The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-11-01
81 did not consider it necessary. We
would fight the ships by signals"
THE CONFERENCE WITH SAMP-
SON

would fight the ships by signals"
THE CONFERENCE WITH SAMP-
SON.
The Judge advocate then questioned
Admiral Schley as to the conference
in the cabin of the New York at Key
West when he talked over the cam
paign with Admiral Sampson
did ADMIRAL Sampson exhibit to you
any or all n instructions he a from
the navy Department."
mo. He simply spoke OF his conf
Dental instructions from the secretary
of the navy.
The Judge advocate then jumped to
the communication from the Marble
head conveyed to Schley through the
Eagle, while the flying squadron was
on its way to Cienfuegos. The admiral
said h a the message he received was
that there was no news Of the Spanish
feet.
The fudge advocate then asked Ad-
miral SchIey If he regarded as expedi-
tious the juorney Of the squadron from
Key West to Cienfuegos in view of the
instruction to establish h blockade
there with as little delay as possible.
Cruising as he was in squadron
against a current, Admiral Schley re-
piled that he did.
The judge advocate then asked about
the speed from Charleston to Key West
to show that the speed from Key West
southwark was not so great.
Your speed was two knots less from
Key West to Cienfuegos than from
Charleston to Key West"
Apparently"
why did o stop at midnight May
21St before you arrival at C~ienfuegoS?"
I'VE were ten Or twelve miles from
the height on the land where the
mouth of the harbor of Cienfuegos was
n we stopped until day light. I did
not care to arrive there in the dark"
Admiral Scnley was asked why he
did not personally communicate with
Captain McCalla when he met the Mar
blehead on the way down.
He replied that he saw the auxiliary
coming down from the Marblehead to
communicate with him. 1t was Cap
tain McCalla's duty if he possessed
important information to communicate.
What official information and in
structions did you get at Key West
from the commander-in-chief?" asked
Captain Lemly.
n the conversation / have detailed
with him"
REGULATIONS FOR BATTLE.
Captain Lemly then took up the ques-
ton Of naval regulations and asked
Ike witness If he was IA piliar with
them.
Yes" responded Admiral Schley.
Captain Lemly then cad Il number
Of articles Of the reglations, N each
case asking the witness if he had COM
piled with the terms of the paragraphs.
The first paragraph was No. 2S7 and re-
quireS the c~Ommandar-in chlaf when
preparing his fleet OF squadron to meet
h enemy to communicate his general
orders, Instructions, private signals
and such other information as will en-
able each so far as possible to under
stand his duty wnen in action and at
all other times.
II think 1 complied with that" re-
piled the witness.
How and in what manner?" asked
Captain Lemly.
BY issuing general orders for the
organization of the squadron, their in
structions n their private signals"
The next article vas as follows:
Article 269. He shall, If possible, be-
1ore going into action communicate to
the Juniors in command, his chief of
stan and the captains, his secret or
ders, private signals and other infor-
nation that will materially assist them
II called upon to exercise command"
THAT l do not remember to have
with" said the witness.
captain Lemly then read Article 271,
which provides that the communicating
chief shall, if possible, before going
into action supply every captain with
a plan of battle, showing thereon the
position each shall coup
Yes" replied the witness in reply to
captain Lemly's question if ne had
complied with that article. "I do not
understand that that is necessarily
written. I think that that order is
sufficiently carried out when a COM
mander-in-chief decides to place his
crews In the order Of battle and in
forms each h he proposes to do"
DO you think, Admiral, that you can
supply every captain with a plan of
battle n do that at an oral confer
ence?' asked Captain Lemly.
L do not think that is absolutely
necessary" replied the witness. There
are instances where battles have been
fought without doing that. Any plan of
battle thai might be originated is sub
Ject to change. I have never known a
battle that was ever fought on the plan
originally chosen"
Captain Lemly asked: "When at 9:45
O'Clock a. m. May goth you sighted a
man Of war, as shown by the Brooklyn's
log. and cleared for action what orders
had been issued in conformity with the
provisions of the regulations"
I should not think any instructions
would be necessary for a fleet meeting
a single vessel except to smash her up"
AT this point Mr.. Rayner addressing
himself to Captain Lemly said he did
not want to object to this line of ques-
tlonlng, but hat there was no Specif-
cations which called for it. 'I wish to
submit to h judge advocate as we'll as
to the court" he sal that here is a
section of the naval regulations which
says: He shall, if possible, before going
into action, supply every captain with a
plan Of battle and assign thereon the
position each shall occupy There is no
specifications here hat he has disobey-
ed any regulations of the navy. I am
confident that if he had disobeyed them
they would have been in the specifica-
ton, because they include almost every
thing in relation to the whole contro-
versy. / do not see the word written,
instruction in any of them. I suppose