Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-02-27

LOOP MAS A GRAVE MISTAKE
NO EXCUSE FOR ANY FURTHER
AGITATION OF This con-
TR0yERsY.

II GSREAES AAAaN tia 11A&N vi AAAAhS
was unanimous in its findings Of fact
and unanimous in it's expressions OF
opinion on most OF its findings of a
No appeal is made 10 ms from the ver-
dict OF the court on these points where
IL was unanimous. I have. however,
gone carefully over the evidence on
these points also. / am satisfied that
on the whole the court Gid substantial
justice. 1t should have specifically
Condemned the failure to enforce an
Efficient night blockade at Santiago
while Admiral Schley was in command.
On the other hand / feel that there Is
q reasonable doubt whether he did not
move his squadron with sufficient ex-
petition from port to PORT to port. The
court is a unit in cCndemning Admiral
Schicy's action IN the point where IL
seems to me he most gravely erred:
his "~retrogt~de movement" when he
abandoned the blockade, and his dis
obedience OF orders and misstatement
of facts in relation thereto. II should
be remembered, however, that the
Majority of These Actions
which the court censures occurred five
weeks or more before the fight itself.
and IL certainly seems that IL Admiral
Schley's actions were censurable he
should not have beer left as second in
command under Admiral Sampson.
Hio offenses were in effect condoned
when he was not called TO account for
them. Admiral Sampson. after the
fight, In an official letter TO the depart
ment alluded for the first time TO Ad-
mirai schley's 'reprehensible conduct
six weeks previously. III Admiral
Schley was guilty OF r~eprehensibie on
duet of q kind which called for such
notice from Admiral Sampson. then
Admiral Sampson ought not TO have
LEFT him as senior officer OF the block
aiding squadron on the Sd OF July when
he tSompsoni steamed away on his
proper errand Of communication with
Gen. Shafter.
I'VE can, therefore. for our present
purposes dismiss consideration of so
much OF the appeal as relates to any
thing
Except the Battle.
As regards this. the point raised IN the
appeal is between Admiral Sampson
and Admiral Selley. as to which was
In command. and TO which was entitled
the credit. Is either OF thEm was really
entitled 70 any unusual and pre-emi-
nent credit by any special exhibition
OF genius, skill and courage. The ques-
ton OF command Is in this ease nom
inal and technical. Admiral SIMPSONS
ship. the New York, was seen at the
outset OF the fight from all the ships
except the Brooklyn. Four OF these
FIVE ship captains have testified that
they regarded him as present n in
command. He signalled close In TO
the feet as oon as the first Spanish
ship appeared. but his signal was not
seen by Any American vessel. He was
actually under fire from tre forts and
himself fired q couple Of shots al the
close OF the action with the torpedo
beats In addition to signalling the In
diana 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. Ad-
mirsl Schley at the outset Of the action
ho.sted the two signals clear mp and
close In which was simply carrying
out the standing orders Of Admiral
Sampson as TO what should b. done
II the ensmy's ships attempted to break
cut of III hsrbor. Until after the close
a - ass hA%N R1A Ao& va AZ hSAA 90 AA~
racnth OF the harbor and until after ne
had made his loop and the Spanish
ships were fleeing 10 the westward, not
another American ship noticed a signal
from him. When the western pursuit
began the Oregon. and the oregon only.
noticed and repeated one OF his signals
Of command, but did not In any shape
or way execute any novement or any
a~ffan 80 any kfwR xphrAonAxro- g. a..
cordance with any order from him. 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 character. Tech
aicaiiy
sampson Commanded
the feet and Schiey, as usual, the
western division. The actual fact, the
important fact. is that after the battle
was started not q helm was shifted
net a gun was fired. not a pound OF
steam was put on In the engine room
aboard any ship actively engaged in
obedience TO the order OF either Samp-
son or schley, save on their own two
vessels. 1t was a captains fight.
Therefore, the credit 10 which zach
VI h two is entitled rests on matters
sp@Ah AApAh the C4dlEn OF nbFNlaal COM
nand over the squadron; for so far as
n. actual fight was concerned neither
n nor the other I'm fact exercised any
cen riand. Sampson was hardly more
than technically In the Hght. His real
claim for credit rests upon his work as
commsnder-in-chief upon the excel
lence OF the blockade; upon the pre-
paredness OF the squadron: upon the
arrangement OF the ships, head-on, In
q semi-circle around the harbor; and
the standing orders in accordance with
which they instantly moves to the at
tack or the SpanIards when the latter
appeared. For all these things
Tie Credit IL His.
Admiral Schlsy is rightfully enti-
tled-as Is Capt. Cookie IN credit OF
what The Brooklyn DID In the fight. On