Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1901-10-31
TOLD BY SChLEY
ADMIRAL TELLS HIS STORY OF THE
CAMPAIGN IN HIS OWN
WAY.
CHARGES ARE TORN TO TATTERS
WAS ORDERED NOT TO EXPOSE
MIS- SHIPS TO HEAVY BAT
YERIES.
CHARGES ARE TORN TO TATTERS
he DENIES Dls0BfYING ORDERS
SHIPS WE'RE COALED AT THE
VERY EARLIEST OPPOR-
TUNITY.

Schley took the stand in his own de-
tense at 2:05 o'clock yesterday after
noon. AS he placed his hand on the
Bible held by Admiral Dewey, who adj
ministered the oath, every eye was on
the man whose naval record is at
stake.
After giving his name, rank and
present station, Schley said he was a
commodore during the Spanish war, in
command of the flying squadron, and
narrated his progress from Hampton
Roads to Key West. He began his long
story in a calm, measured tone, which
indicated neither embarraS Sment nor
anxiety.
All three admirals composing the
court wheeled about in their chairs so
as to face the witness and paid strict
attention to all he said Attorney
Kayner asked no question at first, but
allowed Admiral Schley to tell the tale
In his own way. This was the climax
OF the famous trial. The gunners'
workshop where the court meets was
damned with people and seats We're at
a premium. One of Schley's state
ments was that he assured Sampson
That He Would Be Loyal
to the cause they both represented. to
which Sampson answered that no one
knowing his (Schleys) character would
think otherwise. He related his con-
versation with Sampson in which the
commander-in-chief said that he had
orders to divide the two sauadrons,
one to blockade Havana and the other
to take care of Cienfuegos. Schley
was ordered to proceed to Cienfuegos
and maintain a blockade and given
confidential instructions that under no
circumstances must he expose his
ships to the fire of heavy batteries I'M
til the Spanish warships had been dis
posed of. Admiral Schley then de-
=scribed his trip to Cienfuegos. On the
way he met McCalla on the Marble
head and later the Eagle. which told
him there was no news of the enemy.
The following day he came across the
Cincinnati and the Vesuyifs, and Capt
Chester of the former told him of the
Difficulty of Coaling
ships there. Key West was mentioned
as q. coaling place. Chester told him
that he knew a place in the vicinity
where it was certain vessels could coal.
He described his blockade of Cienfue-
gos saying the vessels were closer in
AT night than in the day time and that
the vessels were kept in feigned disor-
der to invite the Spaniards to come
out. He then related the manner in
which it was discovered positively that
the enemy was not within the harbor,
and stated that within two hours after
receiving this information the squad
ron was under way bound for Santiago.
He defended his course in keeping the
vessels together - holding the faster
vessels for the slower.
'We proceeded as a unit he said,
''and I hold that to do otherwise would
be unmiiitary and unwise in changing
base with a fleet. I hold that useful
auXiliaries and supplies should never
be abandoned except under the great
est necessity
Sigsbee's Poor Memory.
The blockade of Santiago was then
fully described, the tactics employed at
Cienfuegos being followed closely. He
told of meeting Sigsbee on his arrival
at Santiago and the assurance of that
officer that the Spaniards We're not
within. Admiral Schley was very pos
iftive in his statement regarding his,
conversation with Capt. Sigsbee. He
did not question the latter's veracity,
but did think that his recollection was
decidedly at fault. Capt. Sigsbee's
exact language was: mo, they are
not in there; I have been in very
.c]ose.'
With reference to the arrival Of the
Harvard on the 9th and his conference
with Capt. (now admiraD Cotton, Ad-
niral Schley said that he had never
received the dispatch reporting in posi-
tive terms the presence of the enemy
at Santiago
II never saw it, he said with intense
earnestness. IT never saw it, and am
sure that Cotton never delivered it to
me. If he had done so it would be
among my papers, and it would have
Burnt Itself Into My Memory
so that I never could have forgotten
it,"
Describing the coaling situation, Ad-
1niral Schley said that a liberal sup
ply was necessary. The enemy would
not come toward the Americans, but
would go in the other direction. Speak
ing of the collier Merrimacs breaking
down, he said:
"This accident rendered coaling out
of the question. I do not believe any
prudent commander would have at
tempted to send a ship alongside an
unmovable collier to take coal. The
risk would be too great. The RESPONSE
bility was mine, and it was too great to
take the chances. J. coaled at the earli-
est possible moment"
Admiral Schley then discussed the
dispatch to the navy department re-
garding the disobedience of orders. He
said that as translated this message
was essentially different from the dis
patch as he had framed it. He con-
tended that there had been no DISC
bcdience; that he
Had Complied with Orders
in returning to Santiago, and held that
the proper construction of his dispatch
would relieve him of this charge. At
this point the court adjourned.
Capt. Clark of the Oregon preceded
Admiral Schley on the witness stand.
He told his story of the fight In
simple manner. and 1t was listened to