The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1902-02-28
PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES HIS DE-
CISION IN THE SCHLEY
CASE.
SAMPSON WAS TIE COMMANDER
ALTHOUGH THE BATTLE WAS
FOUGHT WITHOUT ORDERS
FROM EITHER.
LOOP WAS A GRAVE MISTAKE
NO EXCUSE FOR ANY FURTHER
AGITATION OF THIS CON-
TROVERSY.

Washington, Feb. q. President
Roosevelt yesterday made public his
decision in the appeal of Rear Admiral
Schley. He says:
ut appears that the court of inquiry
was unanimous in its findings of fact
and unanimous in it's expressions OF
opinion on most Of it's findings of fact.
No appeal is made to me from the YER
dict of the court on these points where
it was unanimous. I have, however,
gone carefully over the evidence on
these points also. I am satisfied thai
on the whole the court Gid substantial
justice. 1t should have specifically
condemned the failure to enforce all
efficient night blockade at Santiago
while Admiral Schley was in command.
On the other hand I feel that there is
a reasonable doubt whether he did not
move his squadron with sufficient ex-
petition from port to Fort to port. The
court is unit in condemning Admiral
Schley's action on the point where 1t
seems to me he most eravely erred:
his "retrograde movement" when he
abandoned the blockade, and his dis
obedience of orders and misstatement
of facts in relation thereto. 1t should
be remembered, however, that the
Majority of These Actions
which the court censures occurred five
weeks or more before the fight itself,
and it certainly seems that if Admiral
Schley's actions were censurable he
should not have been left as second in
command under Admiral Sampson.
His offenses We're 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
miral schley's 'reprehensible conduct
six weeks previously. If Admiral
schley was guilty OF reprehensible con-
duct of a kind which called for such
notice from Admiral Sampson, then
Admiral Sampson ought not to have
left him rs senior officer of the block
aiding squadron on the Sd of July when
he (Sompson) steamed away on his
proper errand of communication with
Gen. Shafter.
I've can, therefore, for our present
purposes dismiss consideration of sc
thing
Except the Battle.
AS regards this, the point raised in the
appeal is between Admiral Sampson
and Admiral Schley, as to which was
in command, and to which was entitled
the credit, is either of them was really
entitled to any unusual and pre-emi-
nent credit by any special exhibition
of genius, skill and courage. The ques-
ton of command is in this case NOM
tnal and technical. Admiral Sampson S
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 and in
command. He signalled close i'm to
the fleet as soon as the first Spanish
ship appeared, but his signal was not
seen by any American vessel. He was
actually under fire Srom the forts and
himself fired a couple Of shots at 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 IL Single Order
from him was received by any of the
ships that were actively engaged. Ad-
miral Schley at the outset Of the action
hoisted the two signals clear up and
close in, which was simply carrying
out the standing orders of Admira
Sampson as to what should be done
If the enemy's ships attempted to break
out Of the harbor. Until after the close
OF the first portion of the fight at the
mouth of the harbor and until after he
ships were fleeing to 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 n ovement or any
action of any kind whatsoever in ac-
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
ideally
Sampson Commanded
The fleet and Schley, as usual, the
western division. The actual fact, the
important fact, is that after the battle
was started not a helm was shifted,
not gun was fired, not 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 to which each
II the two is entitled rests on matters
apart from the claim of nominal COM
mand over the squadron; for SO far as
he actual fight was concerned neither
one nor the other in fact exercised any
cen mand. Sampson was hardly more
than technically in the fight. His real
claim for credit rests upon his work al
chief; upon the excel
fence Of the blockade; upon the pre-
paredness Of the squadron; upon the
arrangement of the ships, head-on, in
a senf-circle around the f1arbor: 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 i,
81 - 5sst The (.roLsf Il. Yrs. Pr 2la535 +