Orleans County Monitor, Barton, VT, April 10, 1899

Not the least interesting part of Admiral Sampson’s paper on “The Atlantic Fleet in the Spanish War,” in the April Century, is that in which he critises the Spanish Commander’s strategy.

When we come to consider the strategy of Admiral Cevera in leaving the harbor, it must be said first of all that it would have been much better, if he could have done so to leave at ‘ night. That he could not do so, is the testimony of officers of his fleet. We know from what they said subsequently, while they were prisoners that this plan had been considered by the admiral and his officers. Two advocated going out by night; the others were all in favor of the sortie by day. The great difficulty in a night attempt was our dazzling search-light. A search-light shining direct in one’s eyes prevents him absolutely from seeing anything else; it is as though he were looking at the sun; and it was that effect upon them taken in connection with the necessity of seeing their way out of the channel, that made them hesitate. This feeling was in itself a compliment to the efficiency of the blockade, but we did not attach so much importance to the dazzling of the enemy as to the illumination of the channel so that we could see everything that was going on. It was a continual wonder to us why they did not fire at our search-light, which was always within range. To be sure, it would have required pretty good marksmanship to knock it out, but it would have made the man who was manipulating it quite uneasy to know that he was the center of the enemy’s fire.