Evening star., 1901-10-25

! to be found page 4I3 of the appendix,
confirms the fact that l got it on that
! day
Admiral Schley then read from The ap-
pendix a letter sent by him. dated Glen
/ fuegos, May %, 1898. This letter read: IN
| reply to your letter No. g. l would state
| that 1 am by no means satisfied that the
| Spanish squadron is not at Cieafuagos,
| etc.
| This letter also said: Regarding the in
closed information from Commander Me-
| Gala, would say L went twice close in to
! the mouth of the harbor once 1900 yards
| and the second time 1,200 yards, and saw
] no evidence of the fleet
That" said Admiral Schley referring to
! the wording of the letter he had just read,
strengthens my belief, that il had got
! ten the McCal1a memorandum on a pre-
vious occasion 1 would have referred to it.
| The batteries that were spoken about were
depleted batteries, behind cities or villages,
which, of course, in international usage
during would not be exempt from bonn
bardment, but the memorandum related to
masked batteries, which l supposed were
nearer to the mouth of the harbor, ard see
ing no evidence of their existence I very
naturally did not fire upon>the batteries at
the harbor. l think any one who has any
remembrance of the late war would say
that the bombardment of earthworl1s I'M
der the most favorable circumstances was
comparatively useless. l do not think our
subsequent bombardment after the 31st
really destroyed anything worth destroy
ing and consequently l did not feel that it
was wise or prudent under the clrcum-
stances to hazard or waste ammunition
when there might be so much better use
for it later on.
'''Now. in relation to the records of flag
officers | would like to invite attention to
page 415 of the appendix as an evidence of
the promptEess with which letters were
transmitted. On that page is found dis
patch written to me the 9th of May
and which reached me on the 10th of
June"
ALL
The judge advocate at this point in the
proceedings promptly arose and addressing
the court said: Il regret very much to be
compelled to make objection to this charac-
ter of testimony, but I understand the
court itself wants facts
Admiral Schley: This is fact
The judge advocate: Il do not under
stand that this witness more than any
other witness is here to make arguments,
and 1 do not think that this testimony
from a witness, even in his own behalf, is
proper testimony
Mr. Rayner: II think my brother has
Inexperienced the nature of this answer.
Mr.. Marsh has been on the stand and he
has testified to the accuracy of things on
board the flagship that came under his
care. We have a right to testify to the in
accuracy Of things that came under his
care. My brother is not only wrong in
that, but also in saying that this witness
has no right to say things that any other
witness could not say. This witness has
right to give reasons for his acts Is there
any doubt about that? Any reason given
why Admiral Schley did not engage the
shore batteries at Cienfuegos is in order
/ merely submit that suggestion, though
that is not the point before the court just
now. This matter referred to by the wit
ness is in regard to the accuracy of the
documents kept by Mr.. Marsh. If MIR.
Marsh has a right to testify to the ac-
euracy and precision with which he man.
aged his office we have right to testify to
the inaccuracy and confusion with which
he managed his Office"
The Statement Admitted.
The judge advocate replied to Mr.. Ray
ner addressing himself to the court He
said that he was rot obiecting to the state
ment on account of it's accuracy or inaccu-
racy. 1t is an argument, he said, to show
the inefficiency of this officer.
He then sat down and the court, after a
moments delay in considering the matter,
announced through Admiral Dewey that it
was eminently proper for the witness to
make the statement which he had done re-
garding the receipt of the dispatch.
The judge advocate calculated: This has
already been DONE
Admiral Dewey replied that the same
statement had been made by other wit
nesses.
Mr.. Rayner asked Admiral schley when
the dispatch was received.
The witness answered on the 10th of
June, and remarked that this was ten or
twelve days after it was sent.
Mr.. Rayner, addressing himself to Ad-
miral Schley: We'll, now go on
Before Admiral Schley could proceed Mr..
Rayner again interrupted him to ask him if
he wished to take up the narrative exactly
where he left off yesterday. The admiral
indicated that he did. and Mr.. Rayner
handed him copy of the printed testimony
that he might see the last of his testimony
yesterday.
He began by referring to the retrograde
movement and took up the testimony Of
Captain Cotton regarding Lieutenant
Beale. He said that Captain Cotton had
told him that Lieutenant Beale was es-
pecially well equipped and had volunteered
to go ashore and ascertain the location Of
the insurgents. Lieutenant Beale's equip
ment was on account of his previous SER
vice in the military forces the island.
NuneZ the Cuban pilot. was authorized to
make the reconnaissance and landed at a
place where the Teresa and Oquendo SUBJ
sequently went ashore. He came back
after having conferences with the insur-
gent generals and gave the admiral very
fine description of the location of the ships
in the harbor.
The RetrOgrade Movement.
The witness then returned to the ret
rograde movement, saying: Touching
the question of the retrograde move
ment, after the Merrimac had broken down
the movement was not made to the west
ward until toward 8 o'clock, the Yale hav-
ing had considerable difficulty in getting
a hawser to her. That hawser parted
about IL o'clock that night, when 1 was
signaled by Captain Wise of the Yale that
1t would take some four hours to break out
a steel hawser. The ship at that time was
absolutely unmanageable. She was not
capable of turning propeller. I do not
think We got under way again until
o'clock of the afternoon of the 9th, aud
not long after she was taken in tow steam
ing to the westward. We went a little fur
ther than had intended on account Of the
difficulty in getting the Yale to read our
Ardois signals. We were obliged to go four
or five miles further that account AS
soon as the calmed down and in my
Judgment it was possible to have coaled--
as / said yesterday that was one Of the
conditions which l watched especially
and was better judge of that than any
other officer of. the fleet, because I was
more interested in it-I signaled to Cap
tain Philip, asking him if he could coal,
and l think his signal indicates precisely
that he was uneasy about it, for he signaled
back to me- can try The impression