The Penn's Grove record., 1899-02-24
THE DEFENCE OF SCHLEY
An Answer to Charges Made to the
Senate Naval Committee.
HIS PART IN CERVERA'S DEFEAT.

Rear-Admiral sehley's Statement as to
His Actions Before and in the De-
struction of the Spanish Fleet or
santiago-Declares All of His Move
tnents Were Under Strict Orders.
wAsH1HaroN, D. c. (special).- Rear-Ad-
miral W. S. Schley, having receive d per-
mission to answer the charges made against
him In the communication recently sent to
the senate q few days ago handed to the
Committee on Naval Affairs n statement in
which he disclatms any purpose Of contro
versy with the Navy Department. The let@-
ter of the Department. be says, so far as 1T
relates to him, can be summarized under
the following heads:
The delay off Cienfuegos; the alleged
slow progress toward Santiago de Cubs
from CIenfue COS; the retrograde move
ments on May 26 and 81; the battle Of San-
tiago, and the destruction Of Cervera's
feet.
The Rear-Admiral says tina his orders
from Sampson on May 10 were to blockade
Clenfuegos, which he proceeded to do. He
had no knowledge that there were any In
snrgents about Cienfuegos who were
friendly until the Marblehead arrived on
the oath. On his arrival he sent Com
mander McCalla, Of the Marblehead, ashore
to establish relations with the insurgents,
the result of which was made known to
him at $40 O'Clock on May "a. Then for
the first time he learned definitely that the
Spanish feet was not at Cienfuegos. Within
two hours he started for Santiago. The
Rear-Admiral then states that he cannot
see any ground for a criticism adverse to
him, as he was on the spot acting under
nrlars rph,nh 1avra hf,, aDttrn Itaaratfan
Rear-Admirai Sohley quotes from a dis
patch from Sampson in which the latter
told him to hold his feet off Clenfuegos as
the Spanish fleet must proceed either to
Havana or Clenfuegos In order to deliver
munitions OF war, which were supposed to
be with it.. ~Rear-Admiral Schley adds that
the document is not in the appendix or
executive documents, but It shows that he
was expected 20 hold his feet off Glen
fuegos.
As to the slow progress toward Santiago
on account of the Eagle. he states tina she
was a part OF the force which Rear-Ad-
miral Sampson had seen fit to. send him,
and he had no right to abandoEoter. He
had been ordered to proceed cautiously"
Had he known, however, that the Spanish
fleet was IN Santiago HRrbor, no consider
alton for the Eagle would have prevented
him proceeding there at the earliest pos
sible moment.
Speaking of the "retroErade move
ments," which the Secretary, adopting the
language of Rear-AdmiraI Sampson, char
acterizes as "reprehensible conduct" Rear
Admiral Schley says that in forty-two
years service ''never was such language
used to characterize conduct of mine, and
/ see no reason for it now"
AS to the battle Of Santiago. Rear-Ad-
miral Schley says the facts OF that contest
speak for themselves. He asks the COM
mittee to contrast his reports and those OF
Sampson containing references to himself.
The ~Rear-Admiral gives the details of
the absolute location OF the Spanish squad
ron inside the harbor on May 20, which
discovery was, he says, the result of a de-
termination to satisfy himself before sail
ing for the west. The question of the
presence of the enemy determined, he de-
cided not to risk serious dlsaDiement until
reinforcements arrived.
Rear-Admiral Schley quotes the Depart
ment's dispatch of May 30 in these words:
"The Department looks oyou to ascertain
the fact OF the presence Of the enemy. and
that the enemy, if in the harbor at Santi-
ago, does not leave without decisive ac-
ton" Commenting on this, the Rear-Ad-
miral says:
"In obedience to the above order and with