The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-11-12

to pass a criticism upon the conduct Of
the campaign. The question, however,
is not to determine what is the condi-
ton of our minds today, but what was
the condition of Admiral Schley's mind
at the u when the event took place"
THE RETROGRADE MOVEMENT.
Mr.. Rayner then took up the consid-
Grafton of specification four, covering
t circumstances attending the arri-
val of the flying squadron off Santiago,
the reasons for it's ~retrograde turn
westward n departure from off San
tiago. and the propriety thereof"
CAPTAIN SIGSBEES TESTIMONY.
Mr.. Rayner referred at length to the
meeting of Commodore Schley with
Captain Sigsbee then in command of
the ST. Paul, upon the arrival of the
flying squadron off Santiago. Speaking
of the captain, he said:
"a more honest witness than he never
took the witness stand, nor is there a
more gallant and efficient officer in the
navy that he is. Unfortunately, he has
gotten himself into a predicament be-
cause against him is an overwhelming
array of testimony in reference to the
communications he held with Commo-
dore Schley off Santiago and which alb
solutely justifies the admiral IN taking
the course he did"
Mr.. Rayner said the scouts were
there for he purpoSe of finding out
if the Spanish fleet was in Santiago, the
same purpose that Commodore Schley
was there for. They did not find out.
Commodore Schley did. They go scot
free and Commodore Schley is to be
condemned.
Mr.. Rayner then referred to the de-
partment's dispatch of May 18th, which
Admiral (then captain) Cotton testi-
fled to delivering on board the Brook
Ign and in which the positive statement
was made that the Spanish fleet was in
the harbor at Santiago and said that it
was certain it never had been received
by the commodore.
eff Captain Sigsbee a not said to
Commodore Schley the Spanish fleet
was not there. Commodore Schley neve
would nave gone to the westward on
what is called his ~retrograde movement.
More than that, Captain Sigsbee put a
Cuban pilot on board Commodore
Zhley's ship, and that pilot impressed
the commodore with the idea hat tho
Spanish ships could not get in there.
All things created in the mind of Com
modore Schley the indelible impression
that the Spanish fleet was not in the
harbor of Santiago. This absolutely
justified his movement to the west
Every incident around there-Captair
JEWELS failure to communicate, Cap
tain Wise'S absolute failure to commu-
| nicate, Captain Cotton's failure to com
municated because the dispatches he
received could never nave been deliver
ed to Commodore Schley at that time. as
they were dated -afterward) Captain
Sigsbee's positive assurances, the put
ting of the Cuban pilot on board-every-
thing, may it please the court, convey
ed doubt to the mind of Commodore
Schley. L want COAL was his cry. ]
have got to get coal. / cannot Goa
here. I have a broken down collier.
My brother here has interlaced that
dispatch and torn it word for word: but
there is not a falsehood on the face OF
it. Commodore Schley was perfectly
right in saying that he had a worthless
| collier, because for t~wenty-four o
according to the testimony of Captain
| Miller, she was absolutely helpless
With a broken down collier; with the
Marblehead which could not coal: with
the Texas, because of her projecting
| sponsors. could not coal; with both OF
| these ships with only a sufficient
| amount of coal on hand to get hall
way to Martinique; with the positive
| assistance Of Captain Sigsbee, sustained
and corroborated by the Cuban pilot
| that the fleet was not in Santiago, he
did the only thing he could do n that
was to turn to the west for coal; but
J he never went in that direction a mile