The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-11-01

~0&AA = CEAOA 1C1L ~ -
man In of a fleet. Admiral
Scnley u not supply a plan of battle
at Key West or at Cienfuegos that took
place before Santiago. When was the
time to supply it? He could not supply
1t on July End He had no right to sup
ply it. There was not a moment OF
time between June 1st and July 3rd hat
he had a right to supply any plan of
action This is the point I wish to
make"
Mr.. Rayner said that the question of
naval regulations had not been brought
to the attention Of Admiral Schley;
that they had had no opportunity TO 60
into 1t. Il think" he said, that follow
the flag is an order of battle. How Of
ten has the signal Follow the flag been
given? The only signal Nelson ever
gave at Trafalgar was that England
expects every man to do his duty"
Captain Lemly asked Mr.. Rayner IL he
was combining himself to July 3rd in re-
| gard to the plan Of battle.
What order" asked Mr.. Rayner.
could Admiral Schley nave given be-
tween June 1st n July 3rd."
He was going out to' meet the enc
| my" said Captain Lemly, and We con-
| tend that under those circumstances he
| should have had a prescribed alterna-
tive order of battle. This whole matter
has gone right through the entire pro-
ceedings. as to whether he had a pre-
scribed order of battle in writing and
|! distributed to the feet under his COM
mand, and it belongs to that clause or
the precept: Conduct during the SAN
tiago campaign"
The court retired for consultation.
Upon returning Admiral Dewey stated
their decision as follows:
THE court decides that all questions
to be asked of the applicant shall be
| confined to between May 10Th and June
1st relating to the organization, man
agement and control Of that squadron
when he was actually commander-ln-
chief"
The Judge advocate then asked the
witness whether W the dates to
which the court had restricted the ex-
animation he had according to article
s71 Of the regulations furnished each
captain witt a plan'of battle.
verbally, yes"
but not III writing"
'I did not think the regulations re-
Quired it."
did you communicate to our cap
tains your confidential Instructions
from Admiral Sampson not to expose
your ships to land batteries before the
destruction Of the Spanish f1eet?"
IT did not because I regarded them as
confidential"
I'm your report you say that the
Iowa arrived off Cienfuegos May end.
| Although she started a day later did
she not arrive only o hVe hours
after the squadron"
"Altogether we did not go In during
| the night,I considered that we arrived
off Santiago May 21st."
Captain Lemly asked the witness to
| look at the signal book Of the Brook
Ign for May 22nd, and to read a signal
which had been made at 5:35 o'clock a.
n hv the Texas to h flagship. This
r. aiS. reading as follows:
~f->se tell me what we have to do
| toda, $40, flagship to Texas: When
| we close to the port we will blockade
| it and unite, but will keep underway
ready for anything"
In answer to a question from Captain
| Lemly, regarding the. orders: Clear
| ship for action" Admiral Schley eX-
| planned that the ships were practically
| cleared for action all the time, but that
there was always a certain amount or
paraphernalia o the ships to pre-
vent persons falling overheard, or
awnings which a to be removed, n
that was what he had in mind when he
signalled to ''clear ship for action"
(Which was the closer blockade, at
| Cienfuegos or S~atiago?"
Il think at Cienfuegos. There we
were from three to four miles off; at
| Santiago we were from three and a
l HALL " 1--WE dlu d 1dIl lllllSS, SioSCl az
| both places at night"
"At Cienfuegos did you issue any
plan of battle in case the Spanish fleet
should attempt to enter or come out
INC. I should nave relied Upon sig
nails"
you stated in one Of your reports
l that While lying off C~ienfuegos you
| feigned disorder in the squadron in the
hope that the Spanish fleet would come
out. Did you inform the captains OF
| the squadron Of this ruse?"
mo. / think not. I talked with some
| Of these aboard the Brooklyn about it,"
| After the noon recess the judge adj
vocate closely questioned the witness
| about the time of the receipt OF the
Dear Schley" letter which the admiral
declared was received May 22nd accord
| ing to his best recollection.
But in your letter you said that this
| letter came to you on h e 23rd and con-
fused the situation"
That is a fact"
But if it came on the 22nd."
LAS I have stated before I wrote the
! communication to the mate from
| memor The point was that at that
time I had not received order Nc. s."
Captain Lemly then began a line Of
inquiry to develop the facts concerning
| alleged delays en- route from Key West
! to CienfuegoS. Mr.. Rayner suggested
IN ptSNOPk III nv wv lIllo llIdllS >
| but the court decided that the inquiry
might be a Captain Lemly asked
| why h Iowa had gained fourteen
hours on the squadron.
1.-THE only reason I can give" said the
! witness, "iS that she stood directly
across from Key West to Havana; also
that in shore the current would not be
as strong as it was off shore. Then
| probably she may have steamed out
| of the current after she got around"
Captain Lemly asked: why die you
not make an effort to ascertain wheth-
er the Spanish fleet was in Cienfuegos?"
i made a distinct effort on May 23rd,
by allowing the Adula to go in"
You regard that as the best effort
that could have been made?'
81 do inasmuch as she was to come
out the day following"
The witness was then questioned as
to the orders he received by the Hawk.
He remembered dispatch Nc. 8 dis
tinctly.
When you received that order why