The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-09-11
The Record of Admiral schley.

ne HGCUTu vi Aullitl al OC'i0y'
In the September number of the Re
view of Reviews Mr.. Park BENJAMIN
answers the question: ''Who is Win
field Scott Schley?'' The story he
tells may be commended to all who
wish to see the events Of the Sum-
mer of 1898 in their proper perspect-
i've.
Schley was midshipman when the
civil war broke out. His ship came
home from Europe just after the at
tack on Fort Sumter. Southern oifi-
GERS were resigning every day. Inc
oath of allegiance was rendered to this
Southern boy. He thought the mat
ter over, and, without knowing what
his famil ly or friends had done, he re-
solved to stick by the old flag. He
signed the oath.
s.God bless youn' said his captain.
81 cannot tell you how anxiously l
have waited for this. But [ knew
you'd do it, my boy-I knew you'd
do it,
A little later Schley, then twenty
one, was put in command of one OF
the first prizes captured in the block
ade of Charleston. He had crew of
ten men, and he was to navigate the
captured steamer to Philadelphia.
He ironed the ships officers, kept the
captured crew mostly aloft, made two
of his sailors deck officers and carried
the prize into Deleware Bay after
voyage of eight days.
In the first three years Of the war
Schley was almost continually light
ing. He was with Farragut and Por-
ter on the Mississippi, and took part
in the siege of Port Hudson with a
land battery composed Of heavy naval
guns mounted by himself.
Later he was sent to Peru, where he
distinguished himself in a fight with
revolted coolies on the Chlncha
Islands.
In 1871 Schley, now a Lieutenant
Commander, found himself in the
thick of one Of our almost forgotten
.'ilttle vars A squadron under
Rear Amiral Rodgers was preparing
to punish the Koreans for seizihg an
American schooner. a landing party
of seven hundred men was put under
Commander Lewis a. Kimberly, who
has recently been excused from serving
on the Schley Court Of Inquiry, and
Schley as Adjutant, did all the work
of organizing the column. A Korean
fort, strongly defended, was taken by
storm. Schley being the second man
on the wall. Of this exploit Com
mander Kimberly said in his report:
The citadel was captured, but dearly
so, as the gallant and brave Mckee,
the first to enter over the parapet, fell
mortally wounded, with two wounds.
Lieutenant-C Commander Schley was
the next officer in the fort, and killed
the Korean who wounded Mckee. To
Lieutenant-C Commander Schley belongs
the credit of organizing the expedition
and carrying out the several details
which went far to prevent confusion
and induce success. His arrangement
of the boats, his superintendent of
the various labors on shore IN destroy
ing the guns and forts, encouraging
the men, and setting them brave ex-
ample in being the second in the fort
at its storming and being in readiness
at all times to render assistance where
needed render praise unnecessary. The
facts of his labors and actions, judg-
ment and system, speak for them
selves. commend him to your notice.
In 1884 Commander Schley was
chosen out of all the officers of the
navy to command the expedition sent
to the Arctic for the relief Of the
Greely party. He had never been in
the ice before, but he planned and
equipped his expedition himself and
forced his way through the pack to
Cape Sabine month earlier than the
feat had ever been performed before or
has been since.
He got there a hundred miles ahead
of the whalers, who were spurred by
reward OF S25, 900, which was not open
to the navy. He spent his time at
the masthead in the crows nest,
barrel-like affair, with just room to
stand up in, and he did not 90 down
into the cabin for warm meals, but
had his cold victuals hauled up to him.
For this exploit Schley was made
Chief of the Bureau of Equipment,
with the ex-officio rank of commodore.
In that position he introduced many
notable reforms.
In 1891 he was in command of the
Baltimore when some of his men were
killed and others wounded in a riot
at Valparaiso. His coolness and judg-
ment on that occasion saved Us from
war with Chill.
TRANSFORMATION for Cubans.