The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-14
The End of the War With Spain,

With the hauling down of the blue flag OF
Rear Admiral SAMPSON from the masthead
of the flagship New York to-day the cur
tain falls on the last act of the war with
Spain, and the history of the North Atlantic
fleet in that war ends. Through the entire
war Admiral SAMPSON has been the pro-
tagonist on the Eastern stage and his dis
appearance from the scene fifty brings the
drama to an end.
Admiral SAMPSON did not create the
North Atlantic fleet, hut he "organized it
for victory" very largely He returned to
his place in the line Of the Navy to take
command Of the battleshp Iowa, after four
years in the Bureau of Ordnance, during
which time the armament OF the present
battleships was perfected and the scheme
OF future armament indicated. On June
II. 1897, SAMPSON assumed command OF
the Iowa, and soon after Joined the North
Atlantic fleet under Rear Admiral SICARD.
on March 90, 1898, that officer although
war with Spain was imminent, was COM
PEELED to ask for sick leave and the Secre-
tary OF the Navy directed Captain SAMPSON
as senior officer to assume command of
the fleet.
wonder was general that the Department
had not assigned flag officer to command
the ileet most likely to see important work
In the impending war. There were flag
officers, seniors to SAMPSON, on shore duty,
yet the Department chose n CAPTAIN over
them all. In time the question of the iden-
tity Of the person SO singledo out was learned.
SAMPSON had graduated from the Naval
Academy in 1852; he had distinguished
himself for gallantry during the Civil War,
and had gone through the regular routine
OF the piping times of peace that followed
the war. Ho had served also at the Naval
Observatory; as commanding officer of the
Torpedo Station; then as Superintendent OF
the Naval Academy for four years. and
finally had been for the same length OF
time at the head Of the Bureau of Ordnance
The Navy knew him well.
On April % SAMPSON hosted his flag as
Rear Admiral, in accordance with orders
from the Department, and the same day
took his fleet to sea to blockade the coast
OF Cuba. With the hosting of his flag the
war history OF the North Atlantic fleet be-
gan; with its haul-down to-day it ends.
After taking part in the organization OF
the blockade OF Cuba, Admiral SAMPSON
sailed from Key West on May to inter-
cept CERvERAs fleet If it came by the north
Of Pc to Rico, and on May IL he returned
To Key West, having obtained news OF
the Spaniards. His fleet, meanwhile,
had been increased by vessels OF all
kinds, until he commanded a fleet larger
than any other American officer had ever
commanded. One hundred and twenty-five
vessels were attached To his fleet at various
times between April 30 and Aug. 4, his
command at one time consisting of more
than one hundred vessels. When, on May
90 he put to sea again to capture CERvERA,
whose ships were known to have taken ref
uge in Santiago Harbor, he had upward Of
ninety ships under his command.
Three Commodores commanded squad
rons OF his fleet. Commodore WATSON
commanded the blockading squadron at
first, and afterward the first squadron;
Commodore SCHLEY commanded at first
the flying squadron, intended especially to
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