Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-07
THE LAST ARGUMENT
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voyage was bad for he smaller vessels,
particularly the Eagle, and said that the
speed of the squadron was slowed in order
that they might keep rup. He continued,
however, that II fiat VESSEL was to be sent
time when she was causing the delay. and
not when the voyage was practically COM
pieted and the weather improving. In this
connection ne suggested that all the slower
vesseis, In view Of the urgency of reaching
Santiago, might nave been dropped with
rendezvous, to be Joined later by the
hghting vessels. IF drummer boy stubs
MS toe, he asked, does the army halt!
The Coaling Question.
Having brought the squadron to the
southwark of Santiago on May %, the judge
advocate took up the coalng question
quoting Lieutenant Dyson's figures on the
question of coal supply in some detail.
Then he considered the retrograde move
ment This STEP he said, had been under
taken without sufficient or decisive steps
being taken to ascertain whether the Span
ish fleet was actually in the harbor of San
tiago, leaving the mouth of the harbor I'M
watched and Cervera free to escape, with
the possibility of his making descent upon
our coast, the moral, to say nothing OF the
material effect of which it is impossible to
oyereStimate."
Continuing in this connection, he said:
1T matters not what Captain Sigsbee or
Pilot Nunez told Commodore Schley. If
Nunez exhibited then no greater acumen
than when before this court the informa-
ton he supplied should have been given
little weight Whatever opinion they may
have given the commodore as to the pres
ence Of the Spanish squadron in the harbor
of Santiago (and I believe that the cap
tain never said that the Spanish fleet was
not therein), the commodore was alone re-
sponsible for the retrograde movement. 1t
was his duty to ascertain to certainty
whether the Spanish ships were in the
harbOr, an obligation which no negative
information CT Captain Sigsbee's could re-
move or even modify. And it is inconceiv-
able that a positive statement as to the
contents of harbor of the well-knoWn con-
formation of Santiago could have been
made by Sigsbee."
The details of the retrograde movement
were rehearsed, as were those concerning
the delivery of dispatches by the Harvard
and the proffer of Lieutenant Beale to go
ashore and communicate with the Cuban
insurgents. Captain Lemly contended that
the dispatch conveying positive information
of the presence Of the Spaniards must have
been delivered to Commodore Schley, not
withstanding his denial, because he consid-
cred it Uncomfortable that having it Cap
tain Cotton should not have communicated
it's contents to the commodore
Here Captain LIemly quoted in full Com
modore Schleys cannot obey orders dis
patch to the department of May q, and
commented upon it, saying
DisObedience of Orders.
Whether the departments instructions
definitely directed, in positive terms, that
the squadron off Santiago, or whether it's
desire that this should be done was simply
indicated, appears to me- under all the cir
cUmstances to be immaterial Disobedience
of orders may be imperative and glori-
Gus duty, but, If 1t be not justified by the
facts, it cannot be condoned by terming it
an error of judgment. This was not an
error of judgment; it was an error of con-
duct"
Bringing the squadron back to Santiago
the judge advocate said nothing was done
toward attacking the enemy until the 31st
of May, when the reconnaissance or bonn
bardment was made the total time of all
firing then being seven minutes and thirty
five seconds. The Colon was not destroyed
or disabled; and with the possible excep-
ton of one shot, all fell short. Only three
vessels of the force available, the Massa-
chusetts, the Iowa and the New Orleans,
were employed in the affair the others be-
not now successfully plead that he did not
know how close his vessels went in 1t was
his duty to know, and during the lombard
ment he wigwagged to the Iowa, at 205
pm, DO not go in any closer
1t has been claimed that the object of
this affair of May 81 was to develop the
enemy's batteries, and that this was ac-
complished. There is, however, great
deal of doubt, in view of the varying sig
nails and statements made by the commo-
dore. both before and after the action, rs
to what was the real object, whether
reconnaissance, an attempt to destroy
the Colon.
Regarding it as a reconnaissance, could
the strength of the enemys fire and the
caliber of his guns have been successfully
developed by such distant firing? Had the
llOkpOwO n 10 at
ing force he should not have been tempted
to show the fact in view of the range en-
ployed. His game would have been to de-
ceive his assailants into coming closer,
either then or on another occasion But
the weight of the evidence is, that even as
a reconnaissance the affair was futile.
The defense to the failure to go in closer
on May 81 by pleading at this time the
cautionary order of April g. does not APP
pear to be sufficient even if the comm dore
was acquainted with it's contents. The Or
der modifies itself, and from first to last
clearly indicates that our fleet was to be
kept for the Spanish ships and that the
destruction of the latter was it's paramount
mission
Battle of July 3.
Coming to the battle of July 3 Captain
Lemly said:
II have never doubted, and the evidence
adduced confirms my view in this respect,
that the Brooklyn, as a ship, did conspicu-
Gus duty In this battle On the other hand,
7 submit that the evidence shows that it
was captains fight, and, without dis
arrangement to Commodore Schley's per-
sonal conduct on that occasion, that there
was no such concerted action of the vessels
engaged as to indicate their control by any
one person. All evidently strove to do their
utmost, and thus was accomplished one of
the grandest naval victories ever won.
"Of course the vessels stood in toward the
harbor entrance when it was discovered
that the enemy's vessels were making a
sortie. Such was not only their prescribed
duty, but their natural and proper course
in such circumstances. In like manner,
when the Spanish fleet stood westward, it
was the duty of our vessels to follow,
whether or not the signal Follow flag was
made"
Discussing the Brooklyns loop Captain
Lemly expressed the opinion, based upon
evidence, that in turning to starboard when
all the other American vessels turned to
port, the Brooklyn endangered not only the
Texas but other vessels as we'll 1t was