Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-05-11
THANKS TO CONGRESS-.


Commodore Dewey Is to BE An Admiral.
The president on last Monday sent
the following message to the house
and senate:
TO the Congress of the United States:
On the Oath of April directed the
secretary of the navy to telegraph or
ders to Commodore George Dewey, of
the United States navy, commanding
the Asiatic squadron, then lying in the
port of Hong Kong, to proceed forth
with to the Philippine islands, there
to commence operations and engage
the assembled Spanish feet.
Promptly obeying that order, the
United States squadron, consisting of
the flagship Olympia, the Baltimore,
Raleigh, Boston, Concord and Petrol,
with the revenue cutter McCulloch, as
an auxiliary dispatch boat, entered the
harbor of Manila at daybreak on the
1st of May and Immediately engaged
the entire Spanish fleet of II ships,
which were under the protection of
the fire of the land forts. After a
stubborn fight, in which the enemy
suffered great loss, these vessels were
destroyed or completely disabled and
the water battery at Carite silenced.
OF our brave officers and men, not one
was lost, and only eight were injured,
and those slightly. All of our ships
escaped any serious damage.
By the 4th of May Commodore
Dewey had taken possession of the
naval station at Cavite, destroyed the
Notifications there and at the entrance
of the bay and paroling their aggres-
sions. The waters of the bay are un-
der his complete control. He has es-
lablished hospitals within the Ameri-
can lines, where $50 Of the Spanish
wounded are assisted and protected.
The magnitude of this victory can
hardly be measured by the ordinary
standard of naval warfare. Outweigh
ing any material advantage is the NOR
al effect of this initial success. At this
unsurpassed achievement the great
heart of our nation throbs, not with
boasting or with greed Of conquest,
but with deep gratitude that this tri-
umph has come in just cause, and
that by the grace of God an effective
step has thus been taken toward the
attachments of the wished for peace.
TO those whose skill, courage and de-
votion have won the fight, to the gal
liant commander and the brave officers
and men who aided him, our country
owes an incalculable debt.
Feeling as our people feel and speak
ing in their name, l at once sent a
message to Commodore Dewey, thank
ing him aud his officers and men for
their splendid achievement and over
whelming victory, and informing him
that had appointed him an acting
rear admiral.
l now recommend that, following
our national precedents and expressing
the fervent gratitude of every patriot
ic heart, the thanks of congress be
given Acting Rear Admiral George
Dewey, of the United States navy, for
highly distinguished conduct in con-
tiict with the enemy, and to the officers
and men under his command for their
gallantry in the destruction of the
enemy's fleet and the capture of the
enemy's Notifications in the bay of
Manila.
(Signed) WIN. MCKINLEY.
Executive Mansion, May 9, 1898.
During the reading of the message
in congress, that body kept quiet but
when the reading was concluded, there
was tremendous applause. The thanks
of congress were unanimously tender
ed by rising vote; but the matter
did not stop here. A bill to increase
the number of rear admirals from 6 to
7 in order that Dewey might be ap-
pointed to that high office, was also
passed.
The senate went still further than
the house. After passing resolution
to carry into effect the recommended
ton of the president, that body unani-
mously directed the secretary of the
navy to present Admiral Dewey with
a sword Of honor and have struck for
each of the participants in the battle a
medal commemorative Of the occasion.
The resolution carried with it an ap-
preparation of $4,000 to pay for the
sword and medals.