The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1902-02-20

nand 10 Of nersiy nonaana,s eAassete,
Technically oampsen commanded tn
deet and achlsv, % Usual. the westerl
division. The actual fact, the impor
tant fact, 10 that after the battle wa
Joined not helm was shifted, not
gun was fred, not a pound of steam
was put on in the engine room aboart
any ship actively engaged, in obedienc,
to the order of either Sampson Of
Schley save Oh their own two vessels
1t was a captains 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 work as
commander 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 n
semiclrcle 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.
Admiral Schley is rightly entitled.
as is Captain Cook, to the credit OF
what the Brooklyn did in the fight.
On the whole she did well, but | agree
with the unanimous finding of the three
adnsirals who composed the court of
inquiry as to the loop 1t seriously
marred the Brook ns otherwise ex-
cellent record. being. IN fact. the one
grave mistake made by any American
ship that day. Had the Brook yn turn
ed to the ward--that is. in the
same direction that the Spanish ships
We're 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 well as for her.
This kind of danger must moi be too
Hl'elI "eiElitH ~ tHOSt " nose lrdue
it is TO dare greatly for the honor Of
the nag. Moreover. the danger was
certainly no; AS great rs that which.
in the selfsame moment. mcnaced
Wainwrieht's fragile craft as he drove
forward against The foe. 1t was not
in my iud2 ment. as great as the dan.
ger to which the Texas was exposed by
the turn as actually made II certain
ly caused both the Brooklyn and the
Texas materially to lose position com
pared 10 the fleeing Spanish vessels.
"bGi after the loop lad once been
taken Admiral Schicy handled the ,
Brooklyn iGaniUIiy and well. She and
the oregon were llcn"cforth the head f,
mos, of the American ves~cls, though /
HE Iowa certainly, and seemingly the I
rcXa. also. did rs much in hamnCriig i
to Il S'audNiil The NiscayA. GGu"ndo ,
and Teresa. while the Indiana did all .
her eastward position and crippled ma
'h.n"r, permitted. In the chase Of Ne
h" credit between them.
II ndrr such circumstances il seems
o me that the recommendations Of
President Mckinley were emirrnilS
roper nuh that 50 fer as AdmirHIs
ana SchIcy were concerned
Wunid lave been unjust for him to
lu,' made other recommendations
',rsunaliy feet HAT IN view of cap
ain Clarke long voyage in The Oregon
MT the condition in which he brought
Iel 20 he srt.lc of ser, ice. as we'll as
he way III which he actually managed
tr before and during The fight it
'ond have been well 10 have given
i'm The same advancement, that was
wen Wainwright. But. waving this
is evident that Wainwright was On
tied to receive more than ANY of the
Her commanders and that /, was lust
} ADMIRAL Sampson HAT he should re
1--WE greater advance in numbers than
dinira! Echiey, There WAS nothing
QUO IN ID" battle that warranted say
',t!snn' rev ard for either. In short IS
cards AGmirnls Sampson and Schlcy.
ti''d thai President Mckinley did
,hSiauiiai iHSji'" ard that there
ulIln he 10 warrant for reversing his
ton.
Roth Admiral Sampson and Admiral
'hi'y H.' row un the retire d list In I;
hr'n|Hll tlrir rrpUri The members Of
/" "curl Of in4Hir". Admirn's i'vwty. /
"iIiIan and HaN"ay unite ia sjHiug .
al ll"y recommend that 10 further |