The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-03-01
Rear Admiral SehleY
Defends Himself.
EIe Replies TO the Charges
Made Against Him BY the
Navy Department.
. puhlssasa Every Wednesday,
.sUaTER, s. G.
81 g. s: 8

N ashington Feb. 2a.-Rear Ad
mirai w 8 Schlay, having been
granted permission TO answer the.
charges made against him in the
communication recsutly sent to the.
Senate, banded TO tie committee on
naval STAIRS 10 day bis statement, in
which he disclaims any purpose OF
controversy with the navy 'depart
ment. The letter of the department,
he says, so far Is ID relates him, can
Be summarized under the following
beads .sThe delay off Gieafaegos !;
the alleged slow progress toward
Santiago del aGabas from Gieafnegcs |;
the retrograde movements on the
Goth and 9th of May the battle OF
Santiago, and the destruction of Ger
yera's feet. .
The admiral says shis orders from
Ssmpsou ca May 80 sEsre 6. blockade
Cisnfusgpa Which lse proceeded 10
do. On ais arrival he ssns Een-.
nsander hzcgalIa, of tke MaTbaehead.:
sshereto establiish relations WITH the
insargents 3he seeuls of which was
made knomn Is him ai 8 80, Oh May
% Tken, for The 6rss time, he
learned definitely that the Spanish
feet Was aot.at Giepfnegos.s " thin
two foufs De stassed soF saEtisgo &
hss possible ground of crisi-:
eisni, he ssys. adverse % me there
can be in aal fhigs do not zee. I
was on .she spot acting undes orders.
which gave me entire discretion, and
Vet clothed me with the responsible
isy 0f going TO Santiago only after T
was satisfied that the feet was not at
Cienfuegos ..s.e.
Hs quotes from the dispatch Of
Sampson of May 20, in which the
latter says SchIey should 'hold bis
asesof g5enfnegos S. I the Spanish
sEips havs put into Santiago they
must come either 20 Eavana or Glen
fuegos 90 deliver the munitions Of
war which they are said to bring for
use in Gaba. j am, therefore. of the
opinion that the best chance 10 cap
ture these ships viii be- to hold the
two points, Cienfnegoa and Havana,
with all the force We can. muster II
laser it should develop thss these
vessels are as Santiago, We can then
assemble off shat port the ships best
suited for she purpose and completely
blockade II Until we then receive
more positive information we shall
continue to hold Havana and Glen
fnegos =
Admiral SchIey adds This letter
is not printed either in the appendix
or5executiye documeng c., bus re.
ceived it on The 23d and it shows
that I was expected to hold my
squadrou off Cienfueges
As to the, slow progress To-
ward Santiago on account OF
the Eagle, he ssates that she was q
part of the force which Admirai
Sampson had seen fit TO send him.
and BE bad no right to abandon heys
Speaking Of .the retrograde move.
menss, which the Secretary adopt.
iug the language Of Admiral Sanp-
500, characterizes as 'sEeprehensIhle
cooduct,o Admiral Schaey says that
in forsy-two years service, never
was sasb Language used to charac-
serizs conduct Of mine. and see no
reason for il now" He adds !:
"ActiDg in accordance with the best
judgment, in view OF the clrcum-
stances, without certain knowledge
of the whereabouts Of that Spanish
feet sitter having been informed by
the scouts commanded by such OH
GERS as Sigsbee, Jewell and Wise.
that, although they had been off
Santiago for week, they had seen
nothing of it, and knew nothing of
It's whereabouts. since it had LETT
Carocoa after having been assured
By Sigsbee that be did not believe 1t
was in Santiago, and by the emphatic
declaration of the pilot Nunez /; and
knowing that as the sea and weather
then were it would be impossible to
coal my squadron off the port. |
deemed it best to take the action !.
did, the fnal result of which was the
location of she enemy's feet 10 San
;isEs ssHsss