The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-05-05
COMMODORE DEWEY
Saw Hot Work in War Before he
Went to Manila

From the New York Sun.
Commodore George Dewey is an old war
rior of the navy, who got his christening
of fire aboard the old steam sloop Mis-
sissippi, under Farragut. in the early
days of the civil war. Commodore Dewey
is now about 81 years old He belongs in
Vermont, and was appointed to the naval
academy from that state in 1854 Four
was sent aboad the steam frigate Wa
bash for cruise in the Mediterranean:
Dewey got his commission lieutenant
on April 49, eight days after Fort Sumter
was fired upon, and he was Immediately
duty with the West Gulf squadron. He
was on the Mississippi when she took part
an entrance to the Mississippi river, and
again when the fleet ran the gauntlet OF
April, 1862, and forced the surrender of
that city. The ship he was in belonged
which attacked Fort St Philip
The hottest fight that the Mississippi
was perhaps as hot as any of the war In
March, 1863, the fleet tried TO run by the
SonIederate patterles at IorI tucson.
Some Of the ships got as TAR as narrow
part of the channel, where they met land
then they were forced to retreat The. Mis-
sissippi 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 Mis-
sissippi lost her bearings and ran ashore.
Her officers found that she had struck
just under the guns of a battery in the
middle of the line of fOrtificationS and one
of the strongest of the lot. In half an
hour $50 shots struck the vessel and she
was riddled from end to end. There was
no chance to hold her and the crew took
to their boats and landed on the opposite
side of the river, after setting her fire.
Soon, Ifghtened 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 ca
reer was ended in one great explosion.
Dewey was next attached to the steam
gunbOat Agawan of the North Atlantic
blockadtng squadron, and he took part in
the attacks made on Fort Fisher in De-
cember, 1864, and January 1855. In March,
1865, he got his commission as lieutenant
commander, and such served the
do, the flagship of the European squad
ron until 1868, when he was sent for SerV-
ice to the naval academy. His first COM
mand was in 1870, when he had the Mar
came commander in April, 1872, and, still
on the Narraganseet,w was engaged in max
ing surveys of the Pacific until 1876, when
he was made e, lighthouse inspector, and
board. He commanded the Juniata in the
Asiatic squa dron in 1SS2-S3, and in Septem-
Der, 1854 was made a captain and put in
charge of the Dolphin, then brand new
and one of the four vessels which formed
the original white squadron The fol-
lowing year he was sent to command the
flagship Pensacola, of the European squad
ron, and he stayed there until 1888, when
he became the chief of the bureau of
equipment and recruiting, with the rank
of commodore. This place he held until
1893, when he was made a member of
the lighthouse board. He got his COM
mission as commodore on February %,
1896 and at about the same time was made
president of the board of inspection and
survey. This place he held until he was
put in command of the Asiatic station in
January of this year.