Winfield Scott Schley.
Winfield Scott Schley was born in Frederick, Maryland, October 9, 1839. After being educated in the public schools he entered the naval academy at Annapolis, September 20, 1856, and was graduated in 1860. During the Civil war he served in various capacities, and at its close he was commissioned lieutenant-commander and was made instructor in languages at the United States naval academy. In 1884 he volunteered for, and was placed in command of, the relief expedition sent to the arctic regions in search of Lieutenant Greely and his companions. Two other attempts to relieve Lieutenant Greely had been failures, but Commander Schley’s determination and intrepidity carried his expedition to success, and the seven survivors of the expedition were found and brought back, together with the bodies of those who had perished. In recognition of this achievement, the Maryland legislature presented him with a gold watch and a vote of thanks, and the Massachusetts Humane Society gave him a gold medal, and a territory west of Cape Sabine was named Schley land. He was also commissioned to carry, to Sweden, the remains of John Erickson, for which King Oscar awarded him a gold medal. In 1898 he was made commodore. Previous to the outbreak of the Spanish-American war he was given command of the “Flying Squadron.” On May 19 he was ordered by Sampson to blockade Cienfuegos. On May 29, he had been ordered to Santiago by the navy department and there he discovered the Spanish fleet in the harbor. At 8:45 of that day Sampson steamed eastward to Siboney, thus placing Schley in command. Scarcely an hour later the Spaniards emerged from the harbor, the Brooklyn, Schley’s ship, signalling, “clear ship for action,” “the enemy escaping to westward” and “close action,” and steamed forward to meet the advancing enemy. One after another the Teresa, Oquondo, Biscaya and Colon were run aground under a storm of American projectiles. The credit of this victory was claimed by Sampson, but as he was absent at the time, it became ultimately recognized by the American people that Schley had fought and won the victory. His ship was nearest to the Spanish squadron at the time of action and was the most badly injured of all the American fleet. At the close of the war he was placed on waiting orders. He was married in Annapolis, Maryland, September 10, 1863, to Anna Rebecca, daughter of George E. and Marie Caroline Franklin.