The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-02-25

the rloea of the aston. But during Inc
action not q single order from BIN vas
received BY any Of the shifts that Vers
actively engaged
ADMIRAL schiey ct the outset o. the ae-
;iou hossted the two signals OF "C1eaF
shin. ard Close in" which was sifnpis
earryinc out the standing orders or Al
uErai Sampson "a TO what shoald De
dom. IL The enemy's ships atteU pied TO
break out OF the harbor. Until after the
close Of tn. FIRST portion o; The SIGHT at
the mouth OF the harbor. and until AFTER
he had made his loop and the Spanish
shlps were fleeing TO the westward. not
another American ship noticed q signal
from him. When tho western pursuit
had begun the oregon. and the oregon
oniv. noticed and repeated one OF his
signals OF command. The captain OF the
oregon then reearded him as In oomsland.
but did not In any shape or way execute
any movement or any action OF any kind
whatsoever in accordance with any ordeE
from him.
But 1T WAS \ CAPTAINS FIGHT.
In short. the question as TO which OF
the two men. Admiral SAMPSON or Al
niral Schley, was ct the time in COM
mand. is OF merely nominal character.
Technically Sampson commanded the feet.
and Schiey. as usual. the western divi-
sion. The actual fact. the : important
fact. is that after the battle wss joined
nos q helm was shifted, nor 2 gun was
fired. not 2. pound &C steam was put on
in the engine room aboard any ship ac-
lively engaged. IN obedience to the order
OF either Sampson or Schley. save on
-hair wy I u0 y.sEaT1 n u a. gon.
tain's fight.
Therefore the credit to which each oil
the Two is entitled rests on matters 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 exercised any COM
lnand. Sampson was hardly more than
technically in the fght. His real claim
for credit rests upon his work as Com
rnander-in-Ch Chief; upon the excellence Of
the blockade; upon the preparedness OF
The squadron; upon The arrangement OF
the ships head-on in 4 semi-circle
around the harbor; and the standing or
dors in accordance with which they in
stantly moved TO the attack Of the Span
5ards When the latter appeared. For al
these things the credit IS MS.
CENsUEED FOR THE LOOP.
Admiral Sehley is rightly entitled-as
is Captain Cook-to the credit OF what
the Brooklyn did in the fight. on the
whole she did we'll; but I agree with
the unanimous finding OF the three admi-
rails who composed the Court Of Inquiry
as to the loop" 1t seriously married the
Prooklyn's otherwise excellent record,
being in fact the one grave mistake made
by any American ship that day. Had the
Brooklyn turned 10 the westward. that is.
in the same direction that the Spanish
ships We're going. instead OF in the con-
trary direction. she would undoubtedly
have been in more dangerous proximity"
10 them. But it would have been more |
dangerous for them as we'll as for her,
This kind Of danger must not he too
nicely weighed by those whose trade 1t is
to dare greatly for the honor Of the
fag. Moreover. the danger was certainly !
not as great as that which, in the self
same moment, Inenaced Wainwright's !
fragile craft as he drove forward against |
the foe. 1t was not in my judgment as
great as the danger to which the Texas
was exposed by the turn as actually made.
1t certainly caused both the Brooklyn !
and the Texas materially to lose position
compared to the fleeing Spanish vessels. |
But after the loop had once been taken
III dl SCIley HGlultu lHS DlOOhlyu |
manfuily and we'll. She and the Oregon |
were thenceforth the headmost Of The
American ve~sseis-though the Iowa GER
tain!y, and seemingly the Texas also, did
rs much In hammering. to a standstill
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 ana
Oregon share the Credit between them.
LET HE MATTER REST.
Under such circumstances it seems to
me that the recommendations OF PreEi-
dent Mckinley were erninently proper. |
that so Tar as .Ainirals Sampson and
Schley we're concerned it would have been
unjust for him to have made other recon-
mendations. Personally l feel that IL
view of Captain Clark's long voyage IN
the Oregon and the condition in which
he brought her to the scene Of service.
as We'll as the way in which he ACTUALLY |
her before and during the fight,
it would have been we'll TO hav given
him the same advancement that was
given Wainwright. But waving this. it
is evident that Wainwright was entitled
to receive more than any OF the other
commanders: and that it was just 10 Ad-
mira1 Sampson that he should receive a
greater advance in numbers than Admi-
Ial Schley-there was nothing done IN
the battle that warranted any unusual
reward for either. In short, as regards
Admirals Sampson and Schley, I find
that President Mckinley did substantial
Justice, and that there YOU be no war
rant sor reversing his action.
Bot., Admiral Sampson and Admiral
Schley are now ID the retired list. II
their report the members of
rLo C4,,rf ~ mi A1vnIrolc Ho,vny
Renham, and Ramsay, unite in stating
that they recommend that no further ac-
ton be had in the matter. With this
recommendation l most heartily concur.
There Is no excuse whatever from either
side for any further agitation OF this
Unhappy controversy. To keep it alive
would merely do damage to the navy ami
TO the country.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.