Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-08-03
ORIGIN OF CONTROVERSY.
sampson's Famous Dispatch tho Begin
ming of Trouble.

The Sampson-Schley controversy be-
gan as the result Of the dispatch from
Admiral Sampson announcing the VIC
tory at Santiago. The fleet under my
command" IL said. "offers the nation
as a Fourth Of July present the destruc-
ton of the whole OF Cervera's fleet"
From this message the nation inferred
that Sampson was In the thick OF the
battle and he was regarded as the hero
OF the day. When II was learned short.
ly afterward that the flagship New
York, with Sampson on board, had been
absent from the engagement, and that
Schley had been the ranking officer on
the squadron, a revulsion OF sentiment
set in. 1t was declared that Schley a
won the victory and that Sampson was
trying to rob him OF the credit.
The controversy so started was ex-
tended by the friends of Admiral Samp-
son to cover the course OF Schley In the
operations Of the flying squadron and
In the battle itself. Schley left Key
West May IS with a powerful squadron
to intercept Cervera. whose destination
was supposed TO be Cienfuegos, on the
south coast OF Cuba. Before the squad
ron arrived there the navy department
learned that the Spanish fleet had
reached Santiago. Sampson sent a
cruiser with orders to Schley to proceed
at once TO Santiago and blockade the
port. Schley had been blockading
C~ienfuegos two days before he received
the message. He waited another day,
during which Captain McCalla learned
definitely that Cervera was not In the
harbor, and then started for Santiago.
The distance Is 800 miles. but II took
the squadron four days instead Of one
TO cover II. Leaving Cienfuegos May
"a the fleet arrived thirty miles from Its
destination on May 26. The next day
Schley turned westward again, signal
linG the squadron that 1t was TO return
TO Key West for coal. Then he changed
his mind and On May 2S began the
blockade. During the nights the fleet
lay ten miles out to sea until the ar
rival OF Sampson June l, when 1t moved
up within a mile of the harbor en-
trance.
on the day Of the battle the New
York had started to take Admiral
Sampson to n conference with Genera
Shafter. when Cervera tried to escape.
The flagship returned at full speed, but
did not get into the engagement. al
though a court Of claims has held that
1t was near enough so that Sampson
was technically to be considered In
command.
Schley's course in the battle which was
criticised was in relation to a maneuveI
of the Brooklyn to escape being
rammed. The Maria Teresa headed fol
1t and the cruiser turned to the east
and south to escape. In this maneuver
IL narrowly missed colliding with the
Texas. The captain of the Texas re.
ported that the action Of the Brooklyn
was the proper one under the circum
stances. Admiral Schley, however. was
apparently made nervous for fear l,
would be taken for cowardice. He gave
out two or three statements about II
hat conflicted. He was also led into
securing the denial Of an interview or
the subject by his executive officer, al.
though the officer later said the inter.
view was substantially correct. He haC
been urged on several occasions to ash
for a court of inquiry, but had declined
as, he said, on account of the hostilit,
to him in the navy department.
- "n II