The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-11-03
HONoRING A TRUE AND NOBLE
HEROE.

is happy and rejoicing once more, over
the f1attering prospect that equally as
great a hero and victor will soon be
there. the great naval commander<and
fighter, Rear Admiral Schley, who is so
| hated and prosecuted by the Mckinley
gang of incapables at Washington. And
| all because he won the great fight at
Santiago, and earned the very laurels
that the said gang ave ou~trageously
attempted to fitch from him and place
them upon the envious and small Samp-
! son, who was not even 8 o much as in
| the fight. Atlanta will duly honor the
good democrat born in Maryland, who
rescued the explorer Greeley in the
frozen north, and destroyed the Span
ish fleet at Santiago.
In the Atlanta Journal of 18th ult,
there are interesting sketches at some
| length-the history of the great victory
over Cervera, and the STORY Of the
| Eventful Life" of a Maryland boy who
started at Is years of age at Annapolis,
twenty years later received the starry
ing survivors of a most hazardous Po-
lar expedition, performed the unexam-
pied feat of destroying an entire fleet,
n is rear admiral now. He was born
in 1889. His first naval fight was in
1862. In March 1888 he was made a cap
tain. We quote from the sketch:
In 18S9-91 he was in command of the
unarmored steel cruiser Baltimore
during the difficulties in Chill, arising
from the numbering Of two of his crew
and the wounding of some thirty-six
others by a mob in Valparaiso. He was
also commissioned to sarry to Sweden
the remains of John Ericsson, the fam
Gus inventor, for which service King
Oscar awarded him a gold medal"
He was ordered to the command of
the Brooklyn in February 1898. Here
is more of the enlightening sketch:
1T was on May 19,1S9S, that he was
ordered by Sampson to blockade Glen
fuegos, at which it was thought by
Sampson that the fleet of Admiral Ger
vera had secreted itself.
"On May GOTH, another order from
Sampson says: "Schley hould hold
his fleet off Cienfuegos. If the Spanish
ships have put into Santiago they must
come either to Havana or CienfuegoS
to deliver the munitions of war which
they are said to bring for use in Cuba.
l am, therefore, of the opinion that the
best chance to capture these ships will
be to hold the two points, Havana and
Cienfuegos, with all the force we can
muster
This was his official order.
It was Schley who in being ordered
to Santiago by the navy department,
discovered the Spanish fleet there on
May 29th.
There it remained completely block
AIDED by the American fleet until
July Bird.
At 8:45 on that tremendous day
Sampson signalled from his flagship:
Disregard movements from the com
mander-in-chief.'
He then steamed eastward to ST.
honey"
Read hat and remember what fol-
lowed. Here we see that Schley was
the first to discover the Spanish fleet
on 18th May, where it was blockaded
until 3rd July. Sampson signalled to
Schley ito disregard" his Simpsons
movements. Schley was in command
then, and what followed? The world
knows the magnificent fight by Schley
and his ships and the unparalleled vic
tory. Now rea one more: The peo-
pie have crowned Schley as the victor
The Brooklyn was the nearest to the
Spanish ships at every stage of the ac-
ton, and was the most injured of al
the American ships. She was struck
twenty-Seven times and her chief yeO-
man was killed by a shell while stand
ing near Commander Schley. He was
the only man killed in the battle"
The Spanish officers said that they
feared Schley and his ship more than
any other vessel of the fleet. While the
Mckinley set have damned him and
Sampson has been consumed by green
envy" he has been much honored by
the American people who know a true
nero. The sketch gives a view of the
FLUSHING honors' that have befaller
him. Read this:
During this period of rest h was
invited to New York, Philadelphia
Baltimore, Chicago, Richmond AND
other cities where he was ~banqueted
and feted and praised for the stipend.
Gus work of the fleet under his com
mand at Santiago-a victory which
finds no parallel in all the history OF
naval warfare.
Honor were heaped upon him.. Or
December 22d, last, he was presented
with a magnificent jewelled and gold
sword by the people of Pennsylvania ir
the Temple at Philadelphia. On Jan.
uary 29, 1893, at Carnegie hall, New
York, he was presented by the Royal
Arcanum with a superb jewelled SWORD
in the presence of the governor OF
Maryland, man. naval officers, and -four
thousand of his brothers of the order
On February 29th, at a banquet given
in his honor in Baltimore, Commodore
Schley was presented with a gold med.
al, set with jewels, by the people OF
Maryland, the governor making the
presentation"