The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1898-05-08

Brilliant Naval Career OF the Hero
of the Battle of Manila.


Commodore George Dewey first
breathed the free air of these United
States in the green hills of Vermont
sity-one years ago. He has seen red-hot
fighting between then and now--enough
to know he hits hardest who hits
straightest and oitenest and keeps it up
indefinitely. Dewey was appointed to
the Naval Academy from Vermont when
he was II years old. When he graduated
in 1853 he went with the steam frigate
Wabash on cruise with the Mediter-
ranean squadron, which lasted until
1854
Ensign Dewey was at home when Fort
Sumter was fired upon just one week
later, April 10, 1861, he received his COM
mission as lieutenant. He was assigned
at once to the steam sloop Mississippi,
which was to take part in the fierce
fighting of the West Gulf squadron.
The Mississippi was side wheeler of
sevent guns, and was commanded by
Commander Meanctben Smith. The
West Gulf squadron went at once to the
Mississippi river to force its way up.
"The History OF Our Navy thus de-
scribes the sort of things the men on the
Mississippi experienced when they pre-
coded Farragut up past New Orleans:
1.-THE Pensacola and the Mississippi
steamed slowly, with their black hulls
at regular intervals sheeting the air with
lurd fire as they replied to the forts.
! Abreast OF st. Philip, where the Confed-
crate fire was hottest they drew in so
close that the gunners aAoat and those
ashore heartily cursed each other as
they worked
The Mississippi was with the squadron
again when it ran down past New Or
leans on the way back fair targets for
nineteen big guns at close range.
The hardest fight that the Mississippi
ever was in was the one that ended her.
The fleet was trying to run by Port
Hudson with it's powerful batteries.
None of the squadron got by. The Mis-
sissippi did not even get down as close
to the batteries as most OF the other
ships did. She ran aground in the log
and smoke and stuck hard and fast.
She was about opposite the main battery
when the smoke cleared away. In
, thirty minutes she was struck $50 times.
She was shot full of holes, like colander.
Her crew climbed into boats on the side
opposite the forts, and, after setting her
on fire, made for the other side OF the
river under whitening rifle fire. She
grew lighter as she burned, and finally
hoated off. Opposite the last battery
! her blazing, popping progress ended i'll a
tremendous explosion, and her men.
safe on Shore knew that the Mississippi
would never be under fire again. That.
5 altogether, was not an impractical bit OF
, experience for man destined to lead q
: heet::of his own into action.
In July, 1868, Dewey was on the gun
boats that engaged the rebels below Don
, aldsouville. In 1864 he was attached tc
the North Atlantic blockading squadron
assigned to the steam grnboat Agawam
The Agawam was one Of the great
d. crescent Of warships big and little, that
: pumped shot into Fort Fisher in Deem
. Der, 1864, and January, 1865. Dewe,
received his commission as Lieutenant
e Commander on March 3, 1865, anc
!. served for two years on the European
: squadron, first on the steamer kearsarg'
and then on the frigate Colorado, thu
n flagship.
n In iS6S he was assigned to duty a
e the Naval Academy. in 1870 he re
l. ccived his first command, that of TIN
Narragansett. which was employed OF
- special service until 1873. The las
&c part of the time during which he com
. nmnded the Narragansctt Dewey WIS
:, commander
! The Pacific survey OF lS72-75 was in
trusted to him. After two years a
l. Lighthouse Inspector and five as Secrt
4 tarv OF the Lighthouse Board he was pn
l. in command OF the .Juniata on the Asi
y attic squadron in 1882. In September
1884, he was promoted to be Il Captai1
le and placed in command of the Dolphin
N then brand new, and one of the fou
h vessels to which. the name "whit
As squadron" was first given.
From 1885 to 1883 he was the CON
In mander of the Pensacola, the flagship {
y the European squadron. In 1888 hi
A energy and ability to complete matter
W of detail was recognized by making hil
:! Chief of the Bureau of Equipment an
:. Recruiting, which carried with it tn
! rank of Commodore.
i, In May, 1893 he took another turn o
:" duty as a member of the Lighthous
III Board. He was made an actual Con
modorc on February rs, 1896, and wa
at about that time put at the head {
the important Board of Inspection an
Survey. He was transferred to the con
mand of the Asiatic squadron January
a 1898.