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.