The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-08-28
SCMEYS OWN STORY
His Account Of Battle of Santiago
Admiral SIMPSONS Absence.

! fEhSONAls account OF the deStruc-
~ ton Of the Spanish fleet off Santiago
/ on July 3. 1855, from the pen Of Rear
Animal Winfield Scott SchIey eppears in
the Saturday Evening Post under the
title The Fight Off ssntiago.I
Admiral Schley writes as follows in re-
gard 10 the credit for the success of the
| operations:
At about S:f5 a. m. Of July .. 1SsS. the
nag orderly Of the Brooklyn reported that
/ a signal had been made from the New
York TO disregard movements of the
| commander-in-chief," and that the flag
ship had gone eastward at hizh speed;
1 Also that the Massachusetts had with
Drawn from the blockade durinS the mid
uls Nalch " TO a. M and had gone
eastward Where either ship had gone,
/ or Tor what purpose. lad hot been vouch-
saIeu 10 the commander Of the second
SquSqron, whose flag thus left on the
Dlockading line IN accordance with the
naval regulations constituted the COM
mander OF the second squadron the senior
officer present in command
Inc regulations OF the navy settle that
begond any doubt by rixing the Iespou-
SibJlty OF such officer wHen the service
eXigenc1es impose such duties UPON him.
Inc unwritten custom for centuries for
governing or controlling such matters
mas been gathered into a written code for
the service guidance. The theory upon
which all military organization is based,
whether squad or q SQUADRON fs that no
clement Of such organization can ever
De lett without a responsible commander.
ana no military eXizency can occur in war
wren such force IS ever left without
someone in control. The dates OF COM
mission held by officers is Tor the purpose
OF fixing this very question. TIE differ
ent graouations in the non-corntnissioned
ranks are but the continue ton Of the line
of command, in case the ravages Of battle
! remove one after another in the COM
missioned grades. There must be some
one upon whom the responsibility OF sue
cess or defeat can be imposed.
From confidential document under the
title, Executive &. Third session. Fifty
nth Congress, a communication by Mr..
Long respecting ''advancements IN the
navy it is seen that the commander-in-
chiefs movements to siboney on that
| morning were under orders from the de-
partment to meet General Shsfter This
order, then, furnishes an explanation or
the comma nder-iu-chief : signal and SUBJ
sequent movements eastward on July 3
It supplies. too, evidence Of temporary as
signment to a new duty. taking him on
shore TO the Headquarters Of the army
It fixes incOntest ably. also. the sCatus or
the commander of the second squadron
as senior officer present in command be
fore Santiago after Simpsons Withdrawal
After referring to Nelson's victory at
Aooukir Bay in l19S when his command
was division OF Sir John Jerv1s fleet,
he continues:
From that day TO this, no military man
has ever claimed that the glory of
Aboqkir Bay, Or as better known, the
Battle OF the Nile, was IN airy respect
shared BY the grand ana great Jarvis, who
was Nelson's cOmmander-In-chief. 1t
made no difference then, and II makes
none today, whether a commander jim
chief be eleven miles or eleven hundred
miles away from the scene of an action
IN which he did not participate History
Will always grant the question Of victory
to that commander who rights and wins
the battle. If the battle here related
had miscarried. or n, through uisman-
agement, CeTvera or any or his ships had
escaped that DAY. there would have been
no difficulty about who was in command,
or who would have had TO bear the GEN.
sure 1t is as certain, in that event. that
there would have been no effort to prove
that the New York was within signal us
tancc, no claim that Il was captains
battle nor any other of the sophistries
that we're invented IN the aftermath Of
controversy about this great victory
No instance Is recalled where great sue
cess was Won in battle when every psrtf-
cipant was not anxious to share in the
glory. but no instance Is remembered
where any subordinate ever desired 70
share with mis- superior the Odium of de-
feat. Santiago alone would be unique as
one of the worlds great battles won. /
without anybody being in command. ii
defeat had occurred the commander OF
the second squadron would have had TO
take his medicine just the same.
While the sQuedrOn's strength was thus
reduced We know today from the con-
tributions of the Spanish officers, pub |
lished afterward BIZ the Office OF Naval |
Intelligence. and therefore. Official that |
Captain Concas made a recon- 0issance at
the mouth of the harbOr on the morning
Of the battle in order 10 learn the DISPOSE /
ton Of the American fleet. The absence |
OF the New York and Massachusetts must |
have impressed him as giving Cervers |
the most opportune moment ne had had !
for the sortie he made at $3.50 a. m. on !
July 3. 1925. when the Spanish squadron |
regardless of the tOrpedoes in the channel |
was discovered filing out
Admiral Schiey. in writing OF the de-
tails OF the fight. says OF the course of
the flagship, the Brooklyn,
The Brooklyn vas steering course di-
smetrically opposite to that steered by |
the Spanish fleet, and it vas apparent /
that the original plan 70 rush in upon the |
enemy as MS squadron was emerging |
from the channel and sink IL. had Sailed /
The Spanish squadron had practically |
broken through and passed the battleship !
line. thereby creating new situation 1
in the fight, and one that had TO be me. /
at once 10 prevent It's escaDe. A new |
disposition. therefore, had TO be made in |
stantiy in order to meet the new cond5-
ton. after the failure OF the first plan |
Cook. under his general instructions, had /
perceived the situation ana gave the or /
der lizard sport." anticipating by a fe~ /
seconds a similar order by the command /
ct of the second squadron Flag L.ieuteu- /
ant Sears was ordered 10 hoist signal !
Follow the flag, which Clark saw
obeyed and repeated.
s-The Brooklyn swung rapidly and con.
finuously around 10. the westward
tlca3 diaa1o- e. 70 nTs-sr souinNsst-the ful. l