Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1899-06-29
NEW DEWEY STORY.
Admiral Nearly Started Another War
with Mexico.
New York Tribune.l

1 New 1OrK 1TlDune.
Lieutenant F. Winslow, US. N, re-
tired, cousin ofthe famous commander of
the Kearsarge,is is at the Albemarle, and yes
terday he told Tribune reporter new
story about Admiral George Dewey.
"In May, 1875, Admiral Dewey was
commander of the old Narragansett," " said
Lieutenant " inslow, land he was detail
ed to surveying the Gulf of California and
the shores of the coasts of the peninsula.
1t was not long after the Virginia affair at
Santiago, and the feeling toward the
Mexicans and Cubans was none too COR
dial. The Narragansett reached La Paz,
near the southern end of the peninsula,
and we no sooner got ashore than we heard
that an American mining engineer and
some Englishmen who owned the mine
were prlsoneres in their mining shanties,
forty miles back of La Paz, in the noun
tains. The American had resented an in
suit, quarrel followed, and the American
killed two Mexicans. The friends of the
latter swore they'd killed the Yankee and
the Englismen, too, and the latter, were
soon obliged to barricade themselves. This
siege had been on for several days when
we dropped anchor.
"As soon as Commander Dewey heard
of it he was very much interested. The
next day he sent messenger 10 the Mexi-
can colonel in La Paz, who had a garrison
of 900 soldiers there, asking him what he
was going to do to give the American
trial before LIE was shot.
"Oh, ne got into trouble-let him get
out" said the Mexican.
Commander Dewey didn't like this re-
ply, and the more he thought about it the
angrier he got. The next forenoon lie sent
note to the Mexican colonel telling him
that an American citizens life was in
danger, and that the man was entitled to
a fair trial. He told the colonel that he
would allow him just twenty-four hours to
rescue the American and protect the En-
glishmen. If at the end IF that time re-
lief was not on its way to the mining party
he would lombard La Paz and burn it.
"When we hearc what Dewey had done
we were all frightened,
''Does he mean it ? we asked one an
other.
GAS for myself, 1 was soon satisfied that
he meant every word it. was in COM
mand of the guns. We had only two old
howitzers on the Naragansett, the larger
guns having been left temporarily at the
Mare Island navy yard.
"Get those howitzers ready for tomor-
row morning and inspect all the small
arms and ammunition, said Dewey to me.
Then he called the men 10 quarters and
and estimated that of the crew of about
l2O we could land ninety able, armed
men as a storming force. We drilled the
men all that afternoon and far into the
night. That night, on Commander
Dewey's order, we steamed to point
commanding the principal streets of La
Paz and trained the howitzers on the
f town. But next morning we were al
; ready to begin a second war against Mexi
co.
: Sat daybreak a Mexican corporal came
: on board with a message from his colone
saying that the Narragansett commander
. request would be complied with. Early
! that morning we watched 800 armed Mex
: ican soldiers start for the mining camp
+ and we kept the old howitzers trained OF
4 La Paz till the soldiers returned with th'
0 American engineer. When Dewey report
ed to Washington on the matter he mini
: Lmized the Importance oft, and it was pass
e ed over as mere incident. Lieutenant
O Harris and Wright were on the Narragan
/, sett then, and Harris, at least, was witt
J. the feet at Manila. 1t is somewha
o singular that at that time, when we wer
d expecting declaration Of war agaiDs
Spain on account of the Virginius affail
d Commander Dewey had his plans all mad
d to sail the Narragansett to Manila"