISLANDS. On tho voyage eastward from
the naval base at Key West, which began
May 4. Admiral Sampson reports there was
experienced endless trouble and delay because
Oh tho inofhciency OF the two monitors ac-
companying the other ships, and which had
10 be taken In tow. Their coal supply was SO
small that II was at once evident that they
must either frequently coal or be towed
The admiral says. Had the sea been rough.
or had the enemy appeared at amy juncture,
tho squadron would have been in a much
better position Tor an engagement had the
mentors been elsewhere. Subsequently, when
engaging the batteries of San Juan it was
evident that thsr shooting was very bad
OWING to the quick rolling OF these vessels,
even In very moderate sea, they were I'M
able to IRE with any degree OF accuracy"
The admiral reproduces the order OF battle
Incidental to the landing of Skaters army
corps June q, when ships were sent to shell
the beach and cover the landing of the men
On June 30 the admiral received a com
muhlcation from Major General Shafter an
nouhcinS that he expected to attack Santiago
tSampson) lombard the forts at Aguadores
In support Of regiment OF infantry, and
make such demonstration he thought
proper at the harbor's mouth, so as TO keen
40 gsih Thn
request was complied with and on July / Cen
eral Shafter asked chat the admiral keep up
ms hght on the Santiago water front. on
July tho following was received from Cen
erai Shafter:
Terrible fight yesterday, but my line is
now strongly intrenched about three-fourths
OF n milo from town. | urge that you make
EFFORT immediately to force the entrance TO
avoid future losses among my men, which
are already heavy You can operate with less
loss OF life than can Please telephone an
swer."
reply was telephonod General Shutter
iNW AdUl-nl Sfionsun through J iautenapt
Stanton. which said the admiral had bonn
and also Punta Gorda battery inside. slienc-
Ing their fire. and asked whether he (Shaf-
teri wanted further firing on the admiraPs
part. The explanation was made that 1t was
impossible TO force an entrance until the
channel was cleared OF mlnes--a work OF some
time after the forts were taken possession of
by tho troops. To this General Shafter re-
piled at Is impossible for me TO say when
can take the batteries Mt entrance OF harbor
II they arc as difficult TO take "a those which
we have been pitted against. 1t will be some
time and great loss OF life | am at loss
to see why the navy can not work under n
destructive 'lro as we'll the army. Ny loss
yesterday was over FIVE hundred men. By all
means keep up fire on everything in sight of
you until demolished. ! expect, however, In
time and with sufficient men, to capture the
forts along the bay"
Admiral Sampson then says:
wrote General Shaftpr the following ipy
ter nrd hegan making preparations to coun-
termue, and, with tho object of arranging an
attact upon the batteries at the entrance q
visit was arranged TO General Shaftor so that
tho matter might be thoroughly discussed and
combined action take place. had in view the
employ ent OF the marines for an assault on
either the MORO or socapa battery, while at
the same time ASSEMBLING the defenses ut the
entrance with the fleet:
=" United states Flagship New York, First
Rate, off Santiago de Cuba. July 2, 1898 My
ptal General: | have your note OF this morn
Tug; Just received at 80. An officer OF your
s,nW has already reported to you the firing
winch We did this morning, but | must say
IN addition to what he told you, that the forts
which we sllenccd were not the forts which
would give you any Inconvenience In captur-
lnS the city, ms they can not fire except to
SEWARD They can not even prevent our en-
trance into the harbOr of Santiago. Our trou-
PIE IRON the first has been that the channel
10 the harbor Is we'll strewn with observation
huute, which would certainly result, In the
Mnflng Of one o. more Of orr ships IL we
ATTEMPTED To enter the harbor and by the
sinking Of ship the object OF the attempt 10
ehler the harhor would be defeated by the pre- |
venting OF further progreSs on our part
II was nay hope that an attack on your
part OF those shore batteries from the ,ea, |
would leave us at liberty to drag the chan. |
mel for tnrpedoos. II 1t is your earnest desire |
tina. we should force an entrance | will n, |
once prepare to undertake II. | think how. |
tvei' that our position and yours would be
made more difficult, H. us is possible we |
fail In our attempt
VIC have in our outfit at Guantanamo )
rory counter mining mines, which will bring
mere with as little delay as possible and n We |
can succeed In freeing the entrance Of mines |
by their use | will enter the harbor This
WORK Is unfamiliar 10 us, so will require con |
siderable time
=. u Is not SO mtSh the loss Of men IA II is
the loss OF ships Which has until now do
terred mo from making a direct attack unou
thu ships within the port
Very truly, w G. Sampsop
. Rear Admiral. United States NAVY rom
mander-n-Chief Of tho United States Ma
=. val forces, North Atlantic Squadron
" Major General w. r. Shnfter, L. : W"
Iuly j, the sortie OF Admiral Cervern's
squadron, and its destruction has been made
.,hN aUe)eet 81 separate paper, and need not
b repeated hore
This event closes the purely naval cam,
p gn' .crowniug with complete success the
work OF almost two months.