Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-10-26
H0DGs0N LIED.
Continued from page H.

courts permission, lie Sald. ne would
go back To CienfueGCs ii order that MS
narrative might be clear. Regarding
the McCalla memorandum he received
but one copy. If there had been an
other he said. it should be in the pa
pevs which were returned 20 the navy
department in January or February.
1899 He said he had not bomharded
the earthworks at Cienfuegos because
he was convinced that such lombard
ment would be unavailing. Subsequent
experience in the war. he thought. bore
out this opinion.
Admiral Schley was proceeding to
say that a dispatch number 10, con-
corning which Lieut.. Marsh had testi-
fled (thc dispatch containing positive
information that the Spanish fleet was
in Santiago was not received by him
until June 10. when the judge advocate
objected.
Capt. Lemly:' If the court please.
regret very much to be compelled -
make objection 10 the character OF tes-
tmony but I understand from the
court itself that it wants facts.
Admiral Schlcy tsotto voice.: Well,
these are facts
Capt Lemly: Il do not understand
this witness is here for the purpose %
making an argument and | do not
think this character of testimony from
4 witness even on the stand in his own
behalf. is a matter OF testimony.
Mr.. Rayner Contendcd that Admira!
Schley was not giving opinions; that hc
was simply testifying to facts within
40 g, S,,,.t -,
sparring the members of the court held
brief consultation and Admiral Dew
ry announced its decision as follows:
The court is Of the oninion that il
is emincntly proper for the witness To
make the statement that the dispatch
was dated May q and not received un
til June 10. then drop it; just give the
facts"
To this Admiral Schley responded
that this was all that he had intended
to do. Thirteen days had elapsed be-
fore he received the dispatch.
Proceeding. Admiral Schicy testified
that he believed Capt. Cotton's state
n,ent regarding the offer of Lieutenant
Field to so ashore at Santiago to learn
positively whether the Spanish ilcct
was in Santiago was something faulty
and he detailed some facts relating TO
Fields offer which fixed his own i'm
preston of it in his mind. On May
81. after the bOmb;rdment Of the CO.
lon and after CAPT. Cotton lad Sonc
to Mole, st. Nicholas with :. renort "a
him upon that subject, Admiral Schicy
testified that he sent Eunez the pilot.
westward to communicate with the in
Surgents. EuneZ landed FEAR .Ascerc-
deros, l. o. lG miles west VI! Santiago
and joining some Of the cuban insur-
gents went into the interior He rc-
turned June l or ,. with detailed infor-
nation of the location OF the SpeniSh
ships in the harb0r. Il sent him., al
der Admiral Schley. ITO the command
er-in-chief With that information.
The witness then returned to the r.
trosrade movement saying: "T"uching
the question of the retrograde move
ment after the Merrimac had broken
down. the movement was not made to
the westward until toward = o'clock,
the Yale having had considerable ditii-
Guilty in getting a hawser - hcr. The
hawser parted about II o'clock that
night when ! was signaled by capt.
Wise of the Yale, that ii would take
some four hours to break out steel
hawser The ship at that time was
absolutely unmanageable. She was not
capable of turning a propeller ] d"
not think we got under way again I'M
til o'clock of the afternoon of the
eth and not long after she was taken
in tow, steaming to the westward. We
went mile further than | intended on
account of the difficulty in getting the
Yale to read our signals. We We're
obliged to go four or five miles further
on that account. In my judgment. 1t
was not possible TO have coaled. That
was one of the conditions which |
watched especially and was a better
Judge Of that than any other officer of
the fleet because | was more interested
in it. / Signalled to Capt Philip ask
ing him il he could coal and think his
signal indicated precisely that he was
uneasy about it for he sisnalled back
to me. I can try The impression left
upon my mind was that at that time
even he vas uncertain.
Continuing. he said that even as late
as the following morning. Philip had
sienalled that both the Texas and the
Mcrrimac had sprung leak. The ad-
miral also referred to the extreme
heat. saying it vas so great that the
men We're exhausted and the doctors
had recommended that on this account
coaling operations b. suspended.
Here Admiral Schiey brought his
narrative up to Santiago and he SAID
in that connection that he had regard
cd the orders of the department con-
corning the probable presence of the
Spanish fleet at Santiago as more of
suggestion than a mandatory order. He
considered that it would take only
little while to get back in any event.
Also he repeated that the proper mill
tary maneuvcr would be to proceed
westward toward the bases at Havana
and Key West.
He had arrived with the squadron off
Santiago at about : o'clock p NJ. May
70. he said. and had then taken up his
position five or six miles out, after
wards holding the fleet in formation
day and night. He had only on the
first night sent the Marhlehead closer
in With instructions to keep close watch
on the mouth of the harbor That