Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-02-24
THE NEWS IN BRIEF.
Schley's Defence,
The Rear Admiral Makes n Written Re
ply TO the Charges which Were Made
Against Him Recently.

ply 10 the Charges which Were Made
Against Him Recently.
Rear Admiral w. S. Schley has written
to the naval committee of the Senate a
statement replying to the criticisms which
have been made against him.
He quotes from the despatch of Sampson
of May 20, in which the latter says Schley
should "hold his fleet off Cienfuegos. If
the Spanish ships have put into Santiago,
they must come either to Havana or Glen
fuegos to deliver the munitions of war
which they are said to bring for use in Cuba.
| am, therefore, of the opinion that the best
chance to capture these ships will be to
hold the two points, Cienfuegos and Hav-
ana, with all the force we can MUSTER
Admiral Schley adds: "Ths letter is not
printed either in the appendix or executive
documents, but | received it on the 23d,
and it shows that | was expected to hold
my squadron off Cienfuegos."
AS to the slow progress toward Santiago
on account of the Eagle, he states that she
was a part of the force which Admiral
Sampson had seen fit to send him, and he
had no right to abandon her. The weather
also was rough. He had been ordered to
proceed cautiously. Had he known the
Spanish fleet was in Santiago, no considera
ton would have prevented him from hur-
rying.
Speaking of the retrograde movements
which the secretary, adopting the language
of Admiral Sampson, characterizes as rep
rehensible conduct" Admiral Schley says
that in Al years service "never was such
language used to characterize conduct of
mine, and see no reason for it now"
he adds: Acting in accordance with
my best judgment in view of the circum-
stances, without certain knowledge of the
whereabouts of that Spanish fleet; after
having been informed by the scouts com
manded by such officers as Sigsbee, Jewell
and Wise, that although they had been off
Santiago for a week they had seen nothing
of it and knew nothing of its movements
or its whereabouts since it had left Curacao;
after having been assured by Sgsbee that
he did not believe it was in Santiago, and
by the emphatic declaration of the pilot,
Nunez, and knowing, as the sea and water
then were, it would be impossible to coal
my squadron off the port, deemed it best
to take the action did, the final result of
which was the location of the euemy's fleet
in Santiago harbor."
AS to the battle of Santiago, Admiral
Schley says the facts speak for themselves.
He quotes from his official report to Samp
son, in which he congratulated the com
mander of the squadron and said the vic
tory seems big enough for all of u.s. He
asks the committee to contrast his reports
and those of Sampson containing references
| to himself.
"As to all this criticism of my course
prior to the discovery by me, on May 30,
of Cervera's fleet, whether from Admiral
Sampson or the department, none of it has
ever been made by either to me, and
never heard a word of it from any one I'M
til after the battle with that fleet although
more than five weeks had passed since the
alleged 'reprehensible conduct had occur
red
Although Admiral Sampson used this
language to the secretary concerning me
on July 10 Gust one week after the battle)
he has never to this day. in any manner or
to any extent, intimated to me any disap.
probation or made to me any criticism of
my conduct of the flying squadron.