Morris tribune., 1901-11-09

lu6SOS at. kStt5G, ny o I'D QN1OCAa VA fthAs
morning OF May %. and, although, By
reason of Commander McCalla's eau
ton, the signals, which he did mol
wish to place in writing. were not EN-
bodied in this memorandum, such full
information was contained therein az
showed that the insurgents In the vi
entity Of Cienfuegos were accessible to
communication. Considering the voy'
age from Cienfuegos Captain Lemly
said:
s'The comm0dore's orders directed
chat he proceed with all dispatch, but
cautiously, to Santiago. He certainly
proceeded slowly. But cautiously did
not weaken the force OF the words all
Dispatch The great military neces.
gity at this time was to find and check
the enemy fleet. Caution was needed
lest II might pass undetected to Glen.
fuegos, or lest It might be stumbled
upon without preparation If neither
carried lights. For these reasons the
greatest caution demanded all dis
patch, because the timely reaching of
Santiago limited to the utmost such
chances. Most certainly the flying
squadron did not leave with dispatch,
nor with caution"
Might Drop Slower Vessels.
He admitted that the weather on The
voyage was bad for the. smaller YES
sells, particularly the Eagle, and said
that speed of the squadron was slowed
in order that they might keep up. He
centended, however, that IL that YES
sci was to be sent away, she should
have been sent at the time when she
was causing the delay and not when
the voyage was practically completed
and the weather improving. In this
connection he suggested that all the
slower vessels, in view Of the urgency
of reaching Santiago, might have been
dropped with rendezvous to be
Joined later by the fighting vessels.
Having brought the squadron to the
southwark OF Santiago on May %, the
Judge advocate took up the coaling
question, quoting Lieutenant Dyson's
figures on the question Of coal supply
in some detail. Then he considered
the retrograde movement. This step,
he said, had been undertaken with
out sufficient or decisive steps being
taken to ascertain whether the Span
ish fleet was actually In the harbor of
Santiago, leaving the mouth Of the
harbor unmatched and Cervera free to
escape, with the possibility Of his max
ing a descent upon our coast-the
moral, to say nothing Of the material
effect of which 1t Is impossible to
overestimate.
Whatever opinion Captain Sigsbee
and Pilot Nunez may have given the
commodore as to the presence of the
Spanish fleet in che Aarbor Of Santf-
ago fan6 I belfeve chat &he captain
never said that the Spanish feet was
not therein) the commodore was alone
responsible for the retrogade move
ment."
The details Of the retrogade move
ment were rehearsed as were those
concerning the delivery of, dispatches
tended that the dispatch conveying
positive information that the Spanish
feet was in the harbor must have been
delivered to Commodore Schley not
his denial because he
considered it inconceivable, having it,
hat Captain Cotton should not have
its contents to the com
modore"
Here Captain Lemly quoted In full
Commodore Schley's cannot obey
orders" dispatch to the department on
May 81 and commented upon it, say
ing: Whether the departments In
Struetions definitely directed, in posi-
tive terms, that, the squadron remain |
DIFF Santiago, or whether its desire that
This hould be done was simply indicat-
ID, appears to me, under all the cir
to be immaterial Dis
obedience OF orders may be an imper-
ltive and glorious duty, but, If 1t be
lot justified by the facts, it cannot be |
,ondoned by terming it an error of |
Judgment. This was not an error of |
1t was an error of conduct"
Bombardment of the Colon.
OF the reconnaissance of May
4 Captain Lemly said:
"It has been claimed that the OBJ
ect Of this affair of May 81 was to
Ievelop the enemy's batteries and that
his & was accomplished. There is,
loWever, a great deal Of doubt, in
Jew of the varying signals and state
nents made by the commodore, both
'efore and after the action, as to what !
vas the real object whether a recon /
loissance or an attempt to destroy the
,olon.
"The defense to the failure to go in
loser on May 81 by pleading at this
ime the cautionary order Of April
oes not appear to be sufficient, even
the commodore was acquainted with
Is contents. The order modifies itself
nd from first to last clearly indicates
hat our fleet was to be kept for the
parish ships"
Discussing the Brooklyn's loop Cap
ain Lemlys expressed the opinion,
ased upon evidence, that in turning
D starboard when all the other Amer
IAN vessels turned to port, the Brook
IN endangered not only the Texas,
ut other vessels as WE'LL, It was, he
aid, clearly established that the Tex
S stopped and that she reversed one
r both Of her engines. The RESPONSE
ility for this move, he argued rested
ntirely upon Commodore Schley.
After discussing the Hodgson incl
ent and Admiral Schley's alleged re-
lark, Damn the Texas which, he
aid, he did not consider very grave
latter, Captain Lemly closed his
peech and the entire argument Of the b
a GO with *fo fo11nuuipoy x.,ordo.