Show SAMPSON WARNED gen shatter who commanded the fifth army corps which captured santiago in the ummer of 98 was once an enthusiast tic admirer of ad miral schley and probably Is now it he can recall all that happened just gen shatter before and after yeras fleet dashed out of santiago bay to its destruction he would be well equipped to play the part of a star witness in the coming sampson schley investigation he did not seem to re gard sampson as a great fighter in those das we who were with the doughty shatter have very lively recollections ot the general s bringing his huge fist down upon the quivering camp table to emphasize the string of characteristic strong words he used to express his opinion of admiral sampson why he force his way into the bay said the general Is h afraid of scraping some of the paint from the bottom of his ships this was after the fleet had been destroyed there were no war ships flying the spanish flag in the bay but it was said then that the channel was mined and that if any hostile craft attempted to force an en trance it would be blown over the mountains gen shatter was a rank skeptic about the mines the cubans had told him and their report was partially corroborated by some refugees that mine or torpedo which bad been laid in the channel had been there so tong that it would nat explode they eald the only clanger to an american ship was in the shore batteries aleut john miley who was shaft er s executive officer but who has bince died in the philippines with the rank of lieutenant colonel told ma that shatter often declared that a steam launch or a torpedo boat with only a one rapid alre gun on deck could force an schley immedi ate s u r render from gen toral who corn the beleaguered spanish forces II 11 it could take up a position opposite the city of santiago he urged sampson to make the attempt but the commander of the american fleet did not seem to see it that way then it was that shatter declared that he would do it capt stewart brice son of the late senator calvin ance one of shatters military fam ily and col crelghton webb inspect tor general of gen lawton s division and other adventurous officers came to gen shatter with a scheme tor the arav to do what the navy seemed to be afraid of doing they planned call ing for volunteers to man an army transport putting on the vessel a bat tery of field guns and with it force an entrance to the harbor and take up a position behind one of the islands in the bay where they would be out of the line of fire from any battery and yet be in position to rake the city shatter took kindly to the plan which was kept a deep secret but like all secrets the scheme leaked out and scores ot officers were eager to volun teer some of them offering to go as privates but just as the scheme was taking tangible form gen toral made it known to gen shatter that he was willing to come in and nothing more was done with the transport proposition the day before the spanish fleet made its dash out 0 the bay it was common talk around gen shat ter s headquarters that the french consul in santiago had been told by an officer of cerveris veras fleet that the span ish admiral would rear admiral leave the harbor at sampson 9 clock the following morning on that day I 1 was told by officers that the french consul had told maj noble that cerveira was getting ready to leave and would make the attempt the next morning none of us bel eved that the span ah admiral would attempt such a des movement we were told that day that the news was wig wagged by order of gen shatter from the shore to admiral sampson it this was done admeril sampson did not be lieve that cervera would make the dash tor when the spanish ships left the harbor sampson aboard the new york was steaming toward siboney to hold a conference with gen shatter about 9 30 clock on the morning of july 3 we heard several of the navy guns roar no one in the trenches of san juan hill paid any particular at to the booming tor we thought the warships had begun their dally bombardment ot morro castle and the other batteries but the heavy cannonading grew stronger and we could hear the span ish batteries open ing up in a few minutes a contina ous i oar came averi the hills the andl v dual booms seem 1 ed to be lost in the concert and our men began cheer ing they thought miley the fleet was moving into the harbor the spaniards opened up all along the line about that time and we were some what busy ourselves yet we kept keen ears in the direction of the bay the heavy booming seemed to move eastward and finally the voice of the great guns grew fainter and at last died out even then we did not think the spanish fleet had gone out and it was not until noon that word came from gen ludlow who was north of the city where he could see the bay that the spanish ships apparently had gone out of the harbor for none was to be seen at last we received definite news of the great victory and then the men in the trenches gave voice to their en thusia sm the next day we got the details and it is interesting to recall the tact that no one then had a whis per against schley schley did it schley was the hero the brooklyn did most of the work were the corn ments heard then the army officers declare that the celebrated loop which the brooklyn made was a great ma beuvers that schley proved himself to be a great sea fighter schley s name was on every tongue sampson was only mentioned in words of condemnation he was censured for taking the new york out of line when he could jusef as well have madel the trip to siboney on one of the mos quito fleet or in a steam launch stewart M ance the army officers took particular pains to let schley know that they gave him the credit of smashing the spanish fleet when sampson and schley came ashore to call on shatter after we had entered santiago the naval officers clean and trim well fed and jaunty in their fresh laundered white suits came into the parlors of the governors palace in santiago where shatter had his headquarters the army officers dirty and yellow their thin faces showing the effects ot fever and hardships and lack of food flocked around behley admiral sampson stood al most alone at one end of the long room but schley was the center of an enthusiastic crowd he was cong ratu again and again generals colo nels majors captains and lieutenants pressed his hands they threw their arms around him and told him he was a great man of course every army officer paid his respects to sampson but most 0 them did it in a conventional way there was no warmth to their greetings it was not until we reached mon bauh point that we learned that the brooklyn s loop was held up as evidence that schley was taint hearted even cow ardly but at san 1 tiago on san juan hill at siboney and in the trenches no one a hint major noble ed y was a coward the boys aho had faced spanish shells and mauser slugs who had fought while fever burned their blood who knew what fighting meant seem ed to hold a contrary opinion to that entertained at washington they said schley did it sampson gasn wasn t in lilt was schley who licked the span lards MALCOLM M DOWELL |