Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-10-05

had enabled you to consider the re-
suits of your decision and then. as now,
ii seemed to me that you had decided
most wisely, that it was a strategical
move
OF the Greatest Importance
and that the result of the battle most
fully proved its wisdom"
Hodgson goes on to declare that he
was under the impression up to the
time he saw the New York Sun publi-
cation, including the colloquy, that
Schley made the turn to starboard be-
cause the conditions were as he (Hodg-
SOM had stated. Continuing. he as
sured The Admiral that he never would
have given the explanation of the loop.
had he for moment suspected that
the admiral had given any other rea-
sons.
Under date Of Washington. June 10.
1899. Admiral Schley. dselaiming any
sense of annoyance from the newspa-
per attack, says:
But l do feel for yourself that a
colloquy should be made up by them
that did not occur between you ana
me. and it is this that | desire to pro-
tect you against. Of course you did
not authorize this. and it is this dia-
logue which should be denied. | have
no recollection whatever of anything of
the kind. and my memory is exceed
ingly clear of the events of that day,
for | never felt in my life less excite
ment or
More Steadiness of judgement
than when the Dons came out that day.
When the turn was made the Brooklyn
in NV It'd, a -
, lance of their tactical diameter, and If
it had been made to port we should
probably have passed inside their line,
but having them exposed to the unin-
terrupted fire OF all the ships, so I'M
portant in the earlier moments of the
fight, the proper strategy of battle
! was to avoid interfering with that, and
the sequel shows that we made no mis-
take Cook really gave the order, which
| approved and it is possible that your
conversation was with him, but The
Suns effort has been to promote the
notion that you and ] had a contro-
versy at the critical moment, ard this
is unjust to you and to me. What
desire is simply your denial that any
such colloquy occurred, and ! will see
that proper correction is made to re-
move you from this SANDER. There is
much in your letter that ! should not
Ike 10 use, as it would provoke assault
upon you, which | am unwilling to have
happen. but what | want to show S
simply that this
Dialogue Did Not Occur
and that shown, the whole fiimsy
canard falls to the ground. Make your
letter short as possible"
Two letters came June II from the
New York navy yard in answer to this
letter. In one, very short, Hodgson
says:
THE eolloquy published in the New
York Sun, and alleged to have taken
place between you and me on the day
of the battle of Santiago, July 3, 1898,
never occurred"
The second letter is explanatory.
! Hodgson repeats that he told the sun
reporter that the first publication IN the
, Sun was garbled and that when the
I turn WAS to be made | had suggested
the proximity of the Texas and the
probable danger of getting mixed up
with her if we turned to starboard and
that you said the Texas would nave 20
look out for herself.
Admiral Schley returns thanks TOT
the denial furnished adding, touching
the col.oquy, your statement that II
never occurred is absolutely true