Secretaryof the Navy John D. Long to Rear Admiral George Dewey, Commander, Asiatic Squadron
From...Secretary of the Navy.
To...COM’D’R-IN-CHIEF
Date...May 17, 1898.
Subject...Stores and troops
coming.
Mounting guns on
shore.
Coal Caroline I’ds
Possible Spanish
Squadron.
The receipt of telegram of May 13th is acknowledged.1 The Department will send officers and men transport,et-cetera, also ordnance articles for the Baltimore.
About 1200 men, U.S.troops, will leave on board Pekin2 about May 21st.
The Charleston will leave about May 18th.3
If the Spanish guns are serviceable and have projectiles, could they not be mounted ashore instead of sending away?
About 5000 tons of coal reported at Caroline Islands.
It is advisable perhaps to destroy.4
There are rumors of possible Spanish expedition to operate about Philippine Islands.5
Source Note: Cy, DLC-MSS, PGD. Note: “Received at Cavite May 23,/by H.M.S.Swift.”
Footnote 1: See: Dewey to Long, 13 May 1898.
Footnote 2: That is, City of Peking. That vessel left for the Philippines in a three ship convoy on 25 May. See: William C. Gibson to Long, 25 May 1898.
Footnote 3: The protected cruiser Charleston did not depart San Francisco until 21 May. See: William A. Kirkland to Long, 16 May 1898.
Footnote 4: Long later ordered Dewey not to initiate any operations in the Carolina Island group. See: Long to Dewey, 19 July 1898.
Footnote 5: The Spanish relief expedition intended for the Philippines was forced to return to Spain. See, Montgomery Sicard to Long, 11 July 1898, DNA, RG 45, Entry 372, vol. 2.
