The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-09-08


| RETROGRADE fourth relates to its
/ MOVEMENT arrival at Santiago
WESTWARD. and later its retro
grade movement
! west ward
These two precepts involve the charge
OF procrastination in the journey to San
tiago. Schleys reply to it is that the
! journey to Santiago was made in the face
of southeast storm; the progress of the
fleet was impeded by the Lagle, with .
/ speed of but nine knots an hour at the
best, and which was unable 20 make over
FIVE knots in the storm and by frequent
accidents to the collier Merrimac. But
even then Commodore Schley traversed
the 325 sea miles between Cianfuegos and
Santiago in about A hours, or at the
/ average of eight knots per hour
| Arrived at Santiago, the squadron was
met by three scout ships-tne Yale, the
Minneapolis and the st. Paul-which as
sured Schley that the Spanish fleet was
not in that harbor Schlev then stood to
! the westward. His purpose in doing this
he says, was to guard against a dash Of
the Spaniards around the west coast OF
Cuba, as he had reason to believe, from
+, the assurances given him by the scout
| ships, that the Spaniards were not at
| Santiago
This was the famous ''retrograde move
ment' to the west
| The fifth precept reads: '"The circum-
| stances attending and the reasons for the
>disobedience by Commo-
| DID SCHLEY dore Schley of the orders
DlSOBEY of the Department con-
ORDERS? tanned in it's despatch.
| dated May %, 1898, and
the propriety of his conduct in the prem
| ses." This is closely connected with the
sixth precept, which is a very important
one: ''The condition of coal supply OF the
Flying Squadron on or about May 81.
1898; its coaling facilities: the necessity,
if any, or advisability of, the return Of
the squadron 20 Key West TO coal and
the accuracy and propriety Of the official
reports made by Commodore Schley with
| respect to this matter will be inquired in
to by the court
The reader will remember that Schley
objected to The phraseology of the fifth
precept on the ground that his message
ought not be described as disobedience of
orders before it was passed on by the
court. The objection, however, has been
| over ruled
As above stated, Schley had turned back
westward from Santiago, claiming that a
return to Key West was necessary by
shortness of coal Some of his command
ing officers have made the assertion that
such was not the case. Their testimony
as to the amount of ccal on hand at the
time specified will be used in evidence.
However this may be, on the morning
of the eth the Harvard brought him
this dispatch:
Washington, via Mole st. Nicolas, May
%, 1898
All departments information indicates
Spanish division is still at Santiago The
department looks to you to ascertain
facts and that the enemy, if therein, does
not leave without a decisive action. Gu
bans familiar with Santiago say that
there are landing places five or six nauti-
cal miles west from the mouth of harbor
and that there insurgents will be found
and not the Spanish From the surround
ing heights can see every vessel in port
AS soon as ascertained notify the depart
ment whether enemy is there. Could not
squadron and also the Harvard coal from
! Merrimac leeward of Cape Cruz, Gonaives
channel, or Mole Haiti? The department
will send coal Immediately to Mole. Re-
port without delay situation at Santiago
de Cuba. LONG.
In reply to this dispatch Commodore
Schley sent the following telegram:
Kingston, May %, 1898.
Secretary Navy, Washington:
Sir-Merrimac engines disabled; is
heavy; am obliged to have towed to Key
West. Have been unable absolutely to
coal the Texas, Marblehead, the Vixen,
the Brooklyn from collier, all owing to
very rough sea. Bad weather since leav-
ing Key West The Brooklyn alone has
more than sufficient coal to proceed to
Key West Cannot remain off Santiago.
present state squadron coal account. I'm
possible to coal leeward Cape Cruz in the
summer, all owing to southwesterly
winds Much to be regretted cannot obey
orders of department Have striven
earnestly; forced to proceed for coal to
Key West by way of Yucatan passage
Cannot ascertain anything respecting en-
envy positive. Very difficult to tow collier
to get cable to hold. SCHLEY.
On the above message rests the charge
Of disobedience of orders and in it also
is Schley S reasons for turning back to
Key West 1t is claimed by him that his
dispatch read: Much to be regretted
orders of department cannot be obeyed
Have striyen earnestly" and that the
dispatch was distorted either in transmits
sion or in translation from the cipher so
as to read Much to be regretted; can
not obey orders of the department Have
striven earnestly" etc.
Later in the day on which this dispatch
was sent. the Texas and the Marblehead
went alongside the col
FAILURE TO ler Merrimac and coal
DESTROY ed the squadron at
The COLON. that time being about
forty miles to the
south and westward of the Santiago
harhor. That afternoon the SQUAD
ron sailed in the direction of Santiago
stopping for the night about ten miles
distant from that port, with the Marble
head scouting about two miles inside tne
line. Early next morning. May 20, a
Spanish man ofwar, the Cristobal Colon
was seen lying at anchor Just inside the