The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1901-10-18
scHlEvs"MEaTaL EXCITEMENT" At
THE BATTLE OF SANTIAGO.

| Scnley SnOWeu u SieaI "OAi "
tai excitement" during the naval en-
gagement at Santiago, and endeavor
thereby to create the impression be-
fore the country that the Admiral was
wanting in GOODNESS and bravery and
showedI cowardice.
The fearful responsibility of being
in command was enough to cause him
great mental agitation.
Almost every great commander has
keenly felt the same kind of mental
disturbance.
No one, perhaps, either north or
south. will accuse General Grant of
being a coward, and here is the way
he relates his feelings during his first
engagement in the civil war when in
command of the attacking forces.
"My sensations as we approached
what / supposed might be field of
battle were anything but agreeable.
had been in all the engagements in
Mexico that it was possible for one
person to be in-but not in command.
If some one else had been colonel and
I had been lieutenant-colonel, L do
not think I would have felt any trepi-
dation. "At the time
of which | now write We had no trans
portation and the country about salt
river was sparsely settled, 30 that il
took some days to collect teams and
drivers enough to move the camp and
garrison equipage of regiment near
ly thousand strong, together with
a weeks supply of provisions and
some ammunition.
while preparations for the move
were going on | felt quite comfortable,
| but when we got on the road and found
every house deserted / was anything
but easy. 1--WE halted
q night on the road and proceeded the
next morning at an early hour. Har-
ris, the Confederate commander, had
been in camp at the creek bottom for
the sake of being near water. As We
| approached near the brow of the hill
from which il was expected We could
see his camp. and possibly find his
men ready formed TO meet us, my
heart kept getting higher and higher
until it felt TO me it was in my throat.
I would have given anything then 10
have been back in Illinois, but had
not the moral courage TO halt and
consider what to do. 1 Kept right on.
| When we reached point from which
the valley below was in full view, /
halted. The place where Harris had
been encamped few days before was
still there, and the marks Of recent
encamptment were plainly visible,
but the troops were gone. My heart
resumed its proper place. II occurred
/ TO me at once that Harris had been AZ
much afraid of me az / Of him. This
was q view of the question had
never taken before, but il wac one /
( never forgot afterward. From that
event until the close of the war, /
/ never experienced trepidation upon
/ confronting an enemy. though / al
I ways felt more or less anxiety"
Here is General Grant. one of the
most iliustrious names in modern
warfare, who had fought through the
Mexican war with some conspicuous
ness, though never in command in an
engagement, yet, when he assumed
command of only regiment of troops,
admits to a feeling of great mental
excitement. So il can we'll be imag-
ined that Commodore Schley who was
in command of the greatest naval
feet of modern times, must have been
more or less under q strain OF excite
menti. because of the great response
bility which he knew rested upon
! him. Had he shown no signs of ex-
citemant he would have been more or
less than human.
The efforts TO convict him of cow
ardice, after the magnificent results of
/ that engagement, and especially after
the splendid part his own ship took in
il, is little less than infamous.
Captain Eulate of the Viscsya has
made a statement which shows the
estimate Of the effectiveness of Conn
modore ScbIey's attack a. il appeared
10 those aboard the spanish ships.
Listen IN what he says:
The Brooklyn wa>-a half mile closer
10 NE than any other ship, and l de-
rermined ~ Try 70 ram il, - that the