Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-21
.SCHLErS RESPONSE.
Answer 10 Charges Made Against
Him BY Long,
THE DELAY Uff CItNfUEG0S.
This Due 10 Orders from Sampson That
He Hold bis Fleet there.
MS "RErREHENsupiE ,oNDvCr."
.In Fort,-rwe Years sewviee. Never
Wa. such Language Used with
Reference to Uim'--'Ne Rsssca
for 10 Now"
MS "RErREuE>sIsLE coNDrcr."
IN ror,,-rwc yesrs' sev,,ee. Sever
for u Now

WASHINGTON. February M.-Rcar-
Admiral W schlcy. having been granted
permission to answer the charges against
him In the communication recently sent
90 the serate. to-day handed 90 the Com.
mittoe on Naval Anairs his statement. In
which he disclalms any purpose OF con-
troyersy with tho Navy Department. The
lettcr Of the department he says 50 FAR
as lt relates to him. can be summarized
under the following heads: "rhe delay on
Cicnfucgos the alleged slow progress co.
ward Santiago de cuba from ticnfuegos;
the retrOgrade movements of the Gth and .
g7th OF May; the battle of santlaso ana
tho destruction Of Corvera's feet"
The Admiral SAYS his orders from samp-
SON ON May l9th were 90 blockade Glen.
fuegos which ho proceeded 10 do. on
his arrival ne sent Commander McCalla,
of the Marblehoad. ashore 90 establish
relations with the Insurgents the result
of which Was made known 90 him AZ
.s.Or. NJ. May 2th. Then be- FIRST learned
definitely that the spanish aeet was not
at Cienfuegos Within two hours ne stars
cd for santiago.
what possible ground 0f critlclsm,' hs
says. adverse 10 me. there can b. In sf
this. I DO not see. 7 was on the spot act
ing under orders which gave mo entire
discretion. and yet clothed mo with tho
responsibility of going 20 santiago only
after / WIS satisfied that the ncct was
not nt Cionfucgos"
ORDERS FROM SAMPSON.
Io quotes from the dispatches ~
Sampson or May 2Oth. in which the latter
says schiey should "hold his fleet of
Cienfuegos. ~ the spanish fleet have
put into Santiago they must r1'hs either
90 Illhnna or Cipnfuog0s to deliver tho
munitions of war whicn they are said
to bring for uso in cuba. I am. therefore,
of tho opinion that the best chance TO
capture these fulDs viii bc tO hold the
TWO points. Cipufuegos and liahanp.
with 700 the force we can muster ~.
later DO should develop that these vessels
are at SmtlagO We can then assemble M
That port the ships best suited for tho
purpose and completely blockade a. Tn
tl We. then. receive more pfOsitlve In
formation We shall continue 90 head the
enemy m fr0m llabana and cienfu'gos
Admiral schley odds ''lhls letter Is
not printed. either iu tho appendix or in
executive document q. bui I received u
Ou the 2ld and 10 shows that | WAS or
drred tO hold my squadron or cienfue-
COS"
A. t0 the slow progress toward san
tiugo on account " me tngle, he states
that she was "a part OF the force which
Admiral Sampson bad seen ~ no send
him. and he bad no right to abandon her.
"RETEOGRADE MOVEMENTS"
Speaking of "tso retr0grado move
menls" which the Secretary. ad0puns
tho mnsuaQe ~ Admiral Sampson. oha-
nctsrizoH us "reprehenfible conduct
Admiral schley says that in fOry-two
ypars' service never WAS such language
used 10 chamctefize conduct N mine. and
SEQ no reason for 30 now"
lie adds. Acting BOO accord Win my
best Judgment. ln view N the circum-
stances. without certain knowledge 0f
the whereabouts OF that Spanish fleet;
after having been Informed by the scouts,
commanded By such officers 40 bigsbee.
Jewell ana Wise. thar although ihey had
been On Santiago for "a week, theY nad
seen nothing ~ n and knew nothing ~
rs whereabouts since 10 had loft cufafoai
AFTER having been assured BY sigsbee mat
he did not believe ~ Waa ln SantlngO, ana
CONCLUDED ON SEVENTH PAdE)