Quaint and Curious - Parodies and Pastiches of Poe's The Raven

For Evermore

1901

Joseph Smith / “A Raven Maniac”

Life, 28 November 1901, p. 433

The controversy between Sampson and Schley relates to which was, ultimately, to be held responsible for the US victory in the Battle of Santiago (3rd July 1898), during which the entire Spanish fleet was sunk, while the US fleet had only two men injured or killed. Sampson was in overall charge, but was not at the battle, while Schley was present and, in part, following his own direction rather than Sampson’s orders. As a result, Schley was hailed in the press as responsible for the victory, but the US Navy credited Sampson (as he had overall command). This led to years of debate in the press, in memoirs and histories written about the Spanish–American War, and within the navy itself, over who should really have been credited, and on 12th September 1901 the US Navy opened a Court of Inquiry to settle matters. It sat for 40 days. At the end, it criticised Schley’s conduct both before and during the battle, but the chair, Admiral George Dewey, came out personally in support of Schley. Far from being resolved, the controversy was, if anything, exacerbated. (Schley later took the matter to President Theodore Roosevelt, who called for an end to all disputes over the matter.)

In the winter months and dreary, when the land was getting weary

Of the queer and curious volumes writ by heroes by the score,

When the Spaniards were consenting to that treaty and lamenting

For their exile, and dissenting, as they left the Cuban shore,

To return there nevermore.

Ah, distinctly I remember, it was in the bleak December,

And each separate, raucous member of our Congress walked the floor,

Shouting loudly and protesting that the nation was investing

In a gold brick,[1] and contesting, kept the country in a roar—

Gabble of the Constitution kept the country in a roar—

It had never known before.

Floods of wordy castigation for the meek administration

Shrilled me, filled with exasperation never felt before;

Sampson’s[2] name and Schley’s[3] repeating, now in insult, now in greeting,

Made the atmosphere as heating, as when on the Southern shore

All the ships the Spanish fleet in sank beside the Southern shore,[4]

Heaps of junk and nothing more.

Presently the cries grew stronger, epithets grew long and longer;

“Schley,” said one, “or Sampson,” with the ranc’rous anger, to deplore;

And the fact was there was scrapping, and most ungen’rous slapping,

And of charts a curious mapping of this much-talked Southern shore,

And a blaming and a claiming for the work done on that shore,

Blame and claim for evermore.

Men in documents were peering, while John Long[5] was wond’ring, fearing,

That fast was disappearing what is called esprit de corps,

That the navy with its “knockers” quick to Davy Jones’s lockers

Was passing, and he wished to list to either name no more,

Wished that Schley and Sampson both were where they’d trouble him no more;

Merely that and nothing more.

Then to navy bureaus turning, all his soul within him burning,

He shrieked, “I’ll stop this rapping, now grown louder than before”;

And in language terse and fiery, ordered he a deep inquiry

That would probe—and maybe tire ye—tire ye leaders to the core.

“Oh, this row of heroes pains me, cuts me to the very core;

It is wind and nothing more.”

Then from ev’ry sea and nation, and from every naval station

Came sleek officers, and sailormen, and lawyers by the score,

And each one obeisance made he, to the Court[6] just like a lady,

Or a marshal on parade he, as he spun his battle lore;

While the pallid Court perched list’ning to their endless battle lore;

Perched and sat and nothing more.

Passed the months in this beguiling, with the scoffing country smiling

At the grave and stern decorum, which the Courtly countenance wore,

Querying, “Who is hero, craven? Who of glory shorn and shaven?

Pray, whose ghastly case will cave in ere we reach the nightly shore?

Must we hear grim specters raving on the night’s Plutonian shore

Of this case for evermore?”

In the ages yet impending, ink and pen will be contending

For the merits and demerits of this Schley and Sampson lore;

And in sheol[7] and in heaven, it will be the acrid leaven

Of eternal six and seven for the everlasting bore;

Of the sin that’s unforgiven in the everlasting bore:

’Twill go on for evermore.

Footnotes

gold brick — A common swindle, where someone would be sold a block supposedly of solid gold, but actually of some other (much cheaper) metal and merely gold-plated or even just painted gold. This could also be a reference to the US adoption of the Gold Standard in March 1900. (back to text)
Sampson — William Thomas Sampson (1840–1902), who was Rear Admiral of the US North Atlantic Squadron at the time of the Battle of Santiago. (back to text)
Schley — Winfield Scott Schley (1839–1911), who was a Commodore in the US navy, in charge of the “Flying Squadron”, but ultimately under Sampson’s command, during the Battle of Santiago. (back to text)
the Southern shore — The Battle of Santiago (3rd July 1898), in which the entire Spanish fleet was sunk, while the US fleet suffered only two men killed or wounded. (back to text)
John Long — John Davis Long (1838–1915), 34th United States Secretary of the Navy. (back to text)
the Court — A court of inquiry opened on 12th September 1901 at the Washington Navy Yard. It sat in session for 40 days. (back to text)
sheol — The Hebrew afterlife. (back to text)

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