Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-02-27
THE SCHLEY CASE.
The President UphOids Verdict
OF the Court Of Inquiry.
Sampson Was In COmmand--Preside ent
Roosevelt Also Says that Neither
Sampson or SchIey Did Any
thing TO Deserve I'm
usual Reward.

| from the navy department. | have
examined both with the utmost care,
as well as the preceding appeal to
| the secretary of the navy. | have
read through all the testimony taken
| before the court and the statements
! of the counsel for Admirals Sampson
and Schley; have examined all the Of
| fetal reports of every kind in refer
ence to the Santiago naval campaign,
copies of the logbooks and signal
! books, and the testimony before the
! court of claims.
1T appears that the court of in
| quiry was unanimous in it's findings
of fact and unanimous in the express
| sions of opinion on most of it's find
! ings of fact. No appeal is made to me
| from the verdict of the court on
! these points where it was unanimous.
/ have, however, gone over carefully
over the evidence on these points.
/ am satisfied that on the whole the
court did substantial justice. 1t
should have specifically condemned
| the failure to enforce an efficient
night blockade at Santiago while Ad-
miral Schley was in command. On
| the other hand, feel that there is a
reasonable doubt whether he did not
move his squadron with sufficient ex-
petition from port to port. The court
is a unit in condemning Admiral
Schley's action on the point where
it seems to me he most gravely erred,
his ''retrograde movement" when he
abandoned the blockade.
1t should be remembered. however,
that the majority of these actions
which the court censures occurred
five weeks or more before the fight
itself.
The question of command is in this
case nominal and technical. Four of
the five ship captains have testified
that they regarded Admiral Sampson
as present and in command. He sig
nailed "Close in" to the fleet as soon
as the first Spanish ship appeared,
but his signal was not seen by any
American vessel. He was actually un-
der fire from the forts and himself
fired a couple of shots, at the close
of the action with the torpedo boats,
in addition to signalling the Indiana
just at the close of the action. But
during the action not a single order
from him was received by any of the
ships that were actively engaged.
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
a helm was shifted, not gun was
fired, not a pound of steam put on in
the engine room aboard any ship ac.
lively engaged, in obedience to the
order of either Sampson or Schley,
save on their own two vessels. 1t
was a captains fight.
Therefore, the credit to which each
of the two is entitled rests on mat
ters apart from the claim of nominal
command over the squadron; for so
far as the actual fight was concerned
neither one nor the other in fact ex-
ercised any command. Sampson was
hardly more than technically in the
fight. His real claim for credit rests
upon his work as commander-in-
chief.
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 we'll; but |
agree with the unanimous finding of
the three admirals who composed the
court of inquiry as to the ''loop." 1t
seriously marred the Brooklyn's
otherwise excellent record.
But, as the loop had once been
taken. Admiral Schley handled the
brooklyn manfully and well
Under such circumstances it seems
to me that the recommendation of
President, Mckinley were eminently
proper and that so far as Admiral
Sampson and Admiral Schley were
concerned it would have been unjust
for him to have made other recon-
mendations. 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
well to have given him the same adj
vancement that was given Vain
wright But waving this, it is evident
that Wainwright was entitled to re-
ceive more than any of the other
commanders; and that it was just to
Admiral Sampson that he should re-
ceive a greater advance in numbers
than Admiral Schley-there was moth
ing done in the battle that warrant
ed unusual reward for either
Both Admiral Sampson and Adj
miral Schley are now on the retired
list. In concluding their report the
members of the court of inquiry unite
in recommending that no further ac-
ton be had in the matter. With this
recommendation most heartily con-
cur.
Hunted Down.
L IA L Il