The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-20
a accordance with standing orders of

Admiral sampson.
 After this move each acted purely on his own initiative. For some minutes the Spanish and Aperican vessels steadily approached one lanother and the fighting was at its hottest. Then the already damaged Spanish ships turned to| the westward, while at the same time the westermost American vessel the Brooklyn, which was nearest the spanish line turned to the eastward, making loop of three quarters circle, at the end of which she again headed westward. farther off from and farther behind the Spanish vessels than before the loop had begun, but still ahead of any or the American vessels. although farther out side. The Texas. the next ship 10 tne Brooklyn, either was or conceived herself to be. put in such Jeopardy by the Brook lyn's turn toward her, that she backed her engines, coming almost or quite to a standstiN; 50 that both the Oregon and the Iowa which were originally to the eastward of her, passed her and 1t was some time after she again started before she regained her former position relative ly to the Spanish vessels.
 The Spanish vessels had stratshtened out in a column for the west. the Coion going inside of the others and gradually forging ahead of them, without suffering much 0dm1Ke. | Hc bWO soA APS>SO SSs-s~f which had followed them out of the har- bor. were now destroyed by the ire or the rearmost of the American big vessels and of the Gloucester which headed straight for them, paying no more neeo to their quick fire guns than to the neavy artillery of the forts, to which she was also exposed.
 In the running fight which followed, un- til the Teresa, Oquendo and viScaya Were destroyed. the Indiana gradually droppsa until the last of the three vessels went ashore. The Brooklyn was ahead of any of the other American vessels on course outside theirs; she wss nearly nroars.ue were all close together and actively sn- gaged throughout this running light The Brooklyn and Oregon followed at some distance by the Texas then continued m the chase of the Colon. which went neTfr. T went ashore. During this chase or the Colon there was practically no fighting.
 The command Is in this case nominal and technical Admiral sampsons sniP the fight from all the ships except the Brooklyn, Four of these ships captains have testified that they regarded him az present and in command He signalleo 'close in'' to the fleet as soon as the first Spanish ship appeared. but his sig nal was not seen by any American ves- sel. He was actually under fire from the forts and himself fired couple of shots pedo boats in addition to signalling the Indiana just at the clost of the action.
 But during the action not single order
 from him was> received by any Of the
 Admiral schiey at the outset of the
 fight, hoisted the two signals of clear ship" and "close in." which was simply carrying out the standing orders of Ad-
 mirai Sampson as to what should be done If the enemy's ships attempted to break out of the harbors. until after the close of the first portion of the fight at the
 mouth of the harbor and until after no
 had made his loop and the Spanish ships CT American ship noticed signM from him. When the western pursuit had be- gun the Oregon and the Oregon only no-
 ticed and repeated one of his signals Of
 then resarded him ss in ccmmnnd but
 did not in any Ahape or. way execute any
 movement or any action of any kind whatsosvsr In accordance with any- orser
 Tn m short, hort the question as to which of the two men, Admiral Sampson or Ad- miral Schley was at the time in com mand Is of merely nominal character. Technically, Sampson commandea the division. The actual fact. the important fact, is that after the battle was joined, no helm was shifted. not 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 Sampson or Schley, save on their own two vessels. It was captains fight.
 the two Is entitled, rests on matters apart from the claim of nominal command over the squadron; for so far as the &C., tual fight was concerned. neither one nor the other in fact exercised any, command. Sampson was hardly more than techni- cally in the fight. Hix real claim for credit rests upon his work as command er-in-chief; upon the excellence of the blockade: upon the preparedness Of the squadron; upon the arrangement of the ships. head on, in a semi-circle around the harbor; and the standing orders in accordance with which they instantly moved to the attack of the spaniards
 Admiral Schley is rightfully entitled as Is Captain Cook-to the credit of what the Brooklyn did in the fight. On the the unanimous finding of the three Ad- mirals who composed the court of inquiry as to the loop" It seriously 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 west ward. that is, in the direction that the Spanish ships were going, instead Of in the contrary direction, she would un- ous proximity" to them. But 1t would have been more dangerous for them as well 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 certainly not as great as that which in the self-same moment menaced Watn- wright's fragile craft as he drove for ward against the foe. It was not in my judgment as great as the danger to which the Texas was exposed by the turn as actually made. It certainly caused both the Brooklyn and Texas materially to lose position compared to the fleeing Spanish vessels.
 But after the loop had once been taken Admiral Schley haDdled the Brooklyn manfully and well. She and the Oregon were thenceforth the headmost of the tainly and seemingly the Texas also. did as much in hammering to standstili the Viscaya Oquendo and Teresa; while the Indiana did all her eastward position and crippled machinery permitted. In the chase of the Colon the Brooklyn and Under such circumstances 1t seems to me that the recommendations of Presi- dent Mckinley were eminently proper and so far as Admirals Sampson and Schley were concerned. it would have been unjust for him to have made other 
 Personally, I feel that in view of Cap tain 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, 1t would same advancement that was given Vain wright. But waiving this, 1t is evident that