The Forrest City times., 1901-09-27
suflicien, coa, to return to Key West.

much relieved when he received this information. Shortly afterward, should say, within a few minutes, he directed signal 10 be made prepara- tory for the ships to return to key West. The order was given in a gen eral way. l can not give the words or the order, but what l have stated was their purport. While l was still there he received report to the effect that the signals were read. Before l left the ship he ordered signals to be made for ships to form preparatory for steaming to Key West.
 ITO go back bit. l had informed Commodore Schley that il was utter ly impossible for the Harvard to get anywhere except to Kingston. l had not sufficient coal to get to Key West, and he verbally authorized me to pro ceed at once to Kingston to receive such amount of coal as l could get there sufficient to enable me to re- turn to the nearest United States port. l left the Brooklyn about noon, possibly a few minutes before. Inn mediately after my departure the Brooklyn commenced steaming ahead and I noticed that many of the ships at the moment under Commodore Schley's command were ill motion, presumably preparatory to taking their stations in steaming order to return to Key West. As soon as l re turned to my own ship. after my boat was hoisted l steered to the southwest for Kingston
 Did you state in specific terms that you agreed with Commodore Schley as to the difficulty in coaling?'
 "The question was not discussed and I expressed no opinion"
 Did this conversation occur before or after the dispatches which you took aboard had been read by the ommander-in-chief?'
 After"
 In response to further questions, Admiral Cotton said that he had the original translations of the cipher dis patches addressed to the Harvard. The dispatch of May 9 was then read to him as follows:
 dSHlHplOH, May -o. loJo'
 Harvard, St. Nicholas Mole, Haiti.
 'Proceed at once andinform Schley, and also the senior officer present off Santiago as follows:
 "All departments information indi- cates Spanish division is still at San tiago. The department looks to you to ascertain facts, and that the enc my, if therein, does not leave with out a decisive action. Cubans familiar with Santiago say that there are land ing places five or six nautical miles west from the mouth of harbor and that there insurgents probably will be found, and not the Spanish. From the surrounding heights can see every vessel in port. As soon ascertained notify the department whether enemy is there. Could not squadran and also the Harvard coal from Merrimae lee ward of Cape Cruz. Gonaiyes channel or Mole, Haiti? The department will send coal imediately to Mole. Report without delay situation at Santiago, Cuba.
 Signed. "LONG.'
 Mir Rayner called attention to the fact that there were some material changes in the dispatches as printed in the official reports by the navy de- | partment.
 Admiral Schley's reply to these dis patches, dated May 29, in which he said he could not obey the orders of the department, was then read, and Mir. Rayner pointed out various | changes in the language of the dis patch as printed in the official re- | port. He addressed the court briefly concerning these changes. He said that Admiral Schley had spoken of | the weather as "boisterous." and that | that word had been omitted from the | printed copy of the dispatch. He also stated that whereas the admiral had l said that $500 tons of coal would be necessary, the printed copy made it 10000. It was also stated in the orig inal that the Harvard was going to Port Royal, whereas Kingston had been inserted in the printed copy There also were other changes
 Admiral Cotton then related a con versation he had had with Admiral l Schley concerning proposition of Lieut.. Beall, of the Harvard, to go ashore and put himself in eommuni- cation with the Cuban insurgents. He could not, he said, recall the exact words of the conversation, but at all events, Mir. BealI had not been or | dered ashore.
 Judge Advocate Lemly then asked: After you delivered the order. and | prior to the dispatch which he deIiv- cred to you to be sent to Kingston, what efforts did he make 10 locate Cervera's fleet to your knowledge ?'
 "None to my knowledge" ,"
 Did he, with his squadron, at that time approach Santiago?"
 He did not. will qualify that to this extent The vessels, of course were not at anchor; they were nov. l ing about, and there were directions for movement toward the harbor oi