The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-11
Dewey
Comes Of
Good Stock

If you will carefully read what fol-
lows about Acting Rear Admiral George
Dewey, you will better understand why
the American men war under Dew
.sy q com nand smashed the Spanish feet
In the bay of Manila and wiped out of
existence the vessels commanded by the
sailor whom the dons delighted to hon.
or as "the fighting Montijo."
The Spanish braves have been calling
Us yankee pigs" Yankee this and
that. OF course this whole nation is de-
lighted to be known by the generic
name Yankee, but 1t will not please
the Spaniards to learn that George Dew.
ey is q true Yankee, Yankee of the
Yankees, down easter, born of good
American stock. in whose veins flows
the best blood of Vermont and New
Hampshire.
Dewey first breathed the free air
among the green hills Of Vermont 81
years ago. He was born in q fine old
colonial house on State street. Montpe-
iier. The acting rear admiral's fatker
was DR.. Julius Y. Dewey, now dead, q
fine gentleman of the old school, re-
membered and honored for his integrity
and foroe of character. Commodore
Dewey's mother was very beautiful
woman, born in Vermont too. The old
colonial house at Montpelier has long
been the center of the best society in
the state, and besides being noted for
her beauty Mrs. DR.. Dewey was famed
for her hospitality and social graces.
The young George Dewey was early
educated in the Montpelier public
schools. He wanted to go to sea, but
that he should be sailor did not meet
his fathers wishes. So they came to
kind Of compromise. The young man
went from the public schools to the
Norwich university at Northfield, VT,
. military school, where, il be could
not learn to be a sailor, he could be
taught how to shoulder q musket and
drill. Incidentally he had some very good
training In pacing deck, for one form
of discipline at the Northfield school
was to punish an offender by making
him walk, shouldering a musket, oer-
tain number Of times around big elm
tree on the school grounds. This big
elm had very widespreading roots, SO
that the punishment was more severe
than IL sounds, aud George Dewey
tasted some of it. He was quiet young
fellow. His father did not approve Of
fighting. He told his son, Never fight,
but when you do fight for all You are
worth" 1t would seem that the son has
borne in mind this advice. He remem-,
bered il at the Northf1eld echool-and
90 he walked around the elm tree once
In awhile.
When he was II years old, Dewey
won his way, and his family's influence
had him appointed to the Naval academy
In 1854. He was graduated from An
napolis in 1853 and went on the steam
frigate Wabash, cruising with the Medi-
terranean squadron until 1859. When
Fort Sumter was fired on. Dewey ws-
In Montpelier, but he did not stay
there. His Yankee blood was up. Just
one week later, April 10, 1851, he was
commissioned lieutenant and was as
signed at once to the steam sloop Mis-
sissippi, which was to take part in the
fierce lighting Of the west gulf squad
ron. Captain Melancthon Smith COM
manded the Mississippi. side wheeler
Of II guns, and, while fighting-un-
fortunately--with men Of Anglo-Saxon
blood, his brothers, Dewey learned some
lessons that have stood him in good
stead with the Spaniards The west
gulf squadron was ordered to force its
way up the Mississippi river. The ship
preceded Farragut past New Orleans.
and the "History Of Our Navy" thus
describes some Of the training Dewey
got then:
"The Pensacola and the Mississippi
steamed slowly. with their black hulls
at irregular intervals sheeting the air
with lurid fre as they replied to the
forts. Abreast Of st. Philip, where the
ConfederAte FIRE was hottest, they drew
In so close that the gunners afloat and
those ashore heartily cursed each other
as they worked"
On the Mississippi Dewey learned
the same hear rtbreaking lesson he taught
''the fighting Montijo' to lose
his ship. Admiral David d. Porter, in
his "Naval History Of the Civil War;"
thus describes the end Of the Mississip-
pi, which came on the river she was
named after while she was trying to
run Port Hudson's powerful batteries:
= "The steamship Mississippi, Captain
Melancthon Smith, followed In the
wake Of the Monongahela, firing when
ever her guns could be brought to bear.
At 11:30 o'clock she reached the turn
which seemed to give our vessels 30
much trouble, and Captain Smith was
oongratulating himself ON the prospect
Of soon catching up with the flag Off.
Ger whom 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 star
board battery was reopened upon tho
forts. The engines were backed with all
the steam that could be put upon them,
and the backing was continued for 30