The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1898-10-27
SIMPSONS REPORT TOLON6
Conduct of Fleet Prior to Battle
Of Santiago.

prior to the destruction of Admiral
Cervera's ships on July 3. It is made
up largely of official dispatches and
the movements of the fleet, with ex-
plantations and comment by the ad-
niraL The report is dated August 3,
on the flagship New York, and begins
with a statement of the determine
ton reached By the navy depart
ment to send a squadron to the
Windward passage for the purpose Of
observation, because of information re-
ceived of the sailing, April 20, of Ad-
miral Cervera's squadron from the Cape
Verde islands. On the voyage east
ward from the naval base at Key West,
which began May 4, Admiral Sampfon
reports there was experienced endless
trouble and delay because of the inef-
dciency Of the two monitors accom-
panying the other ships and which had
to be taken in tow. Their coal supply
was so small that it was at once evil
dent that they must either frequently
,oal or be towed. The admiral says:
Had the sea been rongh, or had the
enemy appeared at this juncture, the
squadron would have been in a much
better condition for an engagement
had the monitors been elsewhere. Sob
sequently, when engaging the batter
les of San Juan, it was evident that
their shooting was very bad. Owing
to the quick rolling of these vessels,
even in q very moderate sea, they were
unable to fire with any degree of &C
:uracy.~
July 2 the following was received
from General Shafter:
Terrible fight yesterday, but my
line is now strongly intrenched about
three-fourths of a mile from town. 1
urge that you make effort Immediately
to force the entrance to avoid future
losses among my men, which are al
ready very heavy. You can now oper-
ate with less loss of life than can.
Please telephone answer"
A reply was telephoned General
SKATER from Admiral Sampson
through Lieutenant Stanton, which
said the admiral had bombarded the
forte at the entrance of Santiago and
also Punta Gorda battery, inside,
silencing their fire, and asked whether
be (Shafter) wanted further firing on
the sdmiral's part. The explanation
vas made that it was impossible to
force an entrance until the channel
was cleared of mines-a work of some
time after the forts were taken posses
sion Of by the troops. To this General
Shafter replied:
1T is impossible for me to say when
I can take batteries at entrance Of har-
Dor. II they are as difficult to take as
those which we have been pitted
against, It will be some time and en-
tail great loss of life. lam at loss
to see Why the navy cannot work un-
der destructive fire as well as the
army. Ny loss yesterday was over 500
men By all means keep up fire on
everything n sight Of you until de-
molished. I expect, however. in time
and with sufficient men to capture the
forts along the bay"
Admiral Sampson then says:
Il wrote General Shafter the follow
ing letter and began making prepar-
atoms to eountermine, and, with the
object of arranging an attack upon the
batteries at the entrance, q visit was
arranged to General Shafter, 90 that
the matter might be thoroughly dis
cussed and combined action take place.
I had in view the employment of the
marines for an assault on either the
Moro or Socapa battery, while at the
same time assaulting the defenses at
the entrance with the deet.
"'My Dear General:-I have your
note Of this morning-just received at
1850
"'An officer of my staff has already
reported to You the firing which we did
this morning, but I must say in addi-
ton to what he told you that the forts
which We silenced are not the forts
which would give you any iaconven-
fence in capturing the city, As they
cannot fire except to seward. They
cannot even prevent our entrance
into the harbor Of Santiago. Our
trouble from the first has been that
the channel to the harbor is well
strewn with observation mines, which
would certainly result in the sinking
Of one or more of our ships if we at
tempted to enter the harbor, and by
the sinking of ship the object of the
attempt to enter the harbor would be
defeated By the preventing of further
progress on our part
sit was my hope that an attack on
your part on these shore batteries.
from the rear. would leave us at liberty
to drag the channel for torpedoe&
If it is your earnest desire that we
should force the entrance. I will at
once prepare to undertake it. Think,
however, that our position and yours
would be made more difficult if, as is
possible, we fail in our attempt.
This work, which is unfamiliar to
Us, will require considerable time. 1t
is not so much the loss of men as it is
the loss of ships which has deferred
me from making direct attack upon
the ships within the port. Very truly.
IN Aaaa AsanaAa "a AnRen