Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-07-01
DEWEY HAS SEEN HOT WORK.

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Commodore George Dewey, whose
feet Of United States warships de-
feated the Spanish feet in the Philip
pine Islands, is an old warrior of the
navy, who got his christening OF fire
aboard the old steam sloop Mississippi.
under Farragut, in the early days OF the
civil war. Commodore Dewey is now
about 81 years old. He belongs in
Vermont and he was appointed to the
Naval academy from that state in Sep
TENDER, 1854. Four years later, when
he was graduated, he was sent aboard
the steam frigate Wabash for cruise
in the Mediterranean. Dewey got his
commission as lieutenant on April 10,
1861, eight days after Fort Sumter
was fred upon, and he was immedi.
ately assigned to join the MississipN
and do duty with the West Gulf squad
ron. He was on the Mississippi when
she took part with Farraguts other
vessels in forcing an entrance to the
Mississippi river and again when the
feet ran the gauntlet of fire from the
the forts below New Orleans in April,
1852, and forced the surrender OF that
city. The ship he was in belonged TO
Captain Bailey's division of the feet
which attacked Port St. Philip.
The hottest fight that the Missis-
sippi ever engaged in was her last one,
and this was perhaps as hot as any Of
the war. In March, 1868, the feet
tried to run by the Confederate bat
teries at Port Hudson. Some of the
ships got as far as a narrow part OF
the channel, where they met land bat.
teries almost muzzle to muzzle, aud
then they were forced to retreat. The
Mississippi did not get as far as this.
A foggy day had been chosen for the
attempt, and this was soon made more
obscure by the smoke Of battle, and
amid this the Mississippi lost her
bearings and ran ashore.
Her officers found that she had
stuck Just under the guns Of o battery
in the middle Of the line OF fortifica-
tions and one of the strongest OF the
lot. In half an hour $50 shots struck
the vessel and she was riddled from
end to end. There was no chance to
hold her, and her crew took to their
boats and landed on the opposite side
OF the river, after setting her on fire.
Soon, lightened by the loss OF the
crew and by the fire, she drifted of,
and, blazing and saluting with burst
ing shells, she drifted down the river,
until finally the fire reached her
magazines, and her career was ended
In one great explosion.
Dewey was next attached to the
steam gunboat Agawan Of the North
Atlantic blockading squadron, and he
took part In the two attacks made on
Fort Fisher in December, 1864, and
January, 1866. In March, 1865. he
got his commission as lieutenant-com.
mander, and as such served on the
famous old Kearsarge and on the Colo.
RADIO, the flagship OF the European
squadron, until 1869, when he was
sent for service to the Naval academy,
His first command was in 1870, when
he had the Narragansett, doing special
service. He became n commander in
April, 1872, aud, still on the NarrS
gansett, was engaged in making sur.
veys OF the Pacific until 1876. when
he was made lighthouse inspector
and later the secretary of the Light.
house board. He commanded the
Juniata in the Asiatic station in 1882
80, and in September. 1884, was made
a captain and put in charge OF the
Dolphin, then brand new and one
of the four vessels which formed the
original white squadron. The fol-
lowing year he was sent to command
the flagship Pensacola of the European
squadron, and he stayed there until
1883, when he became the chief of the
bureau OF equipment and recruiting,
with the rank of commodore. This
place he held until 1898. when he was
made member Of the Lighthouse
board. He got his commission as
commodore on Feb. 2S, 1896, and at
about the same time was made presi-
dent of the board of inspection and
survey. This place he held until he
was put IN command of the Asiatic
a e ~ .