Winfield Scott Schley (1839-1911), U.S. naval officer, who first won fame in 1884 as the rescuer of the lost Arctic expedition under Adolphus W. Greely. During the Spanish-American War, when U.S. naval forces defeated the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Santiago (1898) Schley was in command during the temporary absence of his superior, Rear Admiral William Sampson. The question of whether Schley deserved credit for the victory became the subject of bitter controversy, and he asked for a court of inquiry to investigate charges brought against him. Its judgment was that Schley's management of the engagement had been negligent.