Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1902-02-20
TIE PRECEDENT ANSWERS THE
APPEAL.

APPEAL.
The President ye, t7rday made public
bis answer t. the appeal of Admiral
Schley from the findings of tle Court
OF Ipquiry, the following being the
substance:
81 am satisfied lst on the whole the
court did substantial justice. l. should
have specifically condemned the failure
to enforce sn efficient night blockade
st Santiago while Admiral Sohley was
10 command. Ga the other hand, !
feel tnst there is reasonable doubt
whether he did not move his squadron
with sufficient expedlt on from port to
polt II Admiral Schley was guilty OF
reprebet S BILE conduct, tlen Admiral
Sampson ought not to have left him as
senior officer of t 10 blOcksding squad
ron the 3 OF July, when he (SAml s)D)
sailed away on bic proper srrsnd Of
communication with General Shsiter.
The question as to which OF the two
men, Admiral Sampson or Admiral
Schley, was at tle me Ia command is
of merely nominal character. TechDl-
cally, SamI N commanded t5s feet,
and Schley, ss usual, t1e wettsrD
division. The actual fact, the impor-
ant fact, is that after the Dtt.le was
i0ined, nc a helm wss shifted, not q
gan was fred, not pound OF steam was
put oD in the engine room aboard any
ship actively Engaged in obedience to
the order of cit ler Sampson or Schley,
save on leir Own two vessels. 1t was
q captsiu's fight. 80 far as the actual
fiebt was concerned, neither one nor the
other was in command. Sampson was
hardly more than technically 10 the
fight. agree with the unanimous h0d-
ing of Il three admirsls who composed
the Court OF Inquiry ss to the "loop,p
1t seriously marred the Brooklyn's other
wise excellent record, being in fact the
ooe grave mistake made by any Amer
lean ship tlat day. l. seems to me thtt
10 recommendations of President Nc
Kinley were eminently proper, and that
so far as Admirals Sampson and Scbley
were cor cerned 1t would have blea up-
Just for htm to bsve made other recon-
nendst ons. 10 short, as regards Ad-
mirsls Sampson and Schley, find that
President Mckinley did substantial jus
tice and tlat there would be no war
rant for reve sing bis action. There is
90 excuse what, yer from either side for
fui t ler sgit tlon OF this unhappy con.
troversy. TO keep it alive would
merely do damage to the navy and to
the country"
With this last opinion the people oi
the Uniied States have three from
which to chose and the question. Who
was in command at Sal tsgo? is still
unse ted. Below are t1e three
opinions
"UNDER MY COMMAND. ."-sAMPsON.
ITO the Secretary of the Navy:
"Slboney, July 8, 1898.
"The hset under my command Offers
the nation as Fourth Of July preser
t 10 destruction OF 10 whole Of Cevsrs's
hat. No one escaped. They alt ,mpt-
cd to escape st $50 this morning. at
2 t1e last ship, tle Cristobsl Colon,
had run ashore sixty miles west OF San
tiago and let down her colors. The
Maria Theresa, OqueDdo, and Vizcsya
we're forced ashore, burned and blown
up within tReItg miles OF Santiago.
The Furor and Pluion were destroyed
within four miles of the port. Lose,
one killed and two wounded. Eoemy's
loss, probably several hundred dead,
from guupOwder explosion and drown
Jog. About 800 prisoners, including
Admiral Cevers. The man killed Wss
George II. E lis. chief yeomsn of the
Brooklyn" SAMP5oE.
sCaLEY I'm ABSOLUTE COMMAND"
DEWEY.
"Commodore Sch ley was the senior
officer OF our squsGron of SaI ago
when the Spanish squadron attempted
t , escape on tie morning OF July 3,
1898 He was in sbsolute command,
aud Is entitled t the credit due ID such
commanding officer fer the glorious
victory which resulted 10 the total de-
struction OF the Spanish shipe."
GEORGE DEWEY,
Admiral, United States Navy.
Wasbiogt)p, Dec. l3, 1901.
"a CAPTAINS FIGHT. ."-RoosEvELT.
Technically, Sampson commanded
t1e feet, and Scbley, a. usual, t1e
/ Welt srn division. The stt lsi fact = t le
important iact--is that after the battle
was joined not q helm Was shit ID, not
quo was fred. net pound OF ttsam
was put 90 10 the eugioe-room aboard
any ship actually eugsged. In obedi-
ence t. t1e order Of either sampson or
Schley, save on their own tEo vessels.
l, was captains 6Glt
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Washing IN, Feb. is.