The record-union., 1899-10-27
Dewey's First Fight.

During the fall of 1860 word was re-
ceived from Mr.. Mclean our Minister
to Mexico, that Comonfort had revolted
| against Juarez, the President of Mex
leo, and had driven him and his ad-
herents into the old walled city of Vera
Cruz, which he threatened to bomb bard,
and requesting that a man-of-war be
sent there to protect American inter-
ests.
AS was usual in those days, no suit
able ship was available. The old fri
gate Powhattan was lying at the Phila-
delphia navy yard. She had just re-
turned from a long cruise in the East
Indies was alive with rats and reaches,
her boilers a mass of soft patches"
and her timbers afflicted with dry rot.
No other vessel could be found, so she
was hastily fitted out, officers detached
from the various stations and placed on
board, and she was hurried off to her
destination.
For six long months we remained at
anchor at Vera Cruz, with nothing to
vary the monotony save an occasional
'norther' for Comonfort was back
ward in coming forward with his
threatened attack We were all dread
fully tired of the city, the ship, and al
most tired of each other, and growIs
long and loud went up increasingly.
Each officer had told all his stories to
his shipmates, telling all he knew, and
sometimes more than he knew, and all
were longing for change of ship, sta
ton or personnel.
We had two midshipmen in the steer
age, George Dewey and J. B. (now a
retired Commander in the navy. They
had been classmates at Annapolis, and
were bosom friends; both of them were
excellent officers and very popular on
board ship.
The starboard steerage, which they
occupied, was just outside of the ward
room, and only separated by a bulk
head surmounted by lattice work hung
with curtains, so that nearly all that
went on in the steerage could be heard
in the wardroom and vice versa.
One evening, as the officers were
seated around the mess table in the
Wardroom, reading, talking, etc. the
sound of scuff1ing feet, rapid breathing
and heavy blows were heard proceeding
from the steerage. We rushed out, and
to our astonishment found the bosom
friends clinched and pegging away at
each other for all they were worth
You have been spelling for licking
for long time, and now you'll get it"
said Dewey, as he planted a blow on
BIS nose which staggered him.
You take that, you begger!" said
B, as he landed his starboard fist on
DeWey's port eye, causing him to see
more lights than he ever saw in Ma
Mia Bay, and then they clinched again,
and We're soon rolling over the floor of
the country" as the space between the
two steerages is called. The officers
soon separated the young gamecocks.
and demanded an explanation, when if
appeared they had been fighting over a
candle.
1t seems there was but one candle
on the steerage table, and Dewey had
drawn it over to his side, leaving b
in comparative darkness. b thought
it would look better on his side, and so
drew it back, and in the struggle for
the possession of the candlestick it up-
set and the hot tallow burned BIS
fingers and aroused his ire so that he
went for Dewey and the above de-
scribed fight followed. Fortunately the
First Lieutenant John Rutledge of
South Carolina was on shore, SO no
official notice was taken of this naval
engagement, and the participants were
not promoted to be Admirals or to that
higher position at the masthead-four
hours watch, as they might otherwise
have been.
Nearly forty years have passed and