The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1901-10-31
The Admiral Testifies as to the
Part He Took i'm the Bat.
tie of Santiago.
NARRATION OF A HISTORICAL EVENT.
Interesting Account of the Engage.
ment From the Tine of Its Be-
ginning Until the End.
Scenes Before Cienfuegos Depicted and
the situation on Ills Arrival on
santiago Narrated by the Dis
tinguisbed Witness


Thursday took the stand in his own be-
half at the court of inquiry, which is in
vestigating his conduct as comma nder-
in-chief Of the flying squadron during the
few minutes after the court convened
at o'clock for the afternoon session, and
apparently had gotten well under way in
his testimony.
MIR. Rayner introduced the testimony
Of his distinguished witness by saying :,
VIII you give the court your name and
Winfield Scott Schley. rear admiral.
United states navy. retired at present on
service In this court OF Inquiry.
The admiral thon in answer TO his coun-
sci proceeded TO give careful ana de-
tailed narrative Of all the events OF the
campaign UP to the battle of Santiago
He had not reached the stage of his tes-
timony where hc will tell OF the battle
when the, court adjourned for the day
When the court adjourned for tho day
many of the spectators pressed forward
and shook the admiral hand.
u was a commodore. the admiral be.
gan In response to Mr.. Rayners request
For narrative of the campaign, "and
was ordered to command the flying squad
ron on the 18th of March. 1898, and served
year. In that capacity
He had taken command of the squad
ron at Hampton Roads, va, hoisting his
flag on the cruiser Brooklyn. After re-
latins the organization of the squadron
at the Virginia port, he said that he had
called the commanding officers, of the
vessels constituting that squadron to-
yether and then added:
The plan or the cam paign was thresh-
cd out | put the squadron Immediately
and patrols and also the masking Of
lights"
Adm. schlcy Immediately plunged into
the plan which he had Indicated t6 his
commanding officers before leaving Hamp-
ton Roads, saying:
I,ta 81. I H.
commanding officers thlt as 1t would be
impossible to contrive n plan of battle
that would meet unforeseen contingent
cies, the genera plan of the squadron
would be to cruise in line of battle and
its general princIp would be to attack
the head and leading vessels. concentrat-
Ing the fire upon them In order first, to
obtain the moral effect, and second, to
throw them into confusion, making a VIC
tory over them probably very much more
successful and complete. ] did that for
the reason that The older plans of battle
had all been to attack centers and rear,
resulting In the escape usually of part
Of the head OF n squadron which was 10
some extent new, would involve the de-
struction OF the whole feet, and that was
the general Ilan of action as explained
to them or that occasion"
on May u or lS he received orders from
The secretary OF the navy to proceed to
there on tie 10th and found orders from
the secretary directing him to proceed to
Key West and report to Commodore Re-
mey for further Instructions. He went to
the Florida port at a II knot speed. that
being the highest all the vessels of the
squadron could make The squadron at
the time consisted of the Brooklyn, Mas
sachusetts, Texas. Scorpion and Sterling,
The latter being collier. The admiral
said the Sterling was lost sight OF the
krst night out and he never saw her
again unit! he net her off the south side
q Cuba The fy.nS squadron arrived at
Key West on the 18th. the admiral
ashore TO pay his respects to Commo-
dore Remey, after having saluted his
nag Continuing his narrative, the ad-
whilst there the commodore showed
me a telegraphic order from the honora-
BILE secretary of the navy, directing me to
proceed v.ch all dispatc ch to the block
ade of Havana. He also showed me a
number of other dispatches, the purport
2f which remsmssr nnss o but dn the contents
the ship In the afternoon. | thought /
saw the New, York approaching. At all
events when ! got on board deterrminin,g
had arrived and salutes were exchanged.
j went on board to pay my respects and
also to talk over the situation with Adm.
Sampson. I found that the admiral was
very much worn and necessarily so. be-
cause his responsibility had been very
''He showed me number of orders.
Among them was one which stated that
a division of the two squadrons had been
decided upon. one for the north and the
other for the south coast of Cuba. in
which he was given the preference of
command. The order, II I remember cor
rectly, stated that under any circum-
stances / was to remain with my COM
mand, and / asked him which Of the two
stations he would take, and he said he
proposed to. hold the Havana or north
one He also told me that whichever
side l went on to remember that they
were very heavily fortified and that his
confidential instructions, which he deliv-
rod tn ma UaF hat
not to risk our battlsships against the
fortified places OF the coast until after
the Spanish squadron had been disposed
of. My recollection now is that he told
me II was at Curacao. The impression
left on my mind was that II was some-
where in the Venezuelan gulf and that II
destined to Havana, and that was un-
doubtedly the point It was TO reach. He
said his information was that the orders
of the Spanish fleet to reach Havana or
some point in railroad communication
with 1t were imperative and that he be-
lieved and thought that Cienfuegos would
be the point, as that came under the ac-
oeptation of the order more directly. We
looked over maps, and / must say I
agreed with him.
81 told him that ! had been ordered to
report for duty to Adm. Remey and that
I imagined necessarily meant himself. and
that | wanted 70 assure him at the out
unreseryedly TO the cause we were both
representing Capt, Chadwick, who was
PRESENT. do not remember whether all
the time or not-ssid; OF course, COM
phodoro, any one who has known your
Character, would know that II would be
Impossible for you to be otherwise than
toyal' | asked the admiral II there had
Been established any means of communi-
cation with the insurgents, whether there
were any pilots or whether any locality
was known where they were to be found.
He told me that he did not know. but
that when he got the situation better In
hand he would communicate with me,
but that he thought 1t would be better
for me TO start as early az we could get
away and blockade Cienfuegos, I then
TO hasten the operations Of coaiing.
Whilst there. the Algonquin came out.
bearing an order from the secretary Of
lhe navy. through Commodore Remey
nailed TO the admiral to know whether
or not he understood my orders were to
30 on Havana. He replied by signal that
be understood that his coming to Key
should be prepared to carry out the or
ders we had agreed upon In the after
noon. do not remember whether that
Was on that AFTERNOON or In the morn
,rg, s.suns nu! 1t was before left for Glen
The next move of the present squadron
was from Key West to Cienfuegos. Cupa.
and the admiral told how. as the com,
the vessels coaled. SO that at O'Clock or
the ships OF the fleet turned their backs
Ipon A%sricsp soil This was done under
Adm. Sampson: At this point the witness
quoted Adm, Gampson's order No. 8. not
failing to point out as he went along.
" NAVE " III. X. ossss as sS%ia ~s ssna s.S 'sS
@ ~sss yGS sss sss Ssy ny ss; ~
event o. note os ths voyeSs toward cisn.