The National tribune., 1898-05-19
DEWEY THE CALLANT.
His Behavior, on the Night the Mis-
sissippi Went Down With Flying
No1orc

sissippi Went Down With Flying
Colors.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Admiral
George Dewey in 1862 and 1868 was Execu-
tive Officer of the U. s. s. Mississippi, Com
mander Melaneton Smith, then attached 10
the West Gulf Squadron. He was strong,
energetic, bright active, quick and decisive
young officer. The Mississippi was fitted ont
Just previously to the firing on Fort Sumter,
and really had been manned and officeIed for
foreign station, having a band and stores
on board for three years stay abroad, but
when the guns opened fire on Sumter she was
ordered instanter to the Mexican Gulf
Dewey was ordered to her, however, after
she had sailed from Boston Navy-yard, join
ing her in the West Gulf The officers of
this vessel were composed entirely of regu-
lars; that means well-tried graduates of the
Naval Academy. This is worth mentioning
in connection with this story in the light of
the fact of many of the naval ships then in
commission having been oficered by volun-
teers taken from the merchant marine. To
see the decks of the old Mississippi then was
to witness perfect discipline and perfect man.
o'-war obedience.
1t was in this school that young Dewey
was SCCobu i SbihS ihtc tiiS
smoke and powder of battle IN its most ter
rife form and reality. The writer of this
was his clerk on this ship, and was intimately
acquainted with him and his daily duties,
and in the hurrahs and tumult of the Ameri-
can jubilations of to-day in connection with
Admiral Dewey's ascendency of the ladder of
naval fame just word from his clerk OF 1862
and 1868, when in the thickest of q midnight
fight, and at the time of the sinking of the
Mississippi, as both stood together, a few un-
written facts to go down into history may
not come amiss.
The night of March a. 1863, found him as
the Executive Officer of the Mississippi stand
ing on the hurricane deck waiting for a signal
from Admiral Farragut's flagship, ahead
whether to haul up anchor for the feet to run
past the Port Hudson forts or not
Farragut's signal light showed itself under
the stern Of the Hartford, and the old Missis-
sippi's big anchor came up in hurry. The
men had been sleeping at their guns. They
were ready in an instant for firing, and not
many minutes elapsed before the laundering
commenced.
Dewey stood on the hurricane deck in the
midst of perfect shower of shot and shell.
The bend in the big river, with high water
rapidly running, made it necessary for him
to run his ship so near the shore forts as to
almost bring the guns of the ship and shore
muzzle to muzzle. The flashes of the big
rifles almost met. :
Right in the midst Of this CALLING fire the
ship ran hard aground on a sand bar. The
smoke on the water was thick. The position
of the ship could only be known by the cur
rent of the water and the sound of the enc
my's guns.
Soon theenemy discovered the ship aground,
and her oaken walls were torn to shreds and
| splinters. The big pivot gun forward was
knocked from its carriage, half of the crew
| killed and wounded. Gun after guns crew
were killed, and the portfolios knocked all
1 into one Capt. Smith at last, rather than
| sacrifice his entire crew to murder itself,
decided to blow up the vessel and leave.
| To destroy her would keep her from falling
| into the hands Of the enemy.
1t was at this terrible moment that Lieut..
Dewey showed the sort of stuff the future
American naval hero is made of. He came
down from his place on the hurricane deck to
the spar deck below, visiting the deck fore
and aft, thence climbed down to the berth
deck underneath, giving instructions to his
crew. He came to the extreme forward part
of this deck, appearing at the small hatch
over the yeoman's room at the cut-water.
This room was Immediately over the man.
hole or hatch over the top of the forward pow
der magazine The writer was stationed over
and at the entrance to this magazine. The
Gunner's Mate was in this magazine. Lieut..
Dewey could be just discovered in the dim light
of small Oil lantern hanging far away. The
roar of the guns and the crash of the shells
could not drown his voice. The crew were
familiar with it, His words were:
my men, you will leave the ship, and save
your lives if possible. Prepare to destroy the
ship"
Several of the men took time to grasp his
hand When Dewey uttered those words
there seemed to be peculiar tremble or heart
beat tone to its sound, causing feeling of
terrible dependency through ones bones and
innermost soul What could one do here
right in the very midst of the torn and bleed
ing bodies of the men ON all sides? The cries
of the wounded and the dying intermingled
with the crashing timbers of the ship made
the moment one of the sort as to bring mems
actions close on to those of mad men.
1t was in this baptism of blood that Dewey