The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-10-11
soMERsET Pa. WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER H. 1899

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what will come next. There wasn't
anything really bad about the boy, but
in truth it must be added there wasn't
anything really good about him, either.
He was graduated in 1854, so it viii be
seen that Dewey reached the age of IL
years just as every ordinary boy reach
es that age, without having distinguish
ed himself, without ever having shown
to any marked degree the qualities that
the opportunity of May l, 1898, brought
to light. He was just plain. solid,
every day American boy, built on Am
erican lines with TIE gilt TO take his
own part aud the mose or less common
ambition of youth of that age to cut
loose from the paternal leading strings.
His two brothers, Charles and Edward,
who had completed their education, had
gone into business with their father,
and there was place reserved for him
in the company. The same opportu-
nifty that they had was his and the sue
cess that they were making was his.
AS was stated before, young Dewey
came from fighting stock in the same
sense that most American boys whose
parents and grandparents were Ameri-
cans before them come of fighting stock.
None Of his ancestors had ever partieu-
larly distinguished himself in time of
war. There was nothing in the record
of any of them to act as an incentive
for him to become g soldier. He had,
in 1854, just about the same ambition
cry American youth has at that age, no
more and no less, and of opportunity TO
crafty that ambition he had the same
that other American boys have, no
more and no less. Ii is recorded that
Dewey would have preferred to be a
soldier, but il happened that at the
time when he turned his back on bus
iness success there was no opening at
West Point and there was one at An
napolis. DIR. Dewey asked for the place
for his son and got it. At the Naval
Academy Dewey was slow. He had
not developed the stick-tO-it trait Of
character. During the first Two years
the record shows that he was very
poor student indeed. He paid atten-
ton to dress rather than study. His
examinations were bad because he
would not study. His neglect was such
that his father was notified and the
doctor took the boy to task and told
him he'd never amount to as much as
a row of pins if he did not stick to
what he had started out to do and de-
vote all of his energies to it. Dewey
was 10 years old then and he had the
horse sense to take the advice. He
went back to Annapolis, began stick
ing-to-it in his studies, aud was gradu-
ated from the academy third in his
class. He was entitled to and received
the appointment of midshipman in the
navy.
The lesson 80 far in Dewey's life was
that he had no better show Of being
great up to the time that he reached
his majority than any other American
boy has to-day. Once he bad been
graduated from Annapolis, he settled
down. The serious side of life appealed
to him. He served in the Wabash and
then came home for vacation. Under
home influence he developed interest in
religion and in year he was baptized
and was received into the Episcopal
Church at Montpelier. He became
something of a model young man and
a great favorite with the young women.
1t was not until 1861 that he saw any
really active service in the Navy. The
war started then and he was commits
stoned lieutenant and was assigned to
the Mississippi, which was ordered to
join the West Gulf squadron under the
command of Admiral Farragut, the last
Admiral of the American Navy but one
before Dewey earned the place. The
captain Of the Mississippi was Com
mander MeiancthOn Smith. The first
fight in which this vessel was engaged
after Dewey went on board of her was
the assault of Farragut on the city Of
New Orleans, and in that fight the Mis-
sissippi. which by the way was more
like ferryboat than warship, was
assigned TO sink the Confederate ram
Manassas, which was coming down to-
ward the fleet. Capt Smith on that
occasion did exactly what Dewey did
on May l, 1898. 1t was dollars 10 cents
that the ram was the stronger OF the
two boats. Ignoring that fact entirely,
Capt. Smith turned his boat and made
at her, and in almost less time than il
takes to tell it, he had rammed the ram
and had showed her up on the mud and
was pouring shot into her. To think
with Capt. Smith was to act, and it was
perhaps on that day that Dewey learn
ed lesson that following always after
ward brought him fame, the lesson Of
think yourself and don't give the
other fellow time to think before you
act"
1t was nearly year later that Dewey
got into his second big naval fight, and
it was then that his boat was lost. He
was the executive officer Of the Missis-
sippi in the fight at Port Hudson. In
the excitement that attended the trip
UP the river to the port, the navigating
officer lost his bearings and the first
thing he knew the Mississippi had
stuck her nose deep into the mud, and
was held fast there in just the position
that made her the best target for the
rebel guns ashore. In this position her
bait .ry on one side was available, and
with this battery she fought until twen-
ty-fiye ia her crew had been killed and
{ txenty-nine wounded. 1t was suicide
then to stand by her longer, and the or
der was given to abandon the ship.
The cowardice of some of her men,
once they were ordered TO retreat, gave
Dewey an opportunity to distinguish
himself and he took it. The men were
deserving the ship, leaving the wound
ed to their fate. Dewey faced them
about, forced them to look after the
wounded first, and he and the captain
ware the last men to leave the ship.
Taey jumped overheard. Before doing
- 49,, - 6,.o 20 tho chin oO that bv