The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-08-07
ONE WHO SAW II.
Inside and Outsids Facts Sb,uI
Battle Of SantIsgo.
PRESS AGENT GRAHAM,
Revsals the True INV ardness Of
the Persecution OF Schley
and Shows Up the Ia.
TrIgusrs.

dNN StSSW We SEiS 1S-
trIgusrs.
In connection with the controversy
over Admiral Schley's actions during
the naval battle of Santiago, opened
afresh by the charge Of cowsrdice made
by Maclsy, author Of the Naval Aos
DENY text book, the Cincinnati Enqulr-
er asked George E Grsbam 10 furnish
an unbissed account Of the bsttle.
During the Santisgo naval campaign
Mr.. Graham was correspondent Of the
Associated Press, noted for its impair
tislity and faithfulness in giving facts.
When Admiral Sampson, on the New
York, left the squadron MIR. Graham
hastene6 to the Brooklyn. During the
battle he stood on the bridge beside
Capt. Cock and Admiral Schley, and
was the only ci7ilian spectator to Wit.
ness every movement and know OF
every order issued By the Admiral.
Mr.. Graham give the following cir
cumstantisl story over lis signsture:
THE REAL DEFAMERs
SIT has been and is still hard for me-
to believe that Historian Maclay wrote
his attack upon Rear Admiral Schley
except by instigation and st the urging
of ehe navy department cliQus. He if
in close touch with those who hsTe pro
Vlded the press and the civilian head
of the department with the material
that has been intended, dire failure .:
it has been, to change the public view
Of Admiral S,hley's character as an Of
fee and man.
Sat least Maclay is honest in one
thing. He has dared to do openly
what these sneaks of the naval clique
hsve not had the moral courage to CO.
When has Capt. Chadwick, Simpsons
Gag officer, darsd to assert that S,hley
was coward? When has he dared tc
DO otherwise than convey the materia:
to New York journal for publicationi
Did Robley Evans, he of the fighting
cognomen, first person tie autobio
graphY he wrote? Did Sigsbee dare K
do it except to stultify hiuself by de-
nying conditions which he hsd previous
ly detailed in his reports to the depart
ment?
EXPURGATED REPORTS.
'sMaclay, it is asserted, Wrots hi
criticism from naval reports. Whs
naval reports? The expurgateo thing!
that have been foisted upon the pub
hcor, or the real reports Of commanding
ofScers? I have in my possession the
report of the battle Of Santiago writer
By two officers Of the converted yscht
called the Vixen. Itis signed By Lieut.
Alexander Sharpe, and 1t was his &C
count Of the fight as he saw it at short
range, the only naval eyewitness moi
engaged in lighting. lplaced it along
side the navy departments book pUr
porting to print it, and find 1t ha:
been expurgste6 so IS to give but little
credit to me Brooklyn, and SO as moi
todisclose the real position Of Sampson:
ship, the New York. Is that the way
history is made, and is MscIay to be
blessed fc~ boldly following the example
set ham? Let me be as bold SIS Maclay'
Il coward is to be the word let us
draw the lins sharply. / have supreme
confidence IN our navy. don't be-
lieve coward would stay il it year.
There are none in it now. There are
men with unesrned lighting sobriquets.
There was one With US. His name
was Evans. His ship was never closer
to the enemy than one mile. 1t was
not hit, but Fighting Bob crawled
into the coming tower asd watched the
fight from S inch By l.inch slit.
''Schley was on the deck Of the
Brooklyn. Capt. Cook was near. A
mans lifeblco6 splsshed their clothes.
The ship quivered under fire. Still
they stood there. Capt. Clark, on the
Oregon, was on his bridge. Capt.
Phillips, Of the Texas, stsysd on his
bridge until part Of it was shot sWay.
And when it was over Evans had the
largest story to tell, story he would
not like to see now because Of its gross
inaccuracy. And, pray, who was the
coward?
SAMPSON TO BLAME,
'The history Of the battle Of Santi-
ago told exactly as it occurred, itseems
to me, is an absolute condemnation Of
Admiral SIMPSONS yaunted sbility and
. tribute to Schley and his officers.
The happenings OF the twenty hours
preceding the battle will 90 far, l think,
70 demonstrate that Sampson Wss repre-
hensible for deliberately weakening
the line Of battle and deserting the line
himself when he knew that the first
time in several weeks, Or since the
establishment.of the blockade, extreme.
" suspicious movements were going on
in the hsrbor.
''On the afternoon Of July 2 it was
noticed from ali the ships that move
ments we're occurring IN the harbor,
there being visible distinct columns Of
smoke, conceded BY practical men to
be from war ships,
''That Sampson himself recognize ed