The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-02-13
Further Developments in the Three
Co!nered Fight.
0BIECIS TO SCIlLEY'S STATEMENT
That The Latter Was In Full COM
maud When the Spanish Fleet Was
Destroyed

Theall. counsel fer Rear Admiral Samp-
son. have fled the following brief with
President Roosevelt, protesting agains[
the claim set up i2 Admiral schieys
anpeal that he was in supreme COM
mand during the battle off Santiago:
"No argument will be submitted as
to the volunteered opinion OF the pre-
siding member Of the court upon the
question of command az Santiago. We
repeatedly applied for an opportunity
to present evidence upon TINS point 10
the court. and our request was as o.Ieh
refused, and we are confident that an
atteclpt to reproduce an adverse luGe
rcat wh1re a hearing has been dell"d
is so plain a violation o. simple eood
faith that has 10 chance or receiFlnS
your apD oval. We were ready then
and arc s;ll! ready to produce mGcA
evidence which was not offered Desore
the court on this question. We are pre-
rared to show mat the statement tha!
the New York, al the beginning OF
the battle was out OF sight OF each
and every shin - d.
squadron but one IS inaccurate.
eve are ready to show tEat under
the navy regulations and the judicial
interpretations thereof, Rear Admiral
Sampson was during the battle In
command Of every single vessel In the
American line. There is abundance 0;
testimony available to show that from
the BEGINNING OF the battle every
American vessel at Santiago was IN
sight OF TIE New York. There is evil
dence at hand. both record and paroi,
to show that whenever the command
er-in-chicl left the blockading line In
front OF Santiago, he hoisted tfe signal
disregard movements CT commander
in-chlef.' proceeded to that point where
under the regulations his immediate
command of the squadron ceased ana
then sgnalled to the next In rank to
take command; and that on the morn
ing OF July 8, cie commander-ln-chief
had given instructions to have ready
for hosting the signal directing Com
nodore Schley to assume command.
and that this signal was to be hoisted
when. under the regulations. the ap-
rropIiate movement arrived; that that
such signal had not been ho:sted when
the enemy endeavored to escape from
tho harbor.
From the Oregon, too. there Is
available evidence to show that when
the first shot was fired the quarter
Rlaster Of the Oregon. usi7S the Icing
glass, could. from the position CT that
vessel. near the centre Of the line, reed
the New York's battle signals then Gy-
ing.
"All this evidsncs was ready to lie
presented to the court Of inquiry and
was not admitted before the court. be.
cause it refused to go into the question
OF command. Rear Admiral Sampson
has never objected. and does not now
object, to any inquiry to determine the
question Of command. He has. how
ever, claimed that he was in command
at the battle AS commander-in-chief
he has made his recommendations con-
cerning the rconotions. He has been
recognized By the Executive and Ju-
dic:al Departments OF the Government
as being the accuracy OF his reports is
questioned. he be at least permitted to
hear the evidence in opposition. and
to permit his brother officers to come
forward with the testimony they are
ready to give in hisbchalf
There is further an abundance OF
evidence available to ea.ablish the fact
that what the applicant now calls the
complete and total failure OF the prear-
rangea order CT battle was due holly
to his own disobed .ence OF the orders
of the onmander-in-chief. These o..
de-s were to close in and to ho.d the
enemy al the harbor's mouth. Con-
moGore Sch!ev so understood the or
drs. He ht:-t9d that very sig-al Yet.
when he saw the enemy approaching
that part Of tNa line guarded by his
own vessal lie looped. He withdrew
from the battle formation. left ho!s
il the lino. iat2-efered with the Texas.
which would have stopped the eao a~d
caused her to bac.i. thereby giving to
tie enemy the double opportunity OF
which they awaited themselves-,o es-
cape through the interval he had made.
I've have no desire to prolong this
controversy. We only ask that before
there SHALL be finding adverse TO Ad-
miral Sampson. either by the President
the courts or the Navy Department,
that he he given the opportunity which
tes been givea to admiral schley, to
present such eGiLeDce as nav MAKE
both sides Of the mater clear"
The President will consider the brief
in connection with Admiral Schley'2
appeal and the Navy Departments
comment. HIS decision in the Sch.ey
case will rot be made public until "a