Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-06-20
SCHLEYEXONERATED
Charges of Cowardice at Santi-
ago Are Proven False.
FiIpinos Again Attack--A Hot Engage
ment Near linus, Monday.
Our Loss: Five Killed. rs Wounded Rebels
Loss Very Heavy.

Washington, June 19.-The occur
rences on the bridge Of the Brooklyn
during the battle Of July 3. 1898. hav-
ing been the subject of a controversy
IN the newspapers, the navy depart
ment recently undertook an inVestiga-
tion of the various allegations. Lieut.
Commander Hodgdon and Lieut.. Com
mander HeilneT, who have figured in
the controversy, We're both called on
for explanations Of the utteranceg at
tributed to them, and the former was
directed TO report for examination on
this point to Capt. Chadwick, al Bos-
ton. The department has now given
out for publication Capt Chadwick 8
report on the matter. 1t is not yet de-
termined whether or not the answer Of
Lieut.. Commander Heilner will be
made public at this time. Capt. Chad
Wick's report is as follows:
L. s S. New York.
Boston. Mass, June Il. 1899
Sir-In obedience to your order of the
18th inst, | have to report the follow
ing as the statement Of Lieut. Com
mander Hodgdon Of the conversation
between Rear Admiral Schley and him
self during the action Of July 3, 1895
He states as follows:
LAS we We're approaching the Span
!sh ships ! heard Admiral Schlcy say
Port or 'Starboard to Capt. Cook in
the coming tower. l had been on the
bridge above and was just coming
down to report the positions Of the
ships when | heard the admiral say
,rI H.,
then hauling aft our port beam. The
Brooklyn was heading about north
east. ] told the admiral. or at least
suggested to him, that the Texas was
very close on our starboard hand and
that turning to starb0ard would bring
us too close to her. | don't know that
| used that word collision | did not
say You mean starbodrd.' ! intended
him to understand there was danger of
running into the Texas. He said All
right or words to that effect. | can
not repeat verbatim. When i knew
he was going to turn to starboard l
suggested backing the starhOard en-
CINE in order to make a smaller circle
ana give the Texas a wider berth. but
he decided against that as decreasing
the speed Of the turn. He did not say
that | know of we are near enough to
them Cthe Spaniards) already. The
only thing | gathered from what he
said was that if we turned to port we
should get SO close that we should eN-
pose ourselves to torpedo attack. |
supposed H. meant torpedo boats and
replied to him that | had not seen
them"
Lieut.. Commander HodgsOn states
that he did not intend to convey in his
note Of denial, sent at the request of
Admiral Schley and published in the
Washington Post, the idea that no such
colloquy took place. He states regard
ing this. as follows:
Admiral Schloy wrote me enclosing
an editorial from a New York paper Of
June Is. asking me to write a denial Of
what he phrased an oft repeated
calumny. He said he had no recollec-
ton Of any such conversation. | wrote
q lengthy letter of explanation giving
my recollection of the conversation as
nearly possible. Admiral Schley wrote
me saying: There is much in your let
ter which should not like to use. as it
would provoke assault upon you. which
| would not like TO happen. What |
want TO show is that the dialogue did
not occur. | then wrote a denial Of the
colloquy, certainly not intending to say
that no such coloquy occurred, but that
it did not occur as printed. |, at the
same time, sent with this a second eX-
planatory letter, explaining to Admiral
Schley that the letter of denial was a
denial of the dialogue as it appeared in
print and that | had told the cores
pendent of the paper that the sub
stance Of the conversation was correct. |
In writing the letter | wished to refute |
the fact of any controversy existing a |
a critical stage of the battle. 1t (the |
letter. was a denial of the words as
they stood in the published article; a |
denial of their literal correctness, and |
not denial Of the substantial correct |
ness Of the statement"
A copy of the letter has not been re- |
tanned by him; he had rough draft, |
which has been mislad.
Lieut.. Commander Hodgson appends |
his signature as a voucher for the ac-
curacy with which the foregoing is
given.
Very respectfully.
f. f. CHADWICK,
Captain, L. $. n.