The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-08-15
SCHLEYS OWN STORY.
Battle Of Santiago as Described
by the Admiral.
THB QUEsTI0N Of RESPONSIBILITY

He refer. to tae Battle Of the Nile,
In which History Gives Laurels 10
Nelson, NOT 60 Jeryis-Denies Tnat
tie rezas was EndanEered ~ me
B4oo1ign.
The Saturday Evening Post, under
tie title THE Fight on Santiago.
gives personal account Of the de
struction Of the Spanish fleet or san
tago on July 3. 1898, from The pen Of
Rear Admiral Winfield Scott Sehley.
Admiral sehley writes as follows in
regard to the credit for the success Of
tie operations.
AT about SAD al ~. Of July :, ISIS
the flag orderly Of the Brooklyn re-
ported that signal had been made
from the New York to disregard
movements Of the commander in
chief and that the flagship had goEe
eastward at high speed; also that the
Massachusetts had withdrawn from
the blockade during the middle watch
IL to a. m.) and had gone eastward
Where either ship had gone or for
what purpose had not been youchsafed
/ to the commander Of the second squad
ron, whose dag, thus lett Oh the block
aiding lines, In accordance with the
naval regulations, constituted the com.
manaer Of the second squadron the
senior officer present in command
.The regulations Of the navy settle
that beyond any doubt by fixing the
responsibility Of such officer when the
service exigencies impose such duties
| upon him. The unwrtten customs FOR
centuries for governing or for con.
trolling such matters have been gath
cred into a written code for the service
i guidance. The theory upon which all
military organization Is based, whether
d squad or d squadron. Is that no ele-
ment Of such organization can ever be
left without responsible commander
aud no military exigency can occur ii
war when such a force is ever left
without some one in control. The dates
of commission held by officers are fol
the purpose Of fixing this very question
The different gradations in the noneom
missioned ranks are but the confirms
ton Of the line Of command in case thu
rayages of battle remove one after
another ID the commissioned grades
There must be some one upon whom
the responsibility OF success or defea
can be imposed
"From confidential document unde
the title. Executive c, Third Session
Fifty-ffth Congress-, a communicated
by Mr.. Long respecting advancement
in the navy, it Is seen that the com
mander in chiefs movements to 81
honey on that morning were under 81
ters from the department 70 meet Gen
eral Shafter This order, then. fnf
nishes an explanation Of the command
ef lii chiefs signal and subsequen
movements eastward on July 3. 1895
and supplies, TOO, evidence Of tempo
: rary assignment to a new duty, takinl
him on shore TO the headquarters 0
the army Ii fixes incontestably ais
the status Of the commander of tn
second squadron as senior officer pres
ent in command before Santiago afte
Simpsons withdrawal"
After referring to Nelson's victor,
at Aboukir bay ID 179s, when his com
mand was a division OF Sir John Jer
vis's fleet, he continues
From that day to this no militar.
man has ever claimed that the glory o
Aboukir bay, or, as better known, tn
battle Of the Nile, was ia any respec
shared by the grand and great Jervis
who was Nelson's commander in chief
1t made no difference then, and |
!. makes none today, whether a com
mander In chief be eleven miles o
', eleven hundred miles away from lib
scene Of an action III which he did no
participate History will always gran
the guerdon Of victory to that com
mander who fights and wins the bat
tie. IL the battle here related had mis-
: carried, or if, through acknowledgement
Cervera or any OF his ships had escar
ed that day, there would have been n
difficulty whatever about who was 1
command or who would have had t
bear the censure, 1t Is as certain i
that event that there would have bee
! no effort to prove that the New Yor
was within signal distance, no clair
that it was a captains battle, nor an
other Of the sophistries that were II
vented in the aftermath of controvers
about this great victory.
mo instance is recalled where grea
success was won In battle when ever
I participant was not anxious to share
the glory, but no instance is remen
bered where any subordinate ever d
! sired to share with his superior u
odlum Of defeat. Santiago alone woul
4 be unique as one Of the worlds gref
battles won without anybody being
command II defeat had occurred, Il
commander. Of the second sauadro
: would have had to take his medicin
; just the same
while the squadron's strength wa
thus reduced. we know today from col
d tributious of the Spanish officers pul
t lished afterward by the office Of nayi
4 intelligence and therefore official, tn;
z Captain Concas made a reconnaissance
j. at the mouth OF the harbor on the NOR
! 4ng af fha hattie m order tO learn I'll