| Show HAD TORAL HOT surrendered sampson and shatter would have adopted new tactics at first it was agreed to land troops and take morro castle and then the plan was changed and the ships were to throw shells over the cliffs into the city of santiago theland forces to post the fleet as to the falling of the shells neton aus 8 A good deal of light is thrown upon the deliberations delibera tiona between the army and navy during the critical period preceding the render of santiago by the following extracts from admiral sampsons Samp sons report dated baly which Is now made public by the navy department on july 1 a demonstration was made by a michigan volunteer regiment at ARii adores under command of general duffield the new york gloucester and suwanee moved up at the request of the army to assist in an attack which was to begin at daylight but the troops which came by rail did not arrive until the small river baa juan cuts through a deep defile and is spanned by an iron railroad bridge there is an ancient fort near the water and on the hill are the small rifle pits some sixteen or twenty of the enemy had been counted while waiting for the troops but disappeared when the ships began firing the troops advanced as A corner ol 01 the foit war knocked off by the shells of the navy and tho flagstaff shot away desultory firing was kept up between our troops and the spanish the troops returning to siboney about half past 10 on the evening of july 1 the admiral was advised by aen shatter that the army would assault at daylight on the tha navy was requested to keep up a tire at the batteries on the bluff the squadron equa dron closed in early on the morning of the and kept up a vigorous fire for two hours but the attack by gen shatter did not take place on that date on the night of july 1 the cecina mercedes wae sunk by tho spaniards BO as to obstruct the ships extensive batteries and if similar vessels had been bent in and aenk by the mines and batteries the harbor would have been effectually closed against us it was essential to the new echeme ot attack of the combined forces that the position occupied by the eastern and western batteries be earned and this was the scheme of action first proposed by gen shatter on the first day of alsa arrival it bad bean the admirals beaire to do everything possibly pos to operate cooperate co with gen shatter such an attack as that proposed by the general was in complete accord with the views held by the admiral and discussed with his staff it was proposed to bring up the marines from guantanamo and add them to the marines of the equation equa dion thus making a force of nearly a thousand men which be landed in the entrella Et trella cove to assault the morro or to the westward for the purpose of assaulting the west battery at the same time a detachment of iwo or three thousand from the army would proceed by Agu adores occupy the gionna between the morro and that jast to the northward of it A visit to general shatter was arranged by the admiral but the admiral being ill kis chief of staff went instead the following arrangement ran gement waa made camp near sin juan river cuba july minutes of a conversation between captain chadwick of the navy depre admiral sampson and general shatter that a long continued bombardment be made of santiago from the aea with the heavy guns ol 01 the fleet the fleet firing slowly and continually during bay twenty four baars boars at the rate of one chell every five minutes excepting one hour at the rate of one every two minutes this refers to the eight inch to thirteen inch shells if abis be not sufficient to bring the enemy to terms that an assault be arranged on the socapa battery using marines and the cuban forced under gen cebreco and an effort made to enter the harbor with some ot he smaller ships or the squadron this attack to bo made upon knowing the result of a second demand made upon the commanding officer 0 the borcea tor the surrender of the place staling to him the that surround him destruction st of spanish neat etc etc and the number of the forces opposed to him to give him time to consider the matter the date of the bombardment Is fixed at noon of the ath onless be positively refuses to consider it at all when it will b gin at such time as is convenient for ourselves gen shatter will furnish the admiral with correct maps showing where bis lines will be surrounding the city and also open the telegraphic communication by the way of rii boney down to near Agu adorea to ive information as to the falling of the shells |
