Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-05-02
COMMODORE DEwEY,s RECORD.
His Career Since He Left the Naval
Academy in 1853.

Commodore George Dewey, the naval
hero Of the day, has a good record as a
fighter and tactician. When he was placed
in command of the Asiatic squadron great
things were expected of him, and his great
victory at Manila shows that this conf
dence was not misplaced.
He got his baptism of fire in the early
days of the civil war on board the sloop
Mississippi of Admiral Faraguts fleet. The
hero of the Philippines was born in Yer
| mont, and is now in his sixty-frst year.
He was graduated at the Naval Academy
in 1853, and made his first cruise on the
Wabash to the Mediterranean. He reached
the grade of lieutenant April 10, 1861 eight
days after the assault on Fort Sumter, and
Was assigned to the Mississippi on the
west gulf station. He was on that vessel
when, as part of Admiral Farragut's fleet,
she forced an entrance to the Mississippi
river and forced the surrender of New Or
leans. His vessel was attached to the dt.
vision which attacked Fort St. Philip.
The hottest fight that the Mississippi ever
engaged in was her last one, and this was
perhaps as hot as any of the war. In
March, 1853, the fleet tried to run by the
confederate batteries at Port Hudson. Some
of the ships got as far as a narrow part of
The channel, where they met land batteries
almost muZZle to muZZle, and then they
were forced to retreat. The Mississippi did
not get as far as this. A foggy day had
| been chosen for the attempt, and this was
soon made more obscure by the smoke of
battle, and amid this the Mississippi lost
her bearings and ran ashore.
Her officers found that she had struck
just under the guns of battery in the
middle of the line of Notifications, and one
lAft Ia
$50 shots struck the vessel, and she was
riddled from end to end. There was no
chance to hold her, and her crew took to
their boats and landed on the opposite side
Of the river, after setting her on fire. Soon,
| lightened by the loss of the crew and by
| the fire, she drifted off, and, blazing and
| saluting with bursting shells, she drifted
| down the river, until finally the fire reached
| her magazines, and her career was ended
! In one great explosion.
Commodore Dewey subsequently served
| on the gunboat Agawan of the North At
| lantic squadron, and took part in the two
| attacks on Fort Fisher in 1864 and 1865.
| In the latter year he became a lieutenant
commander and as such served on the
| Kearsarge and the Colorado. The latter
was flagship of the European squadron
In 1868 he began service at the Naval
| Academy, and a few years later was given
| his first command, the Narragansett
| which vessel was engaged in special SER
| vice, making surveys in the Pacific. In
| 1876 he became attached to the light house
| service and remained on that duty until
| 1882, when he was placed in command OF
| the Juniata on the Asiatic. station. He be.
! came captain in 1884 and was given COM
mand Of the dispatch boat Dolphin, which
| had just been constructed and was one OF
the pioneers of the new navy. In the fol-
| lowing year he took command of the Euro.
| pean squadron, with the Pensacola as his
| flagship, and remained on that station until
1885, when he was appointed chief Of the
| bureau of equipment.
He subsequently served as a member Of
| the light house board, and in 1896 reached
his present grade of commodore and was
| given the important assignment of presi.
dent OF the board of inspection and sur
vey, which Office he filled to the great sat
| isfaction Of the department until January
| last, when he was ordered to his present
| duty as commander-in-chief Of the naval
| forces on the Asiatic station.