The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-03-07
LONG IN SIMPSONS DEFENCE
HIS ANSWER TO ADMIRAL SCHLEY'S
RECENT LETTER..

ment Has withheld Any Information
Holds That Sampson Did Not Re-
linquish Command When He Sailed
Toward Siboney.
Washington, March 6-The senate
committee on the naval affairs to-day
made public Secretary Longs second
letter in the Sampson-Schley contro-
versy, this communication being in re-
ply to Admiral Schley's letter. The
first matter which the secretary takes
up Is Admiral Schley's mention of Ad-
miral SIMPSONS letter of May 20 which,
the secretary says, seems to have given
certain senator's the impression that the
department has withheld that letter.
On this point, he says:
"First-That this letter was not In
the possession of the department on
February nor was it's existence known
to the department at that time.
"Second-That it was in the possess
sion Of Admiral Schley until the ninth
of February, when it was sent to the
department upon it's request to be furn-
ished with all official records relating
to his duty as ommander-in- n-chief Of
the flying squadron, and as flag ofti-
Ger In the North Atlantic fleet.
''Third-That in it's instructions with
regard to maintaining the blockade Of
Cienfuegos it was not more explicit than
the letter of Admiral Sampson of May
10 which accompanied the communica-
tion of the department of February 6,
and which is published in the appendix
to the report of the bureau of naviga-
tion on page 464.
"Fourth--That on May q, the day
after it was written, Admiral Sampson
ly, directing Commodore Schley to pro-
duplicate, by the Hawk and Marble
head. which orders were received by
Commodore Schley during the early
forenoon Of the 23d and oath, respective
1y, directing Comomdore Sshley to pro-
ceed with all dispatch, but cautiously,
to Santiago if satisfied that the Span
ish squadron was not at Cienfuegos.
The set of these orders sent by the
Hawk was received on the same day
as the letter of the goth and bearing the
latter date, May 21, of course revoked
instructions to blockade Cienfuegos,
contained in the letters Of the 10th and
goth.
s'Fifth-That in obedience to these in
structions the flying squadron left Ci-
enfuegos on the afternoon of the oath,
but did not reach the immediate vicini-
ty of the port Of Santiago until the
morning of the ninth of May"
Tho coorafo orxy tho, r11otac the admir-
ais reference to the departments or
der received by him on the 9th of
May directing him to positively ascer-
tain If Cervera's fleet was in Santiago
harbor and not to allow him to leave
Santiago if found certainly to be there
without a decisive action" and gives
the admiraps reply in full and says:
'It will be seen that Rear Admiral
Schleys statement to the senate does
not how that he started to return to
Key West, and signa1led to the squad
ror~to that effect, and so informed the
department and 1t might be inferred
that he Immediately obeyed that order
and ascertained the presence of the
enemy at Santiago. On the contrary,
his telegram above, dated May 28, and
written May 81, shows that though
having just received the telegram of
the department and having on hand a
sufficient supply of coal to return to
Key West he reported that he could
not obey the order and continued to
proceed towards Key West However,
1t later became evident to him that this
was unnecessary and he resumed the
movement toward Santiago
Another point in Admiral Schley's
letter is touched upon in the following
manner: Admiral Schley's mention
of the signal by Admiral Sampson at
S:45 a. M, July 3--'disregard move
ments of commander-in-chief and his
mention of the movement of the COM
mander-in- chief toward Siboney is fol-
lowed by an incorrect inference, to wit:
This left me senior officer present, and
necessarily clothed me with the respon-
sibilities of command The signal
above mentioned is one which is fire.
quently made in squadron manoeuvres
and is never held as in any sense a re-
linquishment of command. 1t is made
where for any reason. the flagship
leaves it's assigned position in forma-
tion, as was the case when the New
York left her habitua1 blockading sta
Ion on une H1OTHlIlS VI July AL SuCJ
times 1t is made to avoid confusion,
which would result If other vessels fix
ing their positions by reference to The
fagship We're to move with her. With
out further signal the responsibility of
command would not be shifted until the
senior officer had gone of of signal dist
ance."
The statement concludes with the fol-
lowing: 1.-THE department furnishes the |
foregoing statement only to complete |
the record in compliance with the re- |
quest of the senate of January %. De- |
string to do Admirals Sampson and |
schley full justice for services rendered, |
It has, after full consideration of all the
recommended to the
president their promotion To the grade
of rear admiral and begs to express the
hope that his recommendations to the
same effect may be confirmed by the
Annexed to the letter from the secre-
tary is one from Captain Sigsbee, in re-
ply to Admiral Schley's reference to
himself as commander of the scout
steamer st. Paul, quoting him as
for the opinion that Cervera's
fleet was not in Santiago harbor. On
this point Sigsbee says: What I actu-