The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-05-18
DEWEY'S NAVAL CAREER
Long and Valiant Service of the
Hero of Manila.
HIS RECORD IN THE CIVIL WAR.


sippi When She Grounded Under the
Confederate Batteries at Port Huron
and Blew Her Up-nis Rare Nerve.
He Is dangerous man to tackle and
handy fellow in fight, said an off,
Ger at the Brooklyn navy yard of George
Dewey when the news of the commo-
dore's splendid victory in Manila bay
was received. "The Spaniards didn'
know the sort of man they had TO do
with. He ran right into their harbor
with his whole feet and laughed at
their mines and defenses.
Those words voice the opinions of the
whole navy as to one phase of Conmo-
dore George Dewey's character AS sail
or, navigator, fighter, commander, he
combines cool, accurate Judgment and
the exercise of the highest professional
skill with the audacious bravery that
has placed his recent achievement in
the forefront in the glorious annals of
the American navy. This great exploit
of Dewey's is simply "a master stroke
consistent with life's career of brave
and honorable service for his country
upon the seas.
Born IN Montpelier VT, in 1887, he
was graduated from the Naval academy
at Annapolis in 1868, and went on the
steam frigate. Wabash, cruising with the
Mediterranean squadron until 1859.
When Fort Sumter was fired ON, Dewey
was in Montpelier. Just one week later,
April 10, 1861, he was commissioned
lieutenant, and was assigned at once to
the steam sloop Mississippi, which was
to take part in the fierce fighting of the
west gulf squadron. 1t was on this YES
sci that he got his baptism of fire.
Captain Melancthon Smith command
ed the Mississippi. side wheeler of II
guns. This vessel was with Farragut in
one of the hottest naval battles of the
civil war, when the admiral's squadron
forced an entrance into the mouth of
the Mississippi river, running the gantlet
of land batteries into New Orleans and
compellii the surrender of that city in
April, 1862.
Commodore Dewey's second smell of
powder and smoke was the last fight in
which the Mississippi engaged. in
March, 1853, when the fleet tried to
run the Confederate batteries at Port
Huron. Several of the ships reached
the narrow part of the channel, where
they met the land batteries almost muz-
zle to muzZle, being forced to beat q
hasty retreat. The day was foggy
one, and amid the denseness of the fog
and smoke of battle the Mississippi lost
her bearings and grounded on shore.
quick survey of the surroundings
showed her officers that she had struck
the shore almost in the mouth of the
line of Notifications which were the
strongest and best along the shore. In
an instant the old ship was riddled
with 250 shot. Her officers foresaw that
she was complete loss, and. setting fire
to her, they took TO small boats and
made shore on the opposite side of the
river. The officers and marines had
hardly landed before the Ere reached
the boats magazines, ana terrific ex.
plosion scattered her 10 fragments.
The History 0t Our Navy" thus de-
scribes somo OF tbe events Of this occa-
sion when young Dewey was learning
his first lessons in naval warfare:
1.-The Pensacola and the Mississippi
steamed slowly, with their black bulls,
at irregular intervals sheetiug the air
with lurid fire as they replied to the
forts. Abreast Of st. Philip, where the
Confederate fire was hottest, they drew
in so close that the gunners afoat and
those ashore heartily cursed each other
as they worked"
On the Mississippi Dewey learned the
same heartbreaking lesson that 20 years
later he taught "the fighting Montijo" |
at Manilla-how to lose his ship. Ad- |
miral David ID. Porter, in his NAVAL
History of the Civil War;" thus de. |
scribes the end of the Mississippi which |
came on the river she was named after,
while she was trying to run Port Hud- |
SON. s powerful batteries:
THE steamship Mississippi, Captain
Melanctbon Smith, followed in the |
wake OF the Monongahela. firing when !,
ever her guns could be brought to bear.
At ll:30 o'clock she reached the turn |
which seemed to give our vessels SO |
much trouble, and Captain Smith was
congratulating himself on the prospect
OF soon catching up with the flag officer
when his ship grounded and heeled over
three streaks to port. The engines were
instantly reversed and the port guns run
in in order to bring her ON an even keel.
while the fire from her starboard bat.
terry was reopened upon the forts The