Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-10-05
Observation-Disclosures.
Seventh Day.

Captain Bowman II. McCalla, who
commanded the Marblehead during the
war with Spain, was an important wit
ness before the court of inquiry, and his
testimony, more than any heretofore pre-
scented, seemed to be unfayorable to the
cause Of Rear Admiral Schley.
Captain McCalla testified that on the
morning of May 81 he delivered dis
patches to Admiral SchIey off Cienfuegos
and told him Of his plans to communicate
with the Cubans by secret signals. He
had some supplies to deliver to the in
surgents, and after visiting the shore he
returned to the Brooklyn and assured
Schley the Spanish fleet was not at Glen
fuegOs.
Admiral Schley, according to the wit
ness, showed to him the orders from Ad-
mlral Sampson and appeared deeply per-
picked. He told Captain McCalla it
would be impossible to coal the ships, but
he felt he would be court-martialed if
he should return to Key West. The wit
ness said he advised Admiral Schley that
he believed it would be best to go at once
to Santiago, even though he might be I'M
able to stay there.
Friends of Schley show that whatever
may have been the delay he did start for
Santiago the evening following his inter
view with Captain McCalla.
Captain McCala testified, as Captain
Harder and Captain Wise had previously
testified, that the ships of the flying
squadron could have been coaled off San
tiago. In any event he was quite GER
tain that he could have coaled the Mar
blehead. Captain McCalla was not at
Santiago because his ship, with the Mas
sachusetts and others, happened at the
time Cervera attempted to escape to be
at Guantanamo taking coal.
A feature of the days proceedings was
the appearance of w. II. Stayton of New
York, who some time ago was retained
by Admiral Sampson, Captain Chadwick
and Admiral Crowninshield to look after
the interests Of themselves and other Off
GERS of the department who might be as
sailed during the courts session. Ad-
mral Dewey ruled that Mr.. Stayton had
no standing in court, because Admiral
Sampson was in no manner a party to the
proceedings.
%EiGhth Day.
The eighth days proceedings furnish
ed cumulative evidence that the naval
campaign in the West India Islands was
conducted in a very loose manner. 1t
was shown conclusiyely that an excep-
tional opportunity to place Rear Admiral
Schley in possession of information that
would have made him the master of the
unfortunate situation at Cienfuegos the
moment he reached that point was either
lost or neglected.
1t was shown, moreover, that Sampson
was placed in possession of absolute in
formation very early on May 20 that the
Spanish fleet was not in Cienfuegos. This
was communicated to the commander in
chief of the North Atlantic feet by Cap
tain Bowman H. McCalla who had just
returned to Key West from Cienfuegos,
where he had learned through personal
communication with insurgents that the
only Spanish ships in the harhor were
two light-draught and comparatively
harmless gunboats.
With this information in his possession
Sampson sent McCalla back to Cienfue-
Cos as the bearer of the celebrated Dear
Schley' letter and order No. s, both OF
which were calculated to convey to Schley
SIMPSONS belief that the Spanish fleet
was in Cienfuegos and not in Santiago.
Captain McCalla ascertained that the
Spaniards were not in Cienfuegos on May
II, when, in company with the converted
Yacht Eagle, he was successful III estaD-
fishing a line OF communication with the
Cuban forces that held positions on each
side of the harbor. II was on that occa-
sion that the captain obtained the IN
surgents' secret code, which he subse-