The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-15
HE'S The HERO OF MANILA
THINGS GRAVE AND GAY THAT HELP
TO MAKE UP THE STORY OF
DEWEY'S CAREER.

iiohk US iaffttts = IN NJ
pointed to the naval academy in 1854.
He was then a slender lad and his fig
ure was slightly stopped. He a "A
piercing eye. and was a Yankee
through and through. OF that eye or
his. whose glance directed the great
battle at Manila, an old townsman of
the admiral Is said to have remarked
when Dewey went back to Montpelier
a captain: by ginger. I b'live the cap
tain could look through a stun post"
Not a stern post, understand, for Dew
ey looked at them the other day, bu
a stone post. for in Montpelier all the
hitching posts are of granite.
After His school Days.
After having been graduated from
Annapolis I'm 1855. Dewey was sent
aboard the steam frigate Wabash for
a cruise in the Mediterranean. He re-
ceived his commission as lieutenant
April 10. 1861. eight days after Fort
Sumpter was fired upon. He was inn
mediately assigned to duty on the Mis-
sissippi with the west gulf squadron.
Dewey was on board the Mississippi
when she took part with Farragut's
fleet In forcing an entrance into the
Mississippi river. and again when the
fleet ran the gauntlet of fire from the
forts below New Orleans in April. 1862,
and forced the surrender of that city.
NV stffB ~ nv
to Captain Bsiley's division of the
fleet which attacked Fort st. Philip.
The hottest fight the Mississippi ever
waged was her last one, and this was,
perhaps. one of the ~fiercest engage
ments of the civil war. In March. 1863.
the fleet attempted to run by the con
federate batteries at Port Hudson.
Some of the ships. which proceeded up
the narrow part Of the channel, met
land batteries almost muzZle tn muz-
zle and were forced to retreat. The
Mississippi did not get this far. a
foggy day had been chosen for the
final run. but the fog and smoke
caused the Mississippi to lose her bear
ings and she ran ashore. Her officers
discovered she had struck just below
the guns of a battery in the middle of
the line of fo~rtifcations. and N of the
ong of the series.
In half an hour $50 shots struck the
vessel. and she was riddled from bow
to stern. There was no possibility of
holding her, and her crew. therefore,.
took to the boats ana landed 81 the
opposite side of the river. after set
ting her on fire.
In a few hours. lightened by the loss
OF her crew. she drifted off. and blaZ-
ing and ~saluting with bursting shells
as she went. she drlfted down the riv-
er until the fire communicated 10 her
magazines. when her fame Was ended
In n great explosion.
Dewey was next attached to the
steam %gunboat Agawan of the North
Atlantic b~lockading squadron, and he
took part in two attacks made on Fort
Fisher in December, 1864. and in Jan
uary. 1865. In March. 1865. he received
his commission as lieutenant COM
mander. and as such served on the ia
nous old Kearsarge and on the Colo
-. tn
squadron, until 1865. when he was de-
tailed for service at the naval acad-
envy. Dewey received his first COM
mand i'm 1870. when he was assigned to
the N~arragansett, commissioned for
special service.
He became a commander i'm April.
1872. and. still on the Narragansett,
was engaged in making surveys of the
Pacific until 1876, when he was made "A
lighthouse inspector and later secre-
tary Of the lighthouse board. He COM
manded the Juniata, in the Asiatic
squadron, I'm 1SS2-S3, and i'm September.
1854, was made a captain and put I'm
charge of the Dolphin. then a brand
new shin and one OF the four vessels
composing the original white squad
ron"
The following year Dewey was sent
To command the flagship Pensacola of
the European squadron, where he re-
maine until 1888. when he became
chief OF the bureau of equipment and
recruiting. with the rank of commo-
dore. This position he held until 1898.
when he was made a membe of the
lighthouse board. He received his
commission as commodore Feb. rs.
1896. and about the same time was
made president of the board of inspec-
ton and survey. This place he held
until he was nut I'm command of the
Asiatic squadron in January of this
year.
Commanding the AsiRtic Squadron.
when he received orders to take
command of the Asiatic squadron
Dewey was given a farewell dinner by
the Army n Navy club in this city,
at which Col. Archibald Hopkins pre-
dicted hat the members OF the club
would send him away as a commodore
and receive him back as am admiral.
Fol- some years Admiral Dewey has
not been i'm good health. having had a
delicate operation performed on his
liver when he was with the Asiat.c
squadron in the SOS. but last year he
aid he felt much Improved and desired
another cruise before his retirement.
which is due I'm two years.
Acting Admiral Dewey probably new
er received a more cordial and cnthu-
siastic reception han when he re-
turned 10 his native home i'm Montpe-
lier "a captain in the United States
navy. TIE old capital then had a pop
ulat,on Of only 5000 and every man
knew every other man and was ac-
quainted with his antecedents unto the
third generation. According to ac-
counts Captain Dewey's home coming
was hopored by many "A reception and
dinner given I'm his honor and FOR a
few days the old capital was all aglow
viii cheer n color. cantain Dewey
was. and still IL. a great lover of chill
dren. and he demonstrated his owe for
the little ones To such an extent h "A
he was known as Uncle Captain" at
Montpelier long after his short fur
Tough bad expired.
Although sociable and conEPnial. II
appears that Dewey was never friv-
olous or garrulous. lis profession
taught him Ia take life seriously and