The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-10-30
REASONS FOR RETRO
GRADE MOVEMENT.
Continued from First Page. J

fed from these, without taking any steps
Whatever to ascertain If this order OF
these reports were correct?"
i ascertained for myself through the
medium that the Department had placed
there to keep me informed. These scouts
represented very largely the cavalry OF
an army, a nd If they were unreliable
they should not have been placed there.
! must have relied upon what they said. =
Reminded by Captain Lemly that TAd-
miral Sampson had thought that when
Commodore Schley left Cienfuegos the
enemy would leave Santiago. the Admiral,
replied: "Of course, If I had gone to
the eastward and exposed the westward
there might have been serious conse-
quences."
He again spoke of the dispatch OF the
Department indicating that the Spanish
fleet was still at Santiago as ambiguous,
and said that the information that there
were Cubans five or six miles west Of
Santiago was erroneous, for the Cuban
Pilot Nunez had informed him to the con-
trary He claimed that the dispatch also
was ambiguous in the matter of coaling
the Harvard from the Merrimac.
mo, do you note in this communication
which you have been referring to these
words: The department looks to you to
ascertain facts, and that the enemy, il
therein, does not leave without decisive
action Did you take any steps further
than you have stated to ascertain the
facts?''
mo, / thought that the information
which l had was pretty conclusive. l did
not see anything in this dispatch. how
ever, that partakes of an order; it is
rather suggestion. There is vast diff
ference between communications that
come TO you in the nature of suggestions
and those that come to you in the nature
of orders. / think that the department
never hesitates to order distinctly when
it is decided about matters. All this
points to the fact that there was no GER
tain information in the possession OF
anybody that the enemy were really there
and that which they had was not to be re-
lied upon or that it was untrstworthy.
"Dd you not n fact finally accept the
dispatch of the department as an order to
remain off Santiago, and SO indicate in
kilograms and signals without yourself
acquiring any further information as to
the whereabouts of the Spanish fleet?"
Mr.. Rayner. 1.-The word remain is
rot in that dispatch 1t is in the Secre-
tarys letter. think the Secretary has
Inadvertently fallen into an error about
that"
After an argument over the word "re-
main" Capt. Lemly changed his question
and asked: 'If you did no. accept it as
requiring you to return. then as mat
ter of fact you did not remain off San
tago?'
Admiral Schley. No, think that my
reason for remaining"
Capt. Lemly. Remaining or return
ing?''
Admiral Schley. 81 mean remaining ir
that neighborhood."
After the recess Capt Lemly repeated
the modified question pending when the
court recessed as follows: did you not
accept the order OF the department as re-
curing you to return and Femain off
Santiago?' l'..
after coaling, finding that the suffi-
cheney of the squadron was established
nearer on basis of equality and as we
We're not great distance from Santiago
l returned in view of the suggestion of
the department to that port to ascertain
definitely whether the enemy was in
port before proceeding to the westward.
Upon our return we discovered that the
Spanish fleet
Captain Lemly asked: IF, having
brought the Flying Squadron to the vi
entity of Santiago and having in your
possession dispatch from the Navy
Department dated Washington, May 25,
1893, which directed the Harvard to pro-
coed at once and inform you and also
the senior officers present off Santiago
all departments information indicates
spanish division is still at Santiago,
whether you did not, with this dispatch
IN your possession from the department
ssnal Destination Key West without
consulting the commanding officers Of
The several vessels composing your
sluadron?''
II did not get that dispatch until the
9th of May, although datcdk the 25th
at Washington and did hoist the signal
afterward for the reason, as stated a
little while ago, that the information in
my possession as that time from Captain
Sigsbee, the positive assertion that the
Spanish Squadron was not there, sup
ported by the testimony of Nunez that
they could not get in on account Of GER
tain difficulties of draught and narrow
ness of channel. considered then that ]
had to act On my own responsibility. ]
cid not call the commanding Cfft.rs on
board for, as stated in my direct tes-
timony. that l was always ready to as
sumo the responsibility for any move
ment that might involve eensure rather
than throwing myself back upon any
body else. That was the motive and rea-
son for this action" ~
The Admiral said that he had in his
possession the Departments commune
ton Of May Is on May q when he
had again signalled indicating a pur-
p.se to go to Key West
=, q mp M MISS . rrmrr ruxrr ~