Evening star., 1898-08-26
CAPT. TAYL LeRts PROTEST
-.Esm
Hs Thinks Official Reports slighted the
Work of tie Indiana
His Letter to Reaf ADMIRAL Sampson
and the Reply of That
Offeer.

| The Navy Department has made public
| some belated correspondence between Ad-
niral Sampson commanding the North At
| lantic fleet, and Capt. H. c. Taylor COM
| ElanGing the battle ship Indiana, concern
| ing the part taken by the officers and men
of that vessel in the naval fight of July g.
! Under date of Guantanamo, August G,
| Captain Taylor wrote Admiral Sampson as
| follows:
1.-The report of Commodore Schley on the
| battle of July 3, as published, gives credit
| in the seventh paragraph to four ships and
mentions by name their captains, Philip,
Evans, Clark and Cook, and adds: The
dense smoke of the combat shut out from
my view the Indiana and Gloucester but
as these vessels were closer to your flag
ship no doubt their part in the conflict was
| under your immediate observation
50. In your report published you make
but slight mention of the Indiana, stating
that the Iowa and Indiana having done
good work. and not having the speed of the
other ships, were directed by me- etc
"3. The result of these reports is that the
captains of all the vessels of the line of
battle except the Indiana have received
personal mention in the official report be-
fore the department, while the two smaller
vessels have also had distinctive mention
either from the commander-in-ch or the
second in command.
II. If the official record should be referred
to in future it will appear from it's general
tone that the Indiana was less deserving
than all of her consorts. Leaving out my
personal interest in the matter, it is right
that should consider the officers and crew
of the ship; and l speak for them as well
as for myself when / submit to you admi-
raj, that the above combma ton of reports
will place the ship, in the opinion of the
department and the country, markedly be-
low all the other vessels of your squadron.
L respectfully submit sir, that this is injus-
t1ce to the Indiana and her officers and
crew.
"5. can say without dispar agement of
any other vessel that during the first hour
OF the fight the 1ndianas gun fire con-
tributed to the destruction of the Oouand
and the Teresa more than that of any sin
gle vessel of our squadron except one and
equaied hers l do not know why the sec
ond in command failed to observe the In
diana during this period of our hottest
action. l saw the Brooklyn quite plainly
"6. An examination of these reports with
reference to the Indiana WILL 1 believe
convince you, sir, that they do produce the
effect of putting the Indiana below all the
other vessels of the squadron. If it be your
opinion, sir, that this is the case and That
all the vessels from the Brooklyn to the
Vixen rendered services as much more val
liable than the Indiana. as the published re-
port of the commander chief and the
second in command taken together would
indicate, then l must &c capt it for myself
and the ship; If, on eth - contrary that be
not your opinion, urge respectfully that
such steps be takeni to remedy ihis injus-
tice as may seem wise ito you"
Admiral Sampson replied to this letter on
the Sth instant, follDoIs:
Il am greatly obliged that you have call
ed my attention to what appears to have
been an injustice to your ship officers and
crew, for the part which they took in the
action of July 3, and nlso for the very
proper manner in whichVou have present.
ed it. l think however, that you will agree
| with me that in sufsniUting such a report
to the Secretary of bH x.-bar
many officers are vitality interested, and
justly proud of their ships, it is no easy
task to do SO without apparently bestow-
ing praise unjustly. It requires very care
full consideration of HE report from every
point of view to avoid misunderstanding.
y. The position aof the ships of the
squadron must be tcsHefully, considered to
Iully appreciate what lit was possible for
each vessel to accomplish. under the cir
cumstances in which she was placed. Those
that were to the westward of the escaping
enemy were certainly better placed for
stopping the enemy, and also better placed
for delivering their fire. than the vessels to
the eastward which was the blockading
station of the Indiana.
"3. No distribution of the fleet could COM
pletely predict and provide against every
variation of such a sortie do l consider
that any commanding officer deserved
either credit or blame because the ship
under his command was faster or slower
than another ship, or carried a heavier or
lighter battery, but rather that the COM
manding officer blameworthy when
ne failed to put his ship in the proper place
for destroying the enemy, just in propor-
ton to the advantage which he possessed
| in speed, battery or position over his neigh-
bcrs.
"A. Each commanding officer, in my opin-
ion, was personally responsible for the
good use which he made of the tools with
Which he had to work. 1 certainly did not
intend to criticise you, to bestow less
praise upon the Indiana than was bestowed
upon any other ship Of the squadron.
%. The face that the commanding officer
OF the Indiana was signaled to return to
blockade at the mouth Of the harbcr- after
she had SO gallantly contributed to the
destruction of the Spanish ships was only
necessary precautlon which the COM
mander-in-chief felt obliged to take to pre-
vent disaster to the large number of trans
| ports which were left in that vicinity when
| the fleet started in pursuit of the enemy.
Fhere wers still some armed vessels Ie-
naming i'll the harbor of Santiago-at least
| two, and We did not know then how many
more-which could nave come out in the
absence of the fleet and produced great
havoc among the -roopships, which were
defenseless i'll the absence of an armed
vessel
| 70. This explanation, together with your
letter. Will be sent to the department, with
the request that it may be attached to and
form part of the original report