The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-11-04
HOW DEWEY WON HIS WIFE,

HOW DEWEY WON HIS WIFE.
1t was at Portsmouth that Lieutenant
Dewey first met the Sweet-faced little
woman who afterward became his wife.
She was Miss Susie Goodwin, a daugh-
ter of doughty old Ichabod Goodwin,
the war governor Of New Hampshire
and known far and wide as Fighting
Governor Goodwin" In his way Gov
ernor Goodwin was a popular hero in
the early days of the civil war, quite
as much as is his distinguished SON.
in-law today. Like many another of
the war governors of the north, Icha-
bod Goodwin was an old school demo-
crat of the ackso stripe. Nullifica-
ton or secession he could not stand.
and when President Lincoln's first call
tor volunteers came and found the New
Hampshire legislature not in session..
we oval old governor put his hands
deep into his pockets and at his per-
n expense fitted out a regiment Of
lighting men and sent them to the front.
trusting to the honor of the people of
New Hampshire to reimburse him at
the proper time. "Fighting Governor
Goodwin" was known far and wide in
those days; village streets were named
in his honor, likewise babies galore;
and to this day the old Portland, Saco
and Portsmouth locomotive Governor
Goodwin thirty ear old or more,
goes putting and snorting along the
shore road which connects Portsmouth
with points east and west.
Two gallant naval officers We're gen.
orally supposed to have been rivals
for the heart and hand Of Susie Good
win. They were Lieutenant Dewey and
Commander Rhind, the latter then pre-
pairing for a cruise in foreign waters
as commander of the Narragansett. The
calls of the one a~lternated with those
of the other, and the dear old gossips
in Portsmouth society wondered what
would be the outcome OF it all. The
lieutenant, however, won his suit.
Commander Rhind sailed away in his
fine old ship n Lieutenant Dewey
and Miss Goodwin were married. 1t is
recalled now that the odds were against
the old and more dignified officer be-
cause, in addition to the greater favor
which the young lieutenant had won
in the eyes of the young woman, there
was the aid which was thrown into the
balance by her father, the fighting
governor"
George is sort of reckless some
times the old gentleman once re-
marked, but hand me if l can help
liking him. He's homes and full of
grit, and he'll be heard from one of
these days"
Lieutenant Dewey and Miss Susie
Goodwin were married October "a, 1867,
and following the wedding a reception
was held in the fine old Goodwin home
stead, which is still standing on one
of the quiet, elm-shaded streets of
Portsmouth,, ard occupied by members
of the Goodwin family.
Shortly after their marriage the
young couple were compelled to separ-
ate for a time, Lieutenant Dewey hav-
ing been ordered to sea. For two years
he was on the European station, his
wife remaining in Portsmouth. Return
ing to America, he was, oddly enough.
assigned to the command of the Nara
gansett, relieving his former rival,
Commander Rhind. The one great sor-
row of his life came a little later. This
was in 1872. He had been promoted
to be commander and luck seemed to
be running strongly his way. The
young wife was spending a summer in
Newport and preparations were being
made for an event which it was hoped
would crown with JOY their welded
life. A son vas born December %, but
a week later the mother died. The boy
was christened George Goodwin, in
honor of his proud grandfather. He
is now a splendid fellow of 2S, a grad
uate of Princeton, and a chip of the
old block" This boy is George Goodwin
OCWey, HOW wen SldTleu OH d IueIcdl-
tile career in New York, and whose al
legged portrait has recently appeared in
half the newspapers of the country.
After the loss of his wife, Commander
Dewey faced the world bravely, but
those who know him well say hat his
soul was sorely tried, while his sister
Is authority for the statement hat he
felt as if in no little measure his career
had ended at the grave of his wife.
Years nave not entirely blotted out
this feeling, but, according to a Wash,
ington story, our hero of Manila has
not been entirely proof against Cupid's
mischievous glances. AS the story goes,
it was not so very long e that the
gallant Dewey vas eclipsed by a certain
diplomat attached to one of the lega-
tions in Washington, n a Spanish
diplomat at that. Since then" says
my informant, Dewey has shown lit
tie if any love for the diplomat in ques-
ton or for the ions in general. The
fact is, at least one may suspect so, he
had something besides the Maine to
remember when he lined up his ships
before the Spanish fleet in Manila bay.
They Cant Go to War.