Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-12-05

and attack santiago on the east ana
north that is his affair, but it should
be clearly understood that this attack
does not influence the situation at the
slarbor entrance, from which his eft
flank is distant not less than four
miles. / have been ready at any time
during the last three weeks to silence
the works, to clean the entrance of the
mines and enter the harbor whenever
the army will do the part which the
proper conduct of war assigns to 1t.
To throw my ships to certain lestruc-
ton upon mine fields will be suicidal
folly, and have not the force to form
a landing party strong enough to en-
sure the capture Of the forts.
Sampson gives a number of dis
patches showing that he was asked to
participate in the terms of the sur
render and tried to find out when be
should send representative; but oW-
ing to one or two delays no time was
fixed. Sampson comments as follows:
s'The foregoing certainly shows
clearly most absolute joint action and
| took it for granted that we should be
joint signatories Of any capitulat1ons,
as is customary in all services in SUCH
circumstances. Captain Chadwick ar
rived at the front at the earliest hour
possible, and informed Shafter of my
expectancy in the matter but ShafI9r
peremptorily refused. The conyen-
ton already had been signed, and he
stated as one reason that nothing ha0
been said of the army in my report OF
the feet action of July 8. There
would have been as much reason for
mentioning the navy in the report Of
the land action of July 1st, when The
assault was made by our army on the
Spanish lines. No mention was made
of the shipping in the capitulations,
and Capt Chadwick Informed Shafter
that all Spanish ships would be re-
garded by us as property to be turned
over to the navy. He said that ne
would refer such matter to the secre-
tary Of war. But that, of course,
could have no bearing upon what !
considered my duty in the
matter, particularly in view OF
our late experience with Spanish
Derfidy in regard to the injury CT
ships, which,. in my opinion made II
necessary to look after our safety al
once. Thus, after the hauling down Oh
the Spanish flag, / sent prize crews on
board the gunboat Alvarado and to five
merchant steamers in the harbOr. An
officer of the army was found on board
the Alvarado, who stated that he had
been sent to take charge of her, where
upon [ addressed the following letter
to Shafter, saying: 1t should hardly
be necessary to remind you in all joint
operations of the character of those
which have resulted in the fall of San
tiago, all floating material is turned
over to the navy, as all forts, etc, are to
the army. 1 have been lying within
500 yards of the MORO, from which the
Spanish flag was hauled down at 9
O'Clock, and upon which the United
States flag has not yet g p. No. been
hoisted. Although my forces have fire.
quently engaged these forts and yours
have not exchanged a shot with them,
J.
your troops to take possession as they
must eventually occupy them. [ eX-
pect the same consideration. request
you will relieve Lieut.. Carruthers OF
the duty given him, as | have directed
Lieut.. Marble to assume command of
the Alvarado.'
After quoting some further CORES
4I1 in h iah
Sampson claims the prizes, he refers
to the expulsion of Lieut.. Doyle from
the captured vessels and the failure of
Shafter to invite any of the squadron
officers to be present at the surrender
and adds: This, of course, may have
been mere oversight, but it is, of
course, to be regretted that any such
action should take place. Had the
navy been withdrawn after the action
on the 3d-after which all the fleet S
operations were to aid the army-all
the shipping referred to would have
escaped and our army become the be-
sieged instead of the besiegers, as, of
course, the Reina, Mercedes and the
gunboat AlvaradOr would have been
free to destroy or drive off the whole
fleet"
Skaters rejoinder was: Il do not ac-
knowledge the authority of the secre-
tary of the navy in the matter in
which you wire me. The surrender Of
Santiago was made to me by Toral in
person, in surrendering verbally all
the prisoners and public property of
Spain in the district commanded by
him, and | accepting the same in the
presence of the troops representing all
the respective armies. Details for car
rying this into effect were arranged
by three commissioners on each side.
These articles were signed by the re-
spective commissioners in detail. one
copy of which was handed to Toral and
the other sent by me to the secretary
of war. Neither TOral nor myself
signed them. Certainly [ could not,