Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-02-14
SIMPSONS AFFLlCTiON
Side Lights on the Admiral's
Health During Spanish War.
TIE LATEST PHASE oPTHE CASE

ITS subordfnntes Said 40 Have Done
Much That Eas Been Attributed 10
the north Atlantic sgundron's Com
mander-Part rIayed by Captain
Chadwick ana Lieutenant stanton
The establishment beyond doubt Of
/ the fact that the late ADMIRAL William
r. Sampson was suffering from the dis
case which finally Killed him a full
year before be was assigned to the
command Of a squadron in the war
with Spain has made clear many
things which before were only limited
at, says a special dispatch from Wash
iugton to the New York Times. Many
of these things have long been known
in Washington, but have never been
published. Yet it has been well known
to naval officers and others that long
before his mental trouble was openly
acknowledged Admiral Sampson was
In no condition to transact important
business. This made ridiculous to those
who were aware of the circumstances
the assertion that the admirai's illness
was caused by criticism OF his naval
operations. 1t also accounts for the in.
litigation of his friends over criticism
which. It Is said, might more properly
have been bestowed upon some of his
subordinates.
At the sessions of the Cuban commits
sion, Of which Admiral Sampson was a
member, the bad condition of his
health was manifest to his colleagues.
The commission was often obliged TO
transact its business without him, and
during its sessions he was frequently
unaware of what was going on.
That he was a victim of aphasla dur
ing the campaign is established now.
There was only pity for the admiral.
Whatever criticism there has been
among those who knew the facts has
been made upon those who, knowing
his condition, sent the sick man to com
mand a fleet IN war time and perform
exhausting duties.
The strain upon him, of course, was
greatly lessened ny his immediate sub
ordinates. who took charge of much of
his work. This IL particularly true of
Captain f. f.. Chadwick, bis flag cap
tain and adviser. 1t has been limited
that Captain Chadwick was responsi-
BILE for much that was done at San
tiago. Another Of those who took the
admiraFs work upon their shoulders
was Lieutenant Sidney A. Staunton,
his dag lieutenant.
1t was Lieutenant Staunton who
wrote the famous Fourth of July dis
patch beginning. 'The fleet under my
command" 1t was Staunton also, it is
said. who prevented the sending of
Commodore Schley's dispatch announc-
ing the victory. It Is understood that
it was Staunton who wrote the Gun
ner Morgan letter and who read the
proofs of Maclay's history.
During the progress of the court of
inquiry, held in Washington last year,
a strong effort was made by counsel to
show that in fact 1t was Captain Chad
wick and not Admiral Sampson who
did most of the things complained of
by them. For instance, that it was
Captain Chadwick who received the
Cuban signal code from Commander
McCalla and who did not communicate
it to Commodore Schley, as a result OF
which Schley lost three days at Glen
fuegos. Captain Chadwick himself ties
tilted that he advised Admiral Samp
son against sending a dispatch congrat-
ulating Schley on his success in finding
the Spaniards at Santiago.
A distinguished naval officer of the
highest rank in the service was in at
tendance upon the court of inquiry
ready to go upon the stand and give
testimony showing that the dispatch
ascribed to Sampson, accusing Schley
of rep%rehensible conduct, was in fact
dictated by another officer, On the day
when he was to testify it became so
manifest that the court would not re-
ceive any testimony relating to the Of
fcers Of the New York that he was not
put on the stand.
When ut the court Of inquiry counsel
attempted to put in evidence Admiral
SIMPSONS famous magazine article, in
which Commodore Schley was accused
Of withdrawing his squadron twenty
five miles from the harbor every night
objection was made by the navy de-
partment's counsel. One of the latter,
! Mr.. Hanna, remarked significantly that
the mere fact that Admiral Simpsons
name was signed to the article did not
prove that he wrote 1t. \ report made
to the navy department during the
blockade and signed by Admiral Samp-
son alleged that Captain Sigsbee was
the authority for this statement, Cap
tain Sigsbee swore on the stand that
he never told Sampson or any one else
this and that it was not true. After
Captain Sigsbee had made this state.
ment there was much harsh criticism
Of Sampson. which, it Is now said, was
probably unjust.
Captain Chadwick is the officer who
declared he would never take Admiral
Schley by the hand and who was repri.
manded by the navy department for
attacking that officer in an interview.
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