The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-02-26

execute any movement or any action
of any kind whatsoever in accordance
with any order from him.
EACE CAPTAIN FOR HIMSELF.
In Short the question as to which
of the two men. Admiral Sampson or
Admiral Schley. was at the time in
command, is OF merely nominal char
acter. Technically Sampson COM
manded the fleet, and Schley, as usual,
the western division. The actual fact.
the important fact, is that after the
battle was joined not helm was
shifted. not a gun was fired, not a
pound of steam was put on in the en-
CINE room aboard Of any ship actively
engaged. in obedience to the order Of
either Sampson or Schley, save on
lheir OWE two vessels. 1t was a cap
tain's fight.
Therefore the credit to which each
Of the two is entitled rests on matters
apart from the claim Of nominal COM
mand over the squadron: for so far as
| the actual fight was concerned neither
one nor the other in fact exercised any
command. Sampson was hardly more
than technically in the fight. His
real claim for credit rests upon his
workas c0mmander-in-chief: upon the
! teXcellence of the blockade: upon the
preparedness of the squadron: upon
the arm of the ships headOn in a semi
circle around the harbor; and the
standing orders in accordance. with
which they Instantly moved to the at
tack of the Spaniards when the latter
appeared. For all these things the
credit is his.
THE LOOP" WAS AN ERROR.
Admiral Schley is rightly entitled
as is Capt. Cook-to the credit Of
what the Brooklyn did in the fight.
On the whole she did well: but l agree
with the unanimous finding Of the
three admirals who composed the court
of inquiry us to the loop" 1t seri-
ouSly marred the Brooklyn's otherwise
excellent record. being in fact the one
grave mistake made by any American
ship that day. Had the Brooklyn
turned to the westward, that is, in
the same direction that the Spanish
were going, instead Of in the contrary
direction, she would undoubtedly have
been in more dangerous proximity"
to them. But it would have been
more dangerous for them as we'll as
for her. This kind Of danger must
not be too nicely weighed by those
whose trade it is to dare greatly for
the honor of the flag. Moreover, the
danger was not as great as that which.
in the Selfsame moment. menaced
Wainwright's fragile craft as he drove
forward against the foe. 1t was not
in my judgment as great as the dan
ger to which the Texas was exposed
by the turn as actually made. 1t GER
tainly caused both the Brooklyn and
the Texas materially to lose position
compared to the fleeing Spanish YES
sells. But after the loop had once been
taken Admiral Schley handled the
Brooklyn manfully as we'll. She and
the Oregon were thencefOrth the head
most of the American vessels-though
the Iowa certainly. and seemingly the
Texas also, did as much hammering
to standstill the Viscaya. Oquendo
and the Teresa: while the Indiana
did all her eastward position and Grip
pied machinery permitted. In the
chase of the Colon the Brooklyn and
Oregon share the credit between
them.
sUsrAINs M'EINLEY's RECOMMENDA-
TIONS.
Under such circumstances itseems
to me that the recommendations OF
President Mckinley were eminently
proper, and that so far as AdmiralS
Sampson and Schley were concerned it
would have been unjust for him to
have made other recommendations.
Personally feel that in view of Capt.
Clark's long voyage in the Oregon and
the condition in which he brought her
to the scene of service, as well as the
way in which he actually managed
her before and during the fight it
would have been we'll to have given
him the same advancement that was
given Wainwright. But waving this.
it is evident that Wainwright was
entitled to receive more than any CT
the other commanders; and that it
was just to Admiral Sampson that he
should receive a greater advance IN
numbers than Admiral Schley-there
was nothing done in the battle that
warranted any unusual reward for
either. In short, as regards Admiraas
Sampson and Schley I find that Prest-
dent Mckinley did substantial justice.
and that there would be. no warrant
for reversing his action.
Both Admiral Sampson and Adj
miral Schley are now on the retired lis5.
In concluding their report the members
of the court of inquiry, Admirals
Dewey. Benham and Ramsay, unite
in stating that they recommend that
no further action be had in the mat
ter. With this recommendation l
most heartily concur. There is no
excuse whatever from either side for
any further agitation of this unhappy
controversy. To keep it alive would
merely do damage to the navy and to
the country.
Theodore Roosevelt"
ShreddinS Corn.
The modern method of harvesting
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